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Show Senator Smoot's Case The Review or Reviews, Literary Digest, North American Review of Reviews, with two or three other kindred publications, rank highest In the United States for genuine worth. These aro non partisan, presenting facts as they get them, wholly regardless regard-less of Interests or parties these facts may effect. Their editorial comment has been considered of greatest worth because of the disposition o baso a sound and sane opinion on (acts obtained. ob-tained. In a previous Issue Tim Rki'UIim-can Rki'UIim-can presented the Literary Digest's summary of the Smoot case, much of that summary being very distinctly In the Senator's faor. The most recent issue of The American Review of l.e-views l.e-views contains an cdltoilal comment relating moro particularly to the admission ad-mission of Utah as a state, which It claims was admitted to soon. This Is an unlmpassloncd setting forth of the Ituatlon and without question Is an honest expression from the American as It views the facts In the caui. Tine Rkpuhmcan has never yet presented a comment that came from sectarian papers, or any other that did not bear tho stamp ot honesty and high mindedness, but it has believed and still believes that Its readers aro entitled en-titled to all honest comment, hence present the American's editorial as follows: "It is ten years since the last admission admis-sion of a Stato to tho Union, and at that time Utah was brought In. For a long time Utah had been kept In tho Terrltoral condition because of the predomination of the Mormon Chuich and the strong objection elsewhere else-where In the country to some of the tenets and lustltutlonsof Mormo.iism. At length, however, the Mormon Church agreed to abandon polygamy both In theory and In practice, and to prohibit It In tho State constitution. There was a clear and definite understanding under-standing and bargain between the Mormons of Utah and the people of the United States to the effect that If Utah were allowed to become a State there would bo no reason for regret on the score ot peculiar Mormon tenets. On the 4th of March, 100:i, Mr. Reed Smoot, of Utah, took his seat as United Unit-ed States Senator at Washington Mr. Smoot Is ono of the Twelve Apostles Apos-tles of tho Mormon Church. Stiong protests against his being seated cumc from Utah, and a powerful demand for his exclusion took organized form throughout the United States. For more than three years the agitation has been carried on, and a large part of the valuable tlmo of the men who composo the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections has been glv en to hearings upon tho subject. At length, on June 1, the committee by a majority vote decided to make a report re-port In favor of Mr Smoot's exclusion. The chairman of the committee is Senator Burtows, of Michigan. Most of the Republican members of the committee. Including Senators Forak-cr, Forak-cr, Knox, Bvorldgc, Dillingham, and Hopkins, voted as a minority. Senator Sena-tor Burrows and those who supported his view were of tho opinion that the Mormon apostles, as the full governing govern-ing authority of the church, had continued con-tinued to support the doctrine or polygamy, and that Mr. Smoot could not be dissociated from tho acts of the body to which he belonged. There was no charge that Mr. Smoot him-seir him-seir had ever been a polygamlst. Tho minority of tho committee, taking perhaps a more strictly legal view of the affair, could not find suillclcnt reason for excluding from the Senate a man whom tho people of Utah had chosen to represent them. Mr. Smoot Ih regarded as personally a man of excellent ex-cellent character and ability. But In view of the conditions undei which Utah was admitted, the Mormons Mor-mons of Utah wore guilty, In tho moral sense, of a serious breach of good faith In sending one of the apostles apost-les of tho church to make laws for the people of the United States. If It had been known that six or seven years after admission Utah would have sent a Mormon apostle to the Senate, Statehood could not possibly have been secured. The Senate Is final fin-al Judge of tho fitness and qualification qualifica-tion of its own members. The people of Utah must not complain of highhanded high-handed treatment In the exclusion of Mr. Smoot, ror they themselves were guilty of high-handed treatment of tho people of the United States when they brought all this protracted agitation agi-tation upon themselves by sending one of tho high rulers and lawgivers of the Church to make the nation's laws. While there Is a great deal to bo said on behalf of Mr, Smoot, the Issue Is a broad one, and It Is not Amerlcantpubllu opinion that is chiefly chief-ly at fault. The whole episode simply Illustrates tho fact that wo have been far too easy-going In the admission of new states. Utah came In a good many years too soon. The committee's commit-tee's report was presented on June 11, and It was understood that debate and final action would bo deferred until next winder." |