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Show COMAVENTS OF. THE ; i NATIONAL PRESS ON : j THE SMOOT CASE PBOsEcxrnou" op sunn. New Tork Herald. " ' ' - In the proceedings against Reed Smoot before the Senate committee a searchlight is being- turned upon the Mormon church. ' . ' The testimony elicited during- the laat two days from Its president, Joseph F. Smith, is startling; but the prosecution asserts that much more sensational revelations are to come. It seems, indeed, in-deed, that "the Latter-day Saints" are to be subjected not only to a searchlight, search-light, but to an X-ray examination. President Smith, it must be admitted, shows up very curiously. He believes in the "divine revelation as made by. an angel in black" to his uncle, the famous seer and founder of the polygamous institution. in-stitution. But he also believes in the divine origin of the manifesto suspending suspend-ing the polygamous principle Issued by President Woodruff, the head of the Mormon church, in 1880 t a time, by the way, when Utah was agitating for admission to Statehood. He does not always obey the revelations revela-tions from God "one can obey or disobey dis-obey with Impunity. "Yes, sir, that's the kind of God I believe in." If a revelation rev-elation came and was in conflict with the law, however, he "perhaps" would obey the revelation rather than the law. Unlike Brigham H. Roberts when proceedings were .under way to exclude him from the House of Representatives, Mr. Smith does not pretend to think that since the admission of Utah as a State the law simply prohibits the celebration cele-bration of polygamous marriages and that previous enactments against plural cohabitation are void. Not at all. Mr. Smith frankly admits that there is a Stat law against polygamous polyg-amous cohabitation, says that the church recognizes that such cohabitation cohabita-tion is contrary to law, and boldly avows that he has persistently violated the law by continuing to live with Ave wives whom he had previously married, and that since the manifesto of 1890 these have borne him eleven children. "I knew I was amenable to the law," he tells the committee, "but preferred to face the situation rather than desert them." The five families- live in as many separate houses, but apparently Mr. Smith considers that it would not be sufficient to merely maintain them. "The people of Utah," be says, "are broad minded and have condoned the offense, if offense it be, rather than interfere in-terfere with my situation as they found it" a suggestive side light of the state of public sentiment out there. However How-ever broad minded the Utah people may be, It would seem after this candid avowal of law-breaking that it must be "up to" somebody to prosecute the prophet upon his return. This Is the head of the Mormon church, the man of whom Brigham H. Roberta, in October, 1902, wrote to the Herald: "His authority, which extends over the church in every part of the world, is unquestioned, and his administration admin-istration is accepted as able, dignified and honorable." It wlU be remembered, that after his exclusion from the House, Mr. Roberts, having three wives, was convicted by a Jury in Utah of violating the State law which makes it a misdemeanor misde-meanor to cohabit with more than one woman. Mr. Smoot's opponents assert that they will show that a number of the twelve apostles are now living In open polygamy, and that, despite Mr. Smith's assertion to the contrary, many plural marriages have been celebrated cele-brated since 1890. Mr. Smith admitted that he "hadn't much doubt" that certain cer-tain of the apostles are polygamlsts, and that others are "reputed" to be such. In short, it is going to be made clear by this investigation that the condition con-dition Imposed for admission to Statehood, State-hood, that polygamous practices should be abandoned, has not been fulfilled, and the country Is face to face with a very serious moral and politloal problem. prob-lem. It will be observed that most of the testimony elicited thus far has little direct di-rect bearing upon Mr. Smoot, and that the investigation assumes a much broader sweep. These significant facts, however, have been brought out during Mr. Smith's examination that Mr. Smoot has been in close social relations with him as well as administrative relations, re-lations, the accused Senator being one of "the twelve apostles"; that neither Smoot nor any other "apostle" ever made any objection to the polygamous life of the witness In violation of the law; and that Smoot had to get the consent of Smith and of his associate "apostles" before he could go before the Legislature to be chosen as United Staes Senator. It Is to these points the alleged Interference of the Mormon church in politics and whether a Mormon Mor-mon Senator or Representative is a free agent that the committee's attention will be most keenly directed. As the Constitution makes each House of Congress Judge of the qualifications qualifi-cations of its own members, the power of expulsion is unquestioned; but whether Mr. Smoot shaH stay or go is of comparatively little importance In comparison with the broader and more vital questions brought up by this investigation. delivered to the apostles of the Mormon church is in all cases and under all circumstances cir-cumstances superior to any law which a mere nation may enact. But the lily-fingered sticklers for per- I sonal liberty declare that if Smoot