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Show Belief in Revelations Disqualifies, Such Superstitions Antagonistic Antago-nistic to Government by Law. Judge Taylor Answers Questions and Attorney Van Cott Argues Against So-Cnlled Religious Persecution. WASHINGTON". Jan. 27. Beforo Mr. Van Cott began to speak In the Smoot Investigation Senator Knox said he believed be-lieved that the arguments of Judge B. W. Tayler, counsel for the protestants, would be clarified If he would answer three questions, as follows: "Do you concede that your argument, intended to establish Senator Smoot's disqualification, applies with equal force to all members of the Mormon church who entertain the beliefs Senator Sen-ator Smoot has confessed? "Do you concede that your argument for disqualification, so far as it ls based upon Senator Smoot's belief in a duty to obey divine revelation, applies with equal force to all who believe in the duty to obey the divine will, however ascertained? "Would Senator Smoot be disqualified, disquali-fied, in your opinion, by reason of being a Mormon, If Mormonism had never been tainted with polygamy?' Tayler Makes Reply. In answering- the first question, Judge Tayler said the chief charge against Senator Smoot was that he was an ln-i tcgral part of J.hc quorum of twelve, which he declared to be all there was to the Mormon church! The president of the church, said Judge. Tayler, -wag the creature of the quorum of apostles, and could be removed by it. The latter part of the first question and the second question were answered Jointly by Judge Tayler. by giving what he believed to be the political significance signifi-cance of a belief In revelations. He quoted from the testimony of Senator Smoot and other witnesses concerning their beliefs In revelations and said that all persons who were committed to such beliefs were disqualified to sit aa Senators. The third question he answered by stating that if no attention had been attracted to the church, by violations of the law, it was not likely that religious religi-ous belief would have been brought Into In-to the discussion, but that polygamy was the result of revelations. This Immediate Im-mediate contact with God, through personal per-sonal revelations, he declared to be sufficient suf-ficient to disqualify any person for the position of Senatorshlp, no matter what his creed. Van Cott's Argument. Mr. Van Cott opened his argument by declaring the contention of the protestants protest-ants to bo untenable In that they admit ad-mit they could charge Senator Smoot with no offense recognizable by law. and that the only thing brought against him was that he believed In revelations. revela-tions. Emphasis was laid by Mr, Van Cott on the fact that Senator Smoot had never received a revelation and that there wns no indication that he ever would. He declared that Senator Smoot was being prosecuted on the ground that his religion at some time might cause him to commit an overt act. lie deprecated depre-cated what be termed to' be an attempt to return to the Dark Ages of religious persecutions. Mr. Van Cott then summed up the testimony of witnesses who were examined ex-amined in relation to the politics of Utah and Idaho, which ho declared failed to show one Instance of Interference Interfer-ence In politics. Talked of Inconsistency. At tho afternoon session. Mr. Van Cott, discussing tho Inconsistency of tho men who prepared tho protest against Senator Smoot. said that E. B. Crltchlow waa In tho convention that named tho candidates for tho Legislature which elcctod Smoot, and that Crltchlow opposed Smoot at that time, but afterwards took tho atump in behalf of tho candidates he had opposed In the convention. Later, said Mr. Van Cott, Mr. Crltchlow drew tho protest against Smoot and has fought him since. Justification for tho Mormon church engaging en-gaging In business was offered by Mr. Van Cott by a citation of tho caso of Trinity church In New York as ono that owns a vast amount of property. As reasons why Mr. Smoot should retain his seat, Mr. Van Colt gavo tho following; follow-ing; That Smoot could not havo secured tho Legislature without tho aid of tho Gcntllo voters; that he opposed tho Evans bill, which was vetoed by tho Governor; that ho encouraged tho Stato Superintendent In driving religion classes out of the public pub-lic schools, and that he was not a poly-gamlst. poly-gamlst. Ho then made the declaration that If Mr. Smoot should bo unseated', it would solidify the Mormons moro than ever. , Endowment Ceremonies. Mr. Worthlngton followed for Senator Smoot, discussing particularly tho question ques-tion of the endowment corumonles and tho oaths tukon. He combattcd the chavgc that thcro waa an oath taken evidencing disloyalty to tho Government and protested protest-ed against a rulo form which denied to witnesses the privilege of stating that they had not takon oaths of disloyalty unless un-less they proceeded to glvo tho cutlro cercmonv. On tho'subject of polygamy, Mr. Worth-Ington Worth-Ington said that the manifesto prohibited only new plural marriages, and that all lawyers would so interpret It. Two years later, when President Woodruff Interpreted In-terpreted tho manifesto as applying to polygumous cohabitation, said Mr. Worthlngton. all persona in Utah wero of tho sentiment that thero should bo no prosecutions. He said that when Utah was admitted to Statehood it waa asrecd thero should be no now plural marriages without tho consent of Congress, but that Congress loft tho subject of polygamous cohabitation to bo regulated by tho State. Having boon loft to tho Stato. said Mr. Worthlngton, tho Stato practically .nald to tho polygamlsta that thov could continue to llvo according to tho custom thoy had established. Mr. Worthlngton concluded foV tho day with tho statement that tho Mormon church had received but one rovolatlon In twenty-threo years, and that was tho one to slop polygamy. Tho closing argument for tho protestants will bo mado by Judgo Tavlor, instead of John G. Carlisle, former Secretary of tho Treasury. |
