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actively in the proceedings. In the
Capitol, spectators lined the halls, waiting for limited seats in the committee room, and filled the galleries to hear floor debates. For those who could not see for themselves, journalists and cartoonists depicted each day's admission and outrage. At the height of the hearing, some senators were receiving a thousand letters a day from angry constituents. What remains of these public petitions fills 11 feet of shelf space, the largest such collection in the National Archives.
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In order to induce his followers more readily to accept this infamous doctrine, Brigham Young himself invoked the name of Joseph Smith, the Martyr, whom many sincerely believed to be a true prophet, and ascribed to him the reception of a revelation from the
Almighty in 1843, commanding the Saints to
277:
Within days of his election, controversy brewed as Smoot was charged with being "one of a self-perpetuating body of fifteen men who, constituting the ruling authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or 'Mormon' Church, claim, and by their followers are accorded the right to
355:
The four-year Senate proceeding created a 3,500-page record of testimony by 100 witnesses on every peculiarity of
Mormonism, especially its polygamous family structure, ritual worship practices, "secret oaths," open canon, economic communalism, and theocratic politics. The public participated
444:. Addressing the subject of polygamy, Penrose reportedly glared at one or more of his Senate colleagues who had a reputation for philandering and said, "As for me, I would rather have seated beside me in this chamber a polygamist who doesn't polyg than a monogamist who doesn't monag."
122:
780:," which reaffirmed the first regarding polygamy. He also declared that any church officer who performed a plural marriage, as well as the offending couple, would be excommunicated. He clarified that the policy applied worldwide, not just in North America. Two members of the
400:"Aside from his connection with the Mormon Church, so far as his private character is concerned, it is, according to all witnesses, irreproachable, for all who testify on the subject agree or concede that he has led and is leading an upright life".
397:"Reed Smoot possesses all the qualifications prescribed by the Constitution to make him eligible to a seat in the Senate, and the regularity of his election by the legislature of the State of Utah is not questioned in any manner."
197:
The attorney who represented those protesting Smoot's admittance to the Senate, Robert W. Tayler, explained in his summation that polygamy was irrelevant and the real danger was Mormon belief in revelation. Much of the
American
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with his many wives (all of whom he married before 1890) and fathered eleven children after 1890. New plural marriages did end by 1909, but the practice continued until the polygamists died off. Smoot himself only had one wife.
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172:(LDS Church), one of the top 15 leaders of the church. The hearings began in 1904 and continued until 1907, when the Senate voted. The vote fell short of a two-thirds majority needed to expel a member so he retained his seat.
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403:"So far as mere belief and membership in the Mormon Church are concerned, he is fully within his rights and privileges under the guaranty of religious freedom given by the Constitution of the United States".
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Prior to being called as an apostle of the LDS Church, Smoot had run for a Senate position, but withdrew before the election. After becoming an apostle in 1900, he received the approval of church president
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406:
In relation to the oath, the testimony is "thereby shown to be limited in amount, vague and indefinite in character, and utterly unreliable, because of the disreputable and untrustworthy character of the
1274:
Proceedings Before the
Committee on Privileges and Elections of the United States Senate in the Matter of the Protests Against the Right of Hon. Reed Smoot, a Senator from the State of Utah, to Hold His
1254:
Proceedings Before the
Committee on Privileges and Elections of the United States Senate in the Matter of the Protests Against the Right of Hon. Reed Smoot, a Senator from the State of Utah, to Hold His
1233:
Proceedings Before the
Committee on Privileges and Elections of the United States Senate in the Matter of the Protests Against the Right of Hon. Reed Smoot, a Senator from the State of Utah, to Hold His
1212:
Proceedings Before the
Committee on Privileges and Elections of the United States Senate in the Matter of the Protests Against the Right of Hon. Reed Smoot, a Senator from the State of Utah, to Hold His
1344:
278:
claim, supreme authority, divinely sanctioned, to shape the belief and control the conduct of those under them in all matters whatsoever, civil and religious, temporal and spiritual."
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569:
289:, who upon election to the House of Representatives was not allowed to sit while hearings took place, Smoot was allowed to be seated. Among the public, old charges of
703:
304:
In
January 1904, Smoot prepared a rebuttal to the criticisms, with the help of several non-Mormon lawyers. The actual hearings began in March. LDS Church President
432:
take unto themselves a multiplicity of wives, limited in number only by the measures of their desires.... Such the mythical story palmed off on a deluded people.
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establishment viewed the LDS Church with distrust and was also skeptical of Utah politics, which before gaining statehood in 1896 had at times been a
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On
February 20, 1907, the issue came to a conclusion as a vote was held in the Senate. Smoot won and remained a senator for 26 more years.
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fought viciously against Smoot. His intensity caused some to believe that Smoot was as powerful as Dubois claimed. Dubois's ally, Senator
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285:, in late February 1903, he was met with protests and charges that he was a polygamist, but he could easily disprove them. Unlike
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in 1890; as the hearings revealed, however, the practice continued unofficially well into the 20th century. For example, the
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ignored one subpoena and died soon after being subpoenaed a second time. Taylor fled to Canada. Other witnesses included
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Church History in the Fulness of Times: The History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Religion 341–43)
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was twice appointed territorial governor by the U.S. President and ratified by the Senate, despite being a polygamist.
