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Show zi n Edpjurs position. ' - In an interview recently, Hon. "W. E. Borah said toa Lewiston, Ida., paper: I am "just m free to rote against Senator Smoot as my distinguished opponent. I .certainly would not vote against him simply became .he.is a Mormon or because-of bis -religious belief, and any m who would do so is a traitor to 'the first principles of repubbean -government. But if the evidence in his ease dwclose. that he is a polygamisL I ouid -unhesitatingly rote to nnsest him; or if it shows that he encourages or eonnives at the practice of polygamy, . I would vote to unseat him; or if; evidence shows that he is bound to an organization which he admits lie owes a higher allegiance than to his country and his flag, I would unW itatinely. vote -to unseat him. My relation to him is wholly dieernbarrassed from anything in the world exeept the er-deuce er-deuce in the case.' " No. one supposes that Mr. Borah has signed any. written; contract . to vote against Apostle Smoot 's expulsion.. It is not done-that .way. Mr. Borah is a candidate tojr United States Sen-atorand Sen-atorand expects to-get every Mormon vpte inIdaho for his Legislative ticket.- Else he would not be a candidate. - He has no written nor Verbal contract to that effect, but he expects it nevertheless. ' There is n understanding. Every Mormon in Idaho knows what it is.-"So "does Mr. Borah.. ; . . 1 As to Mr, Borah's vehement declarations of what he; would do under certain contingencies, they do jiot count for very much when analyzed. 4 The" testimony in the Smoot case is all in. It is iquite supposable that Mr. Borah has read it all.' So, when he states what he would do should the evidence disclose certain facts, his statement is an evasion, for there is no more evidence to' be heard. Nothing in that evidence intimates that the apostle is a poly ga-mist, ga-mist, hence he is quite safe in his declaration that should it be" established that he is a polygamist, he would vote to expel him. As to his encouraging or conniving at polygamy, what does Mr. Borah want! The testimony shows that, poly gamy is as much a tenet of -the Mormon faith as it ever was; and that Apostle Smoot has repeatedly re-peatedly voted to sustain in high office men whom he . knew had taken plural wives since the manifesto ; that.it is his belief, just as much as baptism is, and while for his own reasons he may have never entered that state, he absolutely approves it on the part of ' others and has ho protest, but rather gives his full approval, when his spiritual chief declares he is living liv-ing every day in defiance of the laws of both God and men. . Finally, Apostle Smoot as much, as admitted un-' der oath in that same investigation that, he held the command of Joseph F. Smith as more landing on him than the mandates of this Government. So far we haye been replying to Mr. Borah as though he were a stranger. But that does not hap i pen to be Mr. Borah's case. He knows, as does every 45ther intelligent man who has lived half as long as -, le has in Idaho, that the teaching of the 3Iormon faith-makes every member, if sincere, believe that his first ealty is to his creed; that it. is a perfectly or- Y ganized government; that the head of it claims to I rple in God's stead, and that every faithful member accepts the justice of that claim; that next to the president, the apostles hohT.that power-which gives to every ajKwtle a sanctity in the eyes of the Mormon people which they have no desire, to resist, and, that when one of them demands an office or signifies how the people are to vote, a large proportion of them dare not, cannot disobey. Such a condition' makes free government, as Americans understand free government, a howling farce, and it is that farce which Mr. Borah is Assisting Assist-ing right now to play. " ' ' '" The serious business is that it is a perversion of . free government; that it is but one degree removed from open treason and that the candidacy of Mr. Borah is but an' encouragement for more just such work until Idaho shall be bound as Utah is. . We do not believe that Mr. Borah, bright as he is, half appreciates that what he is doing is in truth ' indorsing a crime against his country. Amnesty was given Mormon offenders against the laws in Utah on the express, solemn 'promise of the first presidency and the twelve apostles of the Mormon church that they and their people would thenceforth live within the. laws! Statehood for Utah was given on the express, ex-press, solemn promise that thenceforth the Mormon people should be absolutely, politically free to think , endnote as they.pleased to. think and vote. . When Statehood was secured all' those solemn covenants were broken and derided, as a good joke on the Government and the Gentiles of Utah who had . been; weak enough to-believe in the truth and honor of. the Mormon presidency and apostles. Mr. Borah ' is'; in fact indorsing that perjury and perfidy. He v . is- intruth, doing what he. can to make the Mormon t question a'perpetual blight upon the State in' which I he' has made his home. It is charity to believe that v lie does.not appreciate what he is doing to make his . : State a;f oreign State and ' its people never-ending . trouble.-"-vRut the. voters of Idaho should understand ;v .it and'keepin mind that as the ballot is their only - - peaceable" weapon of defense, they should be careful .V, : how they-cast their ballots. :, - ,. - ;- ' 1 'I- |