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Show " HON POWER IN WESTSPOLITICS It Is Sufficient, Senator Dubois Declares, to Constitute a Menace. IT CONTROLS SIX' STATES AND STRONG IN OTHERS Strength Will Bo Increased if Apostle Smoot Retains His Seat, Intorrlew in Brooklyn Eagle. WASHINGTON, July 17. "If Apostlo Reed Smoot retains his scat as a Sona-tor Sona-tor of the United States ho will sit in the Senato not only as an apostlo, not. only aa a prophet, seer and rovelator of his own people, but aa their ohosen ono to guide their political affairs. As an apostle he will indicato to the governing govern-ing powers of his church whether or not the Sonators from tho States where tho Mormons are powerful aro satisfactory to his pooplo. If ho indicates that a certain cer-tain Senator Is not frlondly enough to the Mormon people, that will bo tho ond of tho political career of the Senator so brandod." Tho foregoing startling statement wan made today by Senator Fred T. Dubois of Idaho, who led tho three yearo' flght to have Sonator Smoot unseated. In a remarkably frank Interview the Idaho man told of tho menaco of Mormonism to American institutions. He dwelt upon the danger of this powerful and mysterious mys-terious organization controlling the balance bal-ance of power ln tho United States Senate, Sen-ate, a possibility which he thinks is not at all romoto. Mormons Dominate Politics of Six StatoB. Tho politics of six States, Senator Dubois Du-bois says, Is now completely dominated by the sect of which Joseph F. Smith Is tho head, the Influence of which is slowly but surely extending to other commonwealths. common-wealths. Senator Dubois's disclosures regarding the amazing strength of the Mormon church ln American politics takes on peculiar significance when it is known that thlB denunciation will probably coBt him his seat in the Senato. He frankly admits that hlB State Is at the mercy of the Mormons, whoso every vote will bo cast against him in his campaign for re-eleotion re-eleotion this fall. Thus Dubois goes to defeat with hlB eyoB wide open, a sacrifice sacri-fice to hl3 conviction that the people of tho country must be Informod of the peril Involved In Smoot remaining in tho Senato. Dubois has tho satisfaction of knowing that the Senate will be forced to deoldo before the Christmas holidays whether Smoot shall stay ln the Senate or not, an Issue which haB been dodged by that body ever since March 3, 1903, when tho first formal demand for his unseating was mado. "I had a consultation with Senator Burrows, chairman of the Committee on Privileges and Elections, on July 12," said Mr. Dubois, "and It was fully agreed that the case would bo pushed to a conclusion con-clusion and a vote had before the adjournment ad-journment of Congress for the Christmas holidays next December. It will come up on the first day of the session, Decomber 3. It being a question of tho highest privilege it has the right of way over everything else. I am quito sanguine that the Sonata will refuse to allow Smoot to retain his seat." Smoot 'b Victory Would Increase Mormon Mor-mon Political Activity. Senator Dubois was asked what effect Smoot's victory would havo on the activity ac-tivity of the Mormon church, and ln reply he mado tho statement quoted at tho beginning of this Interview. Continuing, ho said: "If Apostle Smoot, remaining In tho Senate, should indicate that tho Senator from Oregon or the Senator from Nevada Is Inclined to enact legislation which would put the president of the church, Joseph F. Smith, in tho penitentiary, for Instance, tho Mormon strength in Oregon Ore-gon and Novada, I am inclined to think, would bo sufficient to end tho career of those Senators. "Apo3tlo Reed Smoot evidently has been set aside as a political agent of tho hierarchy, and tho hierarchy evidently concluded that his services to thorn would bo groater as a Sonator or tho United States than in any othor political politi-cal capaolty. He, of course, retains hlfl occlesiastlcal position as an apostle of the church, so that aBsone of tho governing govern-ing body of tho organization ho can ro-port ro-port directly to hlB brother apostles and tho first presidency, who combine In themselves all tho political power of the organization." "Do you think there Is danger of tho Mormons ever exercising Important ln-fluonco ln-fluonco ln tho United States Senato?" "Decidedly, yoB," roplled Mr. Dubois with great emphasis. "At present they havo tho power, and exercise it, to defeat any ono ln Utah, Idaho or Wyoming, who nsplron to be a Senator, Congressman or Governor. They use this power against any one who objects openly to tho practices prac-tices and methods of tho hierarchy. If they are not restrained and Apostlo Smoot retains his seat as a Senator, It will not bo long before thoy Will control tho politics, through this largo balance of power, ln