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Show SENATOR SNOOT'S ANSWER. .'Senator Smoot has tiled his answer mud defenso with tlie Sonate Committee and it is Considered a very able reply to the ministers1. The Washington Post in an editorial lma tho following to say in regard to the Senator's loply : "Senator Suiool'd rpply.contalns two features, boih in tho natuio of em-phatlo em-phatlo negatives to charges which throw' thi) burJen of proof upon Ills opponents nnil raises a neat pqlnt as to tho right of the United States Beuuto, in pausing upon qualifications of its member, to enquire into spiritual matters, i "In aiiBwcr to tho charge that he is a polygamlst, Senator Smooi, offers ciu-phatlu ciu-phatlu denial. Ho declares that he has l " i but ono wife, who la mother of all his j. i. i'lilldntn, He( however, leaves the jfy , ' .question of lili belief in polygamy open, ' other than by Ills assertion that palyg- nmy Is not a tenet of his church and is I not practised by any considerable mini ' her of its members. Those who do practiso it, the sonutor asserts, do bo at their own individual risk of punishment punish-ment under tho laws. f Tho second point raised by Senator . .Smoot Is the moie intorojting. Ho do- t dares the 'illegud 'blood oath' of the - 4 Apostles is a myth and insists that f there is nothing in tho creed or tenets " of Ida church that icqulresany mem- " her to in any nvinnor arknowledgn authority of the uliurcti as iibovo or In Ji I conlllct with thu lows of the United 1: , Btatua. Hu holds that the Mormon ft Church Is a spiritual organ!r..ition jus. f as tho Methodist Oluircli is n nilriua fv organi.tallon, and ho practically cliul- lengea tho senate's light to d Burimina.te t p against any man who may happen to v l)i elected by any church orj,ani..uion. " Tho efTect of this rhallonge Is to Invite Investigation by tho senate cnnimittt-a into tho rroeda alul practises f tho Mormon Qhurch. Senator 8inootBmut , , fosl suro of his ground to invite fcuuh kI .it k. " i i ' 51 " inquliy, and it will probably go far to-, ward plncing the Mormon Church In u better light ii the eyes tif thn world If tho Investigation is hell and' Senator Smoot's position vindicated. ' It will citilnly bo a relief to the majority of the pcopla of tho country to have it definitely ascertained whether these stories rclkcing upon tho mora!!tyaiid patnitlsin of the-Mormon people hao xiiy fouudatipii In fact. "Senator Smoot declurea thnt they have ndt, and liivi'cx nud (iract'ically (lciniwiiUvindlcul'Od nt his position by ollU'hil Inquiry, Asldo from tho p-sults lhat may follow bupIi inquiry, In response re-sponse to tltla challcngo of Senator Smoot, into U'llots and prartlses of the Uoniiou Oliurulr, antUSmoot I'liis.tdurs apparently liue nothing 10 expect from ho senate's rousideratiun of their chargce. Up to this lime no evidence has been produced, nor in there claim that any caii be produced, to show lh.il Semilor Smoot' In n polygamic. The crusade has apparently been based ni-tiiely ni-tiiely upon iippe.il In Huntinu'it ami tun had no (nrllnr illVot than mi uii-Niiccusslnl uii-Niiccusslnl tH'.iil to imlin-H tlm heil'tli to lie led into controversy mer lelaiioiiship iKjlweeu ehurcli and elate." |