Show SMOOT SHOOT MAKES REPLY PLY DENIES ALI CHARGES MADE by bt protestants senator from utah declares declare he ha is I 1 not a polygamist and that polygamy y Is 18 not practiced by the mormon church while senator smoots reply to the C charges barges made boado by hla his opponents la in mi an endeavor to oust him from ills his teat seat in the united states senate has no bobeen not been mado made public it Is generally understood that the document has been handed to chairman burrows ol of the elections committee in his answer senator smoot deniec absolutely the charge that he be Is or 01 has boon been a polyta polygamist mist ho he also no do absolutely that ho he has tal takeeta on an oath as a member of 0 the tha mormon church or an officer of 0 such church in conflict in any manner with the oath ho be has taken as senator ol of tho states lie he insists that all other charges made by citizens ot of utah represented resen tod by the committee ot of nineteen aro are not cormano to tho the question ot of his right to hold his seat sl as s l benator he insists that they are all li jr relevant and have bavo no bearing whatever on his title to a seat in th the senate but while not admitting that t tho 0 charges have bave any bearing on his case casa ho he proceeds to answer them thein reserving the point however that they are re not material following this procedure ha be denies that the mormon priesthood or first presidency Is vested with supreme authority over the tha mormon people either in things temporal or spiritual ho he denies that polygamy Is 1 practiced recognized ene encouraged outraged or or countenanced by authority ot of the mormon church or by the tha mormon people and denies gener generally alfir and specifically all ozithe of the other charges set forth in the protest ot of the tha committee of nineteen i 7 ho admits that parts of 0 specific statements and quotations in the protests ciro are correct but states that they tire are in the main gar garbles garb bloS lol and when considered in ra relation lation to the tha contest proceedings coo ce or of which tha they form a part would convey in an entirely different meaning irom from that sought to be conveyed by the protestants further questions on art the tha issue involved would entirely neutralize tho effect of protestants te showing in closing his answer senator smoot states that he was elected not as a representative ot of the mormon church but as the depre ot of the republican party of utah |