Oregon, Nevada and Montana. Mon-tana. If Arizona and Now Mexico voto to come ln as a Joint Stato, they will control this new Stato almost from the beginning. Mormons May Soon Control Election of 12 or 14 TJ. S. Senators. "It Is perfectly plain that ln a reasonably rea-sonably short time, unless their power Is checked, they will control tho selection of from twelve to fourteen United States Senators. Ordinarily, almost always, ln fact, fourteen Senators are the balance of power ln the Senate, The thing that concerns me tho most Is that their political po-litical power has become bo great that It Is a matter of sollcltudo to the National Na-tional parties and to National politicians. Whllo their voto in tho electoral college Is not very largo yot it Is worth looking look-ing after, as also aro the delegations to the National conventions from these Mormon-controlled StateB. "I regard the close union of church and State, which Is ln3eperable from the Mormon doctrine, and the comploto domination dom-ination of the hlerarohy of this organization organ-ization .over their followers ln political matters as a decided If not tho greatoat menace which confronts the American people." , "What will be tho practical effect of Emoot retaining his seat?" "Reed Smoot 1b an apostle of the Mormon Mor-mon church. His ecclesiastical position posi-tion corresponds ln a way to that of a cardinal in tho Roman church or the bishop of highest ecclesiastical power ln the Episcopal or Methodist church. There is this marked difference, howovor, that tho first presidency of tho Mormon church, and tho twelve opostlca- exercise absolute control over tholr followorB In all things temporal as woll as spiritual. They control tholr followers ln business matters and ln political mattors. Unless n Mormon 'tnlcos oounsal that ln, advlco, from his ecclesiastical leaders In nil mattora, ho 1b not considered 11 pood Mormon, If ho rotusos to oboy 'counsel' 'coun-sel' ho 1b 'out' of harmony with his quorum.' quo-rum.' To bo out of harmony with your quorum 1b to a Mormon tho same aa being without friends und without with-out moans and without employment to a Gontllo in any othor community ln the United States. It Is ovon worco for a Mormon to be out of harmony with tho leaders of his church than It 1b for a Gentllo ln Now York to bo broke and friendless. If a Goutllo ln Now York finds hlmsolf without frlendB and wlth-ptit wlth-ptit money, If ho has health, character and ability, ho can mako friends and money. If a Mormon Is out of harmony with his leaders ho In ostruclned, all avenues of preferment aro closed to him except to abjeotly surrender and become be-come entirely submlsclvo to tho dictation dicta-tion or to cut looso entirely from tho church, leave all of hlH- associations of a lifetime, all his friends and relatives and go to an entirely new country nnd commence tho BtrugBlo of llfo among strangorsr" Sonator DubolB oxplalnod the lusldo political situation in his State. Ills revelations reve-lations throw a flood of light on tho subtle operations of tho Utah hierarchy in extending Its Influence to the ballot boxes In other States. Ho said: "The president of tho Mormon organization, organi-zation, who, with tho twelve apostlos, constitutes tho governing power, la an open und notorious polygainlat, as aro about half of tho apostles. Tho ovldeuco ln tho Smoot case showed that four apostlos apos-tlos out of the twelve had taken new polygamous po-lygamous wives Binco tho manifesto Issued Is-sued by tho church ln 1800, ln which manifesto man-ifesto tho church authorities pledged thomaclves that polygamous rolatlons should cease. It is still a polygamous organization, but above and beyond that,, wherever they control, there is a closo union of church and Stato, tho Stato being be-ing submerged in tho church. "The union between the church and tho Stato In Mormon communities 1b so oloso and compact that it Is impossible to toll whore the power of the church ceasos or the power of the State begins. It is impossible im-possible to convict them on account of tholr polygamous practices, bocauso of this political power which they exercise. "In Utah they aro absolute, ln Idaho and Wyoming they havo such a largo bal-anoe bal-anoe of power as to make them dictators ln politics, and they are growing so rapidly rap-idly ln Oregon, Nevada and Montana that, unless they are checked, they will control con-trol the politics in those States. In Idaho 25,000 of 80,000 Voters Aro Mormons. "In my own State of Idaho, for Instance, out of a voting population of 80,000, 25,000 are Mormons. The 55,000 Gentllo votes aro divided about equally between the Republicans and Democrats. The Mormons will ca6t their solid vote against mo for re-election to the Senate. Not a single, solitary member of this Mormon organization will voto for mo or for the State ticket which will support