Show PROTEST AGAINST SEATING OP OF SENATOR REED SMOOT charge made by rev bellach of salt sall lake that senator elect Is 1 an active polygamist lat senator Dur roAs chairman of the senate committee on pilvi privileges leges and elections on presented to the senate a protest signed by itea lev J 1 1 bellach le llach of 0 salt lale lake city depre benting sent ln the ministerial asso claton against tho the selling seating of senator el elect t smoot rev Lo collach Loll llach ioli in hig kwoi it stat emplit declares that smoot Is a polygamist and now has a plural wife although ho he deenis deems it inexpedient adient to give the maiden namo of the lady at this time ills charge on this point la Is as follows that the said rcck recd smoot la Is a PO and that since the admission of utah into the union of states elates I 1 ho he I although then and there having haning a legal 1 wife married a plural wife in the state of utah la in violation of the laws lams ar and kd compacts hereinbefore described und and since such plural or polygamous marriage th the 0 said reed smoot has lived and cohabited with both his bis legal wife and hla his plural wife in the state ot of utah and elsewhere aspe as occasion casion offered and that the only record of suen plural marriage Is the secret record me made do and kept by the authorities ot of the church of jesus christ of 0 latter day saints which secret record la Is in ane exclusive custody and control of the first and tho the quorum of the twel le apostles of sald said church of which the said reed smoot Is one and is beyond the control or power of the protestants protestant fl your protestants te respectfully ask that the sen aen ate of the united states or its ita committee compel the first presidency and the quorum of the twelve apostles and the said reed smoot to produce buch baich secret record for the consi deia tion of the senate your protestant pays that it Is inexpedient a at t this biln to gho ghe guither particulars conce inin I 1 buh plural marriage and its results or the place in which it was mas solemnized or the maiden name of the plural wife senator elect smoot la is quoted as saying regarding the charges charge a filed by rev lelich I 1 bellich Lell Lel lich as agent of the all ministerial interial erial association came to roy MY home town provo prove I 1 am told and en deavor deavo red cd to get signatures signed to the protest against seating me but ha to vaa mas confronted by a solid array of mormons cormons and gentil gentiles es who are my neleh lors ors and friends lenda fr and who later signed a petition in my behalf rev dr stoddard of provo prove headed the petition favoring my cause there la Is nothing of importance in athla a charge filed today except that I 1 am alleged to be a polygamist lat I 1 say to you now that it if I 1 knew I 1 were vere to dio die within an hour I 1 would mould swear before god that I 1 never in the past practiced nor do I 1 now practice polygamy in any manner or form |