Is content to live with one wife, his mere belief in the teachings of the Mormon church is not a reason why he should be deprived of his seat In the United States Senate. But there is something more Involved than that. Upon the face of the present situation an accusing fingers points in the direction of Reed Smoot as a con-conspirator con-conspirator with Prophet Smith. This accusation ihe opponents of Mormonism declare they cannot substantiate with conclusive proof. It Is the duty of Con-gress Con-gress to spare neither time nor expense in probing this matter to the very bot-torn. bot-torn. In temporising with the issue of Mor-monism Mor-monism this Nation is playing with fire. Dr. IUff, a missionary of the Methodist Episcopal church, who has spent thirty years in Utah, gave a graphic picture in this city the other evening of the-mem-ace which hangs over the Nation out yonder beneath the shadow of the Rocky mountains. He affirms that the object of the Mormon church is to attain at-tain political influence so as to make It Impossible for any political party In the Pacific coast and Rocky mountain States to aspire to power without the consent and approval of the head of the church, and the so-called prophet and revelator of God. To this end it is sending send-ing out 2500 missionaries each year, who bring In 20,000 converts. The church now holds the balance of power in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming and Arizona, and Is rapidly acquiring dan. gerous power In Oregon, Washington, California and Colorado. When it reaches the stage where it will control the States mentioned it will be Impossible Impos-sible for any political party to maintain supremacy and undertake to oust the polygamous members of Congress. There are those, of course, who will be disposed to look upon Dr. Iliff as an alarmist, but personally we are perfectly perfect-ly satisfied that he knows just what he Is talking about. The comparative Isolation of Utah tends to keep the people of other States largely in an Indifferent frame of mind as to what Is taking place there. Fortunately, For-tunately, however, there are hundreds of thousands of citizens who neither slumber nor sleep when they realize that a national enemy is slowly but surely and assiduously getting in its work. They, too, realize that faith In a Supreme Being, the home and fireside, the spirit of patriotism, and the influences influ-ences of popular education are the four cornerstones of this Republic. He 1?, Indeed, a superficial thinker and observer ob-server who fails to see in the advances of Mormonism a menace to all that true Americanism holds dear. , Should Mormonism eventually come to dominate the Pacific and Rocky Mountain Moun-tain States, Is it a mere figment of the imagination to say that a movement might be inaugurated similar to that which was attempted by the Southern Confederacy a third of a century ago? Let Congress treat the issue now before be-fore It with the deep concern which its importance merits. upon the subject under Investigation. Tnls is especially true since the essence of the charge against Smoot is that he is not a free agent, but Is bound in all his actions by the will of his church. It Is presumed that Mr. Smith is also so bound. DEFIANCE OP XJLW. Boise Statesman: Testifying before the Senate Committee on Elections, Apostle Lyman of the Mormon church declared he was a polygamlst, that he waa living and intended to live In violation of the laws respecting polygamy. Like President Smith, he glories In violation of the law and In repudiation of the manifesto of his church and the sotemn compact make by the church with the public. If the people of the rest of the country appreciate the enormity of the offense committed by those people; if they understand the deception de-ception that has been practiced and the purposes which have led to this gigantic conspiracy, they will And a way to cause Apostle Lyman some trouble in living in ' violation of the lavs against polygamy. I The way the only way Is through a national na-tional amendment giving Congress author-' ity to deal with this offense. If the country coun-try appreciates the gravity of the situation situa-tion as disclosed by the unblushing ad-1 missions by these leaders of the church, ' there wl',1 ba such an amendment submitted sub-mitted and adopted. It Is impossible to enforce any law against polygamy In Utah or In Idaho, or In any other com- j munlty where Mormon people predoml-! nate; but, under a national law. there would be no such protection, and men wishing to defy the laws and public! sentiment sen-timent would have to hide themselves away in holes in the hills. .' POLITICS IN SIGHT. ' Washington correspondence of Spring-field, Republican, March 5th: The belief is. ex- Y pressed here today that Senator Reed; Smoot will certainly retain his seat Not ' only is it claimed that no actual case V worthy of the unfavorable action of the Senate can be made, but it is asserted that the Republicans are more friendly In their attitude. It is claimed by men who have had an opportunity to talk with the Mormons, a considerable representation of whom are in the city In company with the ' apdstles, that the majority party expects ' the continued support of the Mormons, and In return will receive the representatives representa-tives of that denomination In Congress. The Mormon church, of course, controls the results In rtah, and its power must be reckoned with