Salt Lake Tribune | 1908-10-29 | Page 6 | Where Smoot Failed

WHERE SMOOT FAILED The Chairman. You heard the testimony testi-mony here, I believe, of Joseph V. Smith? Senator Snioot. I did. . The Chairman. In which he testified that he was living In defiance of tho Jaw of the land? Senator. Smoot. I did. Tho Chairman. Did you al3o hear him state that ho was living contrary to the divino law? Senator Smoot. I heard him testify and make his qualifications. Tho Chairman. That ho is living in defiance de-fiance of the divine commandment. Has the church proceeded against him for the violation of these laws? Senator Smoot. They havo not. Tho Chairman. No stops have been taken to try him for the offense of polvg-amous polvg-amous cohahltatlon? Senator Smoot. No, sir. w 0 V o O The Chairman. Havo you protested against ills living In polygamous cohabitation? cohabi-tation? Senator Smoot. I have not. The Chairman. Have you In nny way sought to bring him to trial for thoso offenses? of-fenses? Senator Smoot. I have not. The Chairman. Do you intend to? Senator Smoot. I do not. Testimony In Smoot case, volume 3, pages 2SC and JS7. This is tho character that .Heed Smoot has established for himself as a Senator of tho United States one of the highest high-est officials and defenders of the law that tho Nation and tho States honor with groat dignity. As a Senator, it 4s Iteed Smooth duty to uphold the law of tho land in all j things. Smith defies this law; but Smoot, the Senator, hasn't the courugy to reseut tho defiance, j As an apostle of the Mormon church, jit is Heed Snioot 's busiueas to advise I against breach of church rulo, and to j punish disobedience to church law. Smith has flaunted in tho face of tho Natiou, the State and the church his violation of what he aud Smoot protond to be divine commandments. But Smoot, tho apostlo, is too cowardly to stand up for his God or his people. Vet this defender of crime against tho State ami sin against tho church has not only becu honored with great 1 gift of position from each of those 1 bodies, but it is now proposed by tho shielded lawbreakers to perpetuate him iu both places. Will the decent citizenship hero countenance coun-tenance such reward for moral cowardice, cow-ardice, and such pay for despicable religious re-ligious turpitude?