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Show : by i;;v,tjio;i TO ; g:;:.mo::s::oo7 Pittsburg Chronicle-Telegraph. "Ministers of tie two cities are protesting pro-testing against the action of the Aroer-Icus Aroer-Icus club in inviting . Senator Heed Smoot of Utah, an alleged Mormon apostle, to be one of the speaker at the Grant birthday banquet celebration, but the club has bo assurance that Senator Sen-ator Smoot will come to Pittsburg. Pyrotechnic oratory has" been Indulged in ever since it has been intimated that the Utah Senator might come. . "President S. J. Wainwright, Jr, of the Americus club, who is a member of the speakers committee and who went to Washington to get speakers, rather favors the Senator's coming, believing that the alleged Mormon apostle wUl prtive a great drawing attraction. President Pres-ident Wainwright defended Senator Smoot today. He said that the talk about the Senator being identified with polygamy is aU nonsense. 'Why, be has but one wife,' said MC ' Wainwright, 'and that is as much as any of us are entitled to. The Mormon Idea has almost al-most been abolished in Utah and so far as I know Senator Smoot Is not identified identi-fied with it in any way. " 'I think that some of the ministers are a little, hasty in this matter. Ia tha first place I have never talked with Senator Smoot about his coming here. His nam was suggested by soma of the Washington newspaper correspondents, while the speakers committee from the club was . in Washington. Now these newspaper boys thought it would be a good idea to bring the Utah man to Pittsburg and I think so too. Ho was given an Invitation, but. I hav na acceptance ac-ceptance from him." "Mr. Wainwright then took occasion to say that In. his judgment tha entire trouble has been stirred up for political reasons. He thought that if a Democratic Demo-cratic club had invited Senator Snoot nothing would have been said. " 'If Senator .Smoot accepts an invitation invi-tation to be ono of the speakers will the Americus clubirefuse to entertain him? was asked. ' " 'Now, I sra only one of the members mem-bers of the committee and cannot answer an-swer that question. I haVe no telegram from the Senator saying that he wUl bo here, but there la no doubt that he would prove a great attraction and what' ha might say might be instructing. instruct-ing. . " 'No meeting of the members of the ! committee has been called to consider the matter, for there is nothing as yet to consider. We have our speakers engaged. en-gaged. They will be Justice John Franklin Fort of New Jersey. James M. Beck of Philadelphia, Assistant Attorney At-torney to Attorney-Genersl P. C. Knox, and Civil Service Commissioner William j Dudley Foulke of Indiana, We have not as yet heard from James R Garfield, Gar-field, a Bon of the late President Garfield, Gar-field, but hope to receive s favorable answer.' "The Rev. Dr. David S. Kennedy, pastor pas-tor of the First Presbyterian church of Allegheny, is quoted as saying that in bis Judgment it would be exceedingly unfortunate for a political club to entertain en-tertain . Senator Smoot, much less to have him speak at a public banquet In this city. Ha asserted that in his Judg- i ment its moral effect on the public would be bad. "The Rev. Dr. C. P. Stevenson, secretary secre-tary of the Reformed association, when seen said that it was his opinion that the Senator should not be aUowed to come to Pittsburg, Irrespective of the question as to whether he is a polyga-mlst polyga-mlst or not. He said that the Mormon system Is opposed to our civilization and asserted that the people of Utah wronged the Nation by electing him. "The Rev. R. 8. Wylle of Wllkins-burg, Wllkins-burg, who has been an opponent of the Senator's ever since his election, said that he thought the people of Pittsburg Pitts-burg without regard to denomination should protest against the Senator coming com-ing here. "The Rev. E. M. Wood., pastor of the Fifth Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, said that he hoped the matter was a mistake and that Senator Smoot would not be brought to Pittsburg. "The National Reform association held .a meeting In Pittsburg yesterday and started a movement to arouse sentiment sen-timent to unseal Senator Smoot. The association's as-sociation's committee of fifty-four will appear before the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections at the next session of Congress. It Is asserted that the seating of Senator Smoot will be made on fundamental grounds. Irrespective Irre-spective of the alleged question as to whether Senator Smoot Is actually a polygamlst . The Senator is accused of being connected with an organization which upholds polygamy." WASH LETTERS HAILED. Pittsburg Dispatch. With the announcement of the endeavor en-deavor on the part of the banquet committee to secure Senator Reed Smoot of Utah as the guest of honor at the American club banquet next month, a storm of protest has been raised on the part of the married members of the club. Letters and personal protests have been sent in to Samuef 7. Wainwright, Wain-wright, Jr., president of the club and the chairman of the committee which made the trips to Washington for the purpose of securing speakers. . The prospect of having a full-fledged member of the Mormon church as the honor guest of hundreds of Pittsburg-business Pittsburg-business men haa caused a call to arena on the part of the women of the community, com-munity, who have brought their Influence In-fluence to bear on members of the club. " J. McKinney, a member of the club, has sent a hot letter to Wainwright on the subjest, "I want to enter my protest pro-test against inviting Smoot of Utah to deliver an address at our coming banquet. ban-quet. I have read your remarks and will say that you certainly know that Smoot la a high official In the Mormon church, and you must also know what this church believes and would practice, prac-tice, if not restrained by the strong hand of the law; and knowing this a large number of our members look upon this Invitation as a direct insult, not only to the wives, daughters and sisters of members, but to the women of the country. In conclusion I would say that we think our opinions ought to carry mora weight than any expressed by the 'boys' in Washington." |