In Idaho and Wyoming. If therefore it ran be held to the support of any particular party, the results must be shown In the returns. The declaration today by President Smith of the Mormon church that if he is violating the law, the courts of his State are competent and ought to be allowed to deal with his case, and that it is none of Congress's business prvlng Into his private affairs, made a profound impression on all his hearers, and the Senators In particular. Every one knows that the Mormons control the courts, and that no polygamlst1 will be prosecuted there. But beyond that, a Senator does not like to be told that something is not his business, and precedents prece-dents show that to tell the upper house so. is to stir it at once to prompt and vigorous action. Such seemed to be the attitude aroused in several today. . , PARAGRAPH!: RS AT WORK. Chicago News: President Smith's willingness will-ingness to submit his case to the Utah courts may indicate real humility, or it may only mean that he knows the Utah courts. Indianapolis Journal: Smith, the much-married, much-married, is getting uppish. He now tells Congress that polygamy Is none of its business, but only the concern of the sovereign sov-ereign State of Utah. Let us beware of a State s rights controversy those things are loaded. Augusta Chronicle: We are beginning to fear that President Joseph Smith. Jr., ( doesn't know the difference between a "revelation" and a "hunch." . Buffalo Express; When the Mormon V ' president. Smith, says that he Is answerable answer-able onlv to the laws of Utah, he states an unfortunate truth. But he was himself one of the men who entered into the com- . pact by which Utah agreed to abandon polygamy If admitted, to Statehood. t A DELICATE QUESTION. Philadelphia Inquirer: The question before be-fore the Senate committee is rather a delicate deli-cate one. It Is not charged that Smoot is a polygamlst. He is not. He has but one wife. He is, however, one of the apostles, and these apostles uphold, at least in private, pri-vate, the doctrine ot plural marriages as a cardinal one. Now the problem arises, may a Senator of the United States believe In the morality moral-ity of a doctrine hich the laws have pronounced pro-nounced Immoral so long as he does not violate the law in practice? And it is no longer contended that Mr. Smoot goes further fur-ther than to assert a mental adherence to the principle of plural marriage as a divine di-vine revelation-. He must assert this, for he is an apostle, one of the governors, so to speak, of the church, and one of the defenders de-fenders of its faith. Before becoming a candidate for the Senatorsulp he first had to obtain the assent of the other apostles. The case would seem to rest on the proposition whether the oath required by the church Is antagonistic to that required re-quired by the Constitution of the United States. Toward that end the Inquiry Is tending. In any event the country at large is likely to obtain a very good idea of the exact conditions which surround the Mormon Mor-mon movement of today. BIGHTS OF UNCLE SAM. Pittsburg Gasette: President Joseph Smith waa Irritated Into denying the right of the United States to Inquire into his private affairs on Saturday, but he did his case no good thereby. lie may be right to a certain extent in his contention on that point, but the case of Senator Smoot would be prospered If tne head of the Mormon rhurch could afford to waive that question and stand the fire of inquiries without flinching. It is true the private affairs of Mr. Smith are not the affairs of the church to which Mr. Smoot gives sup. port, but as Mr. Smith Is the head of so large an Influence in that church his persaaai M As an Important bearing t THE MORMON STENCH. (Des Moines (Iowa) Capital.) , With an investigation stick reaching from the District of Columbia to the commonwealth of Utah, the American Congress has succeeded In stirring once more the stench of Mormonism. It is wall. We trust that the stick will not be thrown aside until the stench has become so great that every breere from the distant West wlU be laden with a noxious odor that will permeate per-meate the country from one end to the other. The admission of Utah to Statehood in the first place was a blunder. Par-tlsan Par-tlsan considerations alone made that admission possible. But as there Is apparently ap-parently no way In which that blunder may be undone, the only course left for the decent elements of American citizenship citi-zenship is to fight this rile propaganda so long and so hard that Its final obliteration oblit-eration will only be a question of time. The contempt of Mormonism for public pub-lic law and for public sentiment Is well illustrated In the sending of Reed Smoot to the United States Senate. It is the protest of determined citizens to prevent pre-vent the stigma of national disgrace which the acceptance of this man's credentials cre-dentials would bring about that has forced the Investigation now In progress at Washington. Polygamy is a practice which Is carried car-ried on In utter defiance of national law. Smith, the white-headed lotbarlo. admits ad-mits that he has half a dozen wives and that his children are multiplying so rapidly rap-idly that he cannot testify concerning their number without refreshing his memory by a reference to the records. Reed Smoot Is an apostle of the Mor mon church. It Is a fundamental tenet of Mormonism that the divine law aa |