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Show Polygamy Not Worst Phase of Mormoism I SO TESTIFIES I JUDGE POWERS I Plural Marriages Fated 9 Like Slavery. ll Charges Church Interfar- H ences in Political and gH Commercial Affairs. ' Attempts to Control In Municipal Government to Obtain Conces- 1 slons and Franchises. ft WASHINGTON, Aprn 23. When the investigation of the Smoot Bl case opened today Judge O. "W PH Powers was again called to the El stand. Ell He said he received a petition pre- HH pared by supporters of Moses Thatcher H for Senator, addressed to the Senate of H tho United States, alleging that church J Influences had been used In the election, H and asking for an investigation. IH Another instance of church Interfere H ence had been Bhown, he said, in tho H Mayoralty contest at Provo. when Reed Smoot favored the candidacy of Gcorgo H Sutherland. The witness eald Smoot H was held in disfavor with the church, IH and charged with going to the Liberal IH Senator Overman asked if women IH were elected to the Legislature In Utah. jH I The witness unswered in the afflrma- tlve, and said a woman was chairman H of tho Judiciary commltteo of the H House in tho Legislature which elected H Mr. Smoot as Senator. "Did she vote for Smoot?" asked Sen- H ator Overman. jf "I understand she did." Senator Dubois Judge Powers, what H do you regard the chief exhibition of H church domination over political affairs H that has come to your notice? When Thatcher Was Droppod. H "It occurred at the April, 1306. confer- IH ence, when the political rule, that Is the IH manifesto against Mormons entering jH politics without consent of church au- IH thorltlcs, was adopted. This rule was H adopted without a dissenting vote, and jH at the samo conference Moses Thatcher JM was dropped from the rolls ns an npos- IH llo, and no explanation of any, character IH was made."' Senator McComas How do tho young H II 1 ; men- In the Mormon church regard the 1 if'.'i practice of polygamy? I'll)' "I think the young Mormon men and 1 1 1 ' women, too, arc opposed to the practice II j-j I I " strongly opposed although I confess I f I 1 that I cannot understand the power thn I 1 2 t s church Is able to exert over them. I bc- I 1 i . Ileve, however, that If tho church au- I , 1 I , thorltles should attempt to re-establish t, it U ! polygamy, by revelation or otherwise, I " 1 1 i . there would be trouble." I i.. Ml In regard to continuation of polygn- I U'j mou3 cohabitation, Judge Powers said I , iji that eome look upon this condition with I . H S tolerance, and others with open hostll- I li 5t-v'- i H i i (; Several Senators engaged in the dls- I 9i i; cusslon of the future of polygamy and I I 1 Judge Powers said ho believed the prac- I ti I ' ' tice could not last any more than could I slavery. Continuing he said: I T' (Jill "But I do not regard polygamy as the I ' it (' worst feature of the Mormon religion. I I n I 1 What I object to most Is its un-Amerl- D ... J ) can domination by the hierarchy of the W I ' ' i people of that belief. The belief in the $. ' right of the church authorities to pre- '('', scribe rules, the belief that the head of I ' ' "' the church is inspired and Interference '.'. of the church In political and commer- K i cial affairs." iJ" Senator Hopkins The same charge I 'J ' about commerce can be made against J I ' I other churches In a limited way, can It i i' "7 ' , v General Commercial Business. I J I i "Not as I make the statement here," ' .'. said Mr. Powers. "I do not know of I - anv other church that conducts bathing ,1 beaches, street railways, electric light i and power plants, banks, mines and J ; mills and that attempts to control In I i local politics for tho purpose of obtaln- ., I, izi concessions and franchises." ' Senator Hopkins There is the Metho- l dlst church In Chicago of which I am I ( a member. It engages In business and 1 I have always supported that Idea. I. i I Aliuriii,' r ui iiiiiiH -' -n-iivi nit JLiiu- l ' lty church in New York also owns and j rents property. j J "But as I understand it, Judge Powers , J means that the Mormon church Is a ! ' trust and ow ns and controls great com- I mcrclal Institutions," said Senator Mc- , i Comas. , "That Is It: It 13 a trust," said Judge 'I Powers. ' Senator Bailey asked Senator Hopkins and Mr. Worthington If the Methodist ' .1 church in Chicago and Trinity church j in New York engaged In mercantile af- 1 I fairs and both admitted that the business busi-ness consisted mostly In owning proper- : ty and receiving rents. 1 1 Senator Dubois suggested that if com- ' I parlsons of power of the Mormon and V ." Methodist church ivcre to be made it ' , would be well to summon tho bishops f of the Methodist church to testify. x "If you were as well acquainted with x j Methodism as I am it would not be ne- ; cessary to summon a bishop," retorted J ' Senator Hopkins. "However, I may not ' be so well acquainted with Monnonlsm." Judge Powers continued In the lino of making It clear that tho Mormon church y controlled business in Utah to a large i ' degree and that It was protected by secrecy which was hard to get at. Senator Overman remarked that there ' was no secrecy In Methodism and thcrc- ' fore comparisons were unnecessary. |