mo. It is altogether llkoly that I will be nominated by acclamation for re-election by the Democratic Stato convention, conven-tion, which meets August 6. "We will put ln our platform a clear, explicit declaration, demanding the separation sep-aration of church and Stato in politics, and tho enactment of laws which will punish those living In the polygamous relation. re-lation. This will drive from our support sup-port every Mormon ln tho State. We havo no laws ln Idaho to punish thoso living ln the polygamous relation, 'although 'al-though It Is well known that there are hundreds of such cases among tho Mormons. "Tho political power of tho Mormon organization Is so great that they not only prevent tho enactment of such legislation, legis-lation, but they defeat, first for nomination nomina-tion in tho dominant party, and then for election ln any party, any ono who Insists In-sists on destroying the political power of this organization or of punishing those who are living in polygamy. Eevolt Predicted in Western Mormon States. "Thero is a beginning, howevor, of a tremendous revolt In these Mormon States of tho West. Tho Mormon hierarchy hie-rarchy has become so opou and domineering domi-neering ln the use of this political power as to force tho right thinking and moral poople to a union of their forco3 for self-. preservation. Tho Mormon hierarchy will absolutely control tho Republican and Democratic parties ln Utah, tho Republican Repub-lican and Democratic paries In Wyoming and tho Republican party ln Idaho. "The Democratic party in Idaho will mako a most vigorous campaign on tho plain declaration of prlnciplo against thl3 menace to our civilization. Two years ago we mado this samo fight ln tho Presidential Presi-dential campaign. Nearly half of tho Mormons at that time professed that they wore Domocrats. yet when tho Democrat-fa Democrat-fa party In tholr platform and their campaign cam-paign speeohos stated plainly that If given tho power they would punish thoso living in polygamy aud that they would put a stop to tho dictation of tho chiefs of this organization ln tho politics of tho Stato, tho Mormon Democrats bolted conventions con-ventions and refusod to Bupport the Dom-ocratlo Dom-ocratlo ticket. Tho Republican politicians politi-cians ln that campaign assured tho pooplo toward tho ond of tho contest that if given the power thoy would enact adequate ade-quate legislation. Tho entire Republican Stato ticket was elected by a voto of more than two to ono over tho Domocrats. and thero were about flvo Democratic members of tho Legislature out of tho total membership of sixty-seven. Evory Mormon voted the Republican ticket. Out of tho forty-one Republican rnembern of tho Legislature thero were nlno Mormons, Mor-mons, yet tho newly elected Governor and the chairman of tho Ropubllcan State committee brought all tholr influence in-fluence to boar to secure tho election of a Mormon as Speaker of the Houso, whioh put an ond, of course, to all hope for any legislation to restrain tho powor of this Mormon hierarchy. Bills woro Introduced In-troduced by leading Republicans of high character to punish those living in polygamy polyg-amy and to break down tho union of church and State. They were sent to committees which had been appointed by tho Mormon Speaker, and of courao nover Baw the light of day. They wore not even reported, much less debated. "The peoplo of Idaho will not be misled mis-led by promises again, Thoy will voto squarely and knowingly, the Ibbuo being whether the Mormon hierarchy through complacent politicians 1b to oontrol tho politics of our State or whether tho Goutllo Gou-tllo shall dominate." Mormon Church Organization Most Complete in tho World. Characterizing tho Mormon church organization or-ganization as tho most complete in tho .world, Senator Dubois explained how orders or-ders to vote aro sent to tho faithful. "On the Friday beforo eloctlon," ho said, "the hierarchy ln Salt Lake may conclude that they want to elect a Democratic Governor and Domocratlo mombers of tho Legislature Legisla-ture In Idaho. At the election Immediately Immedi-ately preceding tho Mormons may havo voted almost solidly tho Republican ticket. tick-et. Instructions aro sent by word of mouth to Idaho as to what the hierarchy desires politically on the Tuesday election. elec-tion. Th6 bishops of the various districts, or wards, as they call them, meet on tho day after the conferonco at Salt, Lake. 'On Sunday ln their meeting-houses the bishops through their aubordlnato officers, of-ficers, teachers, deacons, leaders and counselors, 'counsel' the peoplo as to their duty on the following Tuesday. If there should be any objection the statement state-ment of tho church official that 'It Is the will of the Lord' Imparted through the vice-regent of the Lord on earth tho president of the church causes all protests to cease." |
