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Show MAJORITY OF COMMITTEE IS OPPOSED TO SMOOT - TVASHINGTON. Feb. 3. Vnder the caption. cap-tion. "Claim a Majority Against Smoot," 3he New York Herald says: Those Senators who are In favor of declaring de-claring the seat of Senator Reed , Smoot Jacant because of his connection with the Mormon church are asserting tonight that I hey have a majority of the Committee on J'rlvilegea and Elections, which has been Jiearing his case for nearly a year. They Jully expect a report against Senator moot. but do not believe that it will be brought to a vote at the present session, Jlthough It Is a matter of privilege. m Senator Smoot' s term expires March 4, 1909. His friends say that there will be no vote declaring his seat vacant before that time, whether there is a clear majority Against him in the Senate or not. Senator Smoot's opponents declare that the vote of the committee, according to the present sentiment of its members, stands eight against him to four for him, with one member i.) doubt. Those declared to be opposed to him are Senators Pettus. Dubois, Bailey. Overman and Clarke of Arkansas, the full Democratic Demo-cratic membership of the committee, and Senators Burrows (chairman), McComas and Depew. Republicans. Those said to be in favor of continuing Mr. Smoot In the Senate, and opposed to expulsion on the ground - stated by the protestants, are Senators Foraker. Beve-ridge. Beve-ridge. Dillingham and Hopkins, all Republicans. Re-publicans. Senator Knox, the newest member. Is not yet claimed by either side, but since he took his seat in the Senate he has made a thorough study of the case. He has announced an-nounced to no one how he intends to vote. Both sides have been allowed until next Saturday to file briefs, and next week the committee will go Into legislative session to consider, its report. Whatever this report re-port may be, it seems very doubtful If the Senate leaders will allow the question to come to a final vote on the floor, on account ac-count of the Intense political feeling which has grown out of the case. The Republicans Republi-cans of the Senate were able without any difficulty to carry the question over the last national election on the pretense of having a committee Investigation In Utah. No srch commission went to Utah and no testimony was taken at the home of Mormoniam. Senator Burrows was in favor of sending a sub-committee to Utah Immediately after the election, but he could find no members besides Senator Dubois who would go. The brief for the protestants In the Smoot case was sent today to Judge Tay-ler Tay-ler at Youngstown. O.. for his final revision, re-vision, and will be returned by him on Saturday next to the committee. It consists con-sists of his own speech made before the committee, with Interpolations from the testimony as printed in the record. Particular stress is laid upon the breaches of the law and of the pledges by the executives of the church upon the ground that they are obeying a higher law, which governs their actions, rather than the laws of their country. Stress Is also laid upon Senator 8moot's movable citizenship. In which he stated that in obedience to a revelation. If such were in contravention of the laws of his country, he would remove to some other country where he could live In accord with the revelation and not under the ban of the law as It stood in the United States, and therefore declared himself, beyond the possibility of argument, that he would obey revelation rather than the law. The absence of witnesses, and thereby the suppression of evidence. Is severely commented upon, especially In the cases of Apostles Taylor and Cowley, both of whom are shown to have taken new plural plu-ral wives In very recent years. The brief takes up 1.7) pages. |