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were still performing plural marriages in Mexico and Canada, but Taylor was later excommunicated for the practice.
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959:"The Politics of American Religious Identity The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle by Kathleen Flake"
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to run for political office. In January 1903, the Utah legislature elected Smoot with 46 votes, compared to his
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to run again in 1902 as a Republican. The need for this permission was a result of the LDS Church's "
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The Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle
210:) and in the early 20th century was still heavily dominated and influenced by the LDS Church;
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Popular opposition against Smoot's seating in the Senate centered on the church's practice of
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Testimony of Important Witnesses as Given in the Proceedings Before the Reed Smoot Hearings
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After years of hearings, the remaining charges of the opposition included the following:
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The Late Corporation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints v. United States
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1283:"Testimony of President Joseph F. Smith of the Mormon Church and Senator Reed Smoot."
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941:"MORMON APOSTLE DEAD.; Leaves Seven Wives and 49 Children -- Was Wanted as a Witness"
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and politics in the United States
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1008:. University Park and London: Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 51.
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Senate Resolution 205, Fifty-seventh Congress, second session - minority report
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That members believed revelation was higher than the laws of the land.
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took the witness stand and was interrogated for three days. Apostles
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States
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That church leaders were still practicing plural marriage. Apostles
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814:
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234:" issued in October 1895, which instituted a policy which required
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1183:"LDS leader guided church's evolution from 'menace' to mainstream"
1128:
The Mormon Church on trial: transcripts of the Reed Smoot hearings
925:"'Scoot – Smoot – Scoot': The Seating Trial of Senator Reed Smoot"
1159:"Scoot – Smoot – Scoot": The Seating Trial of Senator Reed Smoot"
375:
That the church was exerting too much influence on Utah politics.
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depicting Senator Smoot in the hands of the "Mormon Hierarchy."
344:, who had been dropped from the Quorum of the Twelve in 1896.
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Illustration of Joseph F. Smith giving testimony to Senator
121:
927:, Gaines Junction, Spring 2005, archived March 9, 2008 from
269:"The Real Objection to Smoot." 1904 political cartoon from
161:
118:
Congressional hearings regarding Latter-day Saint practices
1345:
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
910:, "Political Manifesto", in Arnold K. Garr, et al., ed.,
961:. The University of North Carolina Press. Archived from
897:. Salt Lake City: Salt Lake Tribune Publishing Company.
890:
1277:, vol. 4, Washington: Government Printing Office
1258:, vol. 3, Washington: Government Printing Office
1237:, vol. 2, Washington: Government Printing Office
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1216:, vol. 1, Washington: Government Printing Office
1200:
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1101:
Reed Smoot, Apostle in Politics (Ph.D. Dissertation)
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
386:that they would seek revenge on the United States.
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1034:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
720:Timeline of civil marriage in the United States
316:did not appear after being subpoenaed. Apostle
170:the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1298:"The Manifesto and the End of Plural Marriage"
330:president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
238:of the church to be granted approval from the
753:
912:The Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History
1350:United States law and polygamy in Mormonism
1285:Salt Lake Tribune Publishing Company, 1905.
1038:"The Church in the Early Twentieth Century"
914:(Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000) p. 701
1116:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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1006:Pennsylvania Politics Today and Yesterday
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
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1078:In the World: The Diaries of Reed Smoot
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862:History of civil marriage in the U.S.
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44:adding citations to reliable sources
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498:Origin of Latter Day Saint polygamy
378:That members were required to take
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1059:University of North Carolina Press
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659:Late Corp. of the LDS Church v. US
164:legislature in 1903. Smoot was an
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526:Late-19th century Mormon polygamy
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301:'s plural wives were discussed.
20:
1076:Heath, Harvard S., ed. (1997),
891:United States Congress (1905).
31:needs additional citations for
1222:United States Senate (1904b),
1201:United States Senate (1904a),
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872:Portrayal of Mormons in comics
281:When Senator Smoot arrived in
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1264:United States Senate (1906),
1243:United States Senate (1905),
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782:Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
696:Freedom of religion in the US
776:on April 6, 1904, issued a "
736:Latter Day Saints portal
676:List of polygamy court cases
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129:, the center of the hearings
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1099:Merrill, Milton R. (1950),
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212:President of the LDS Church
185:President of the LDS Church
10:
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1126:Paulos, Michael H (2008),
804:were added to the quorum.
472:A Mormon "Saint" and Wives
436:One supporter was Senator
1340:1907 in American politics
1335:1906 in American politics
1330:1905 in American politics
1325:1904 in American politics
833:Reynolds v. United States
716:Polygamy in North America
570:Current state of polygamy
530:Mormon colonies in Mexico
295:Mountain Meadows massacre
160:, who was elected by the
1130:, Salt Lake City, Utah:
1053:Flake, Kathleen (2004),
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712:Polygamy in Christianity
700:Legal status of polygamy
246:competitor, who won 16.
1302:churchofjesuschrist.org
1004:Beers, Paul B. (1980).
821:Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act
608:Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act
347:According to historian
1385:Mormonism and politics
1380:20th-century Mormonism
1270:Foraker, Joseph Benson
1266:Burrows, Julius Caesar
1249:Foraker, Joseph Benson
1245:Burrows, Julius Caesar
1228:Foraker, Joseph Benson
1224:Burrows, Julius Caesar
1207:Foraker, Joseph Benson
1203:Burrows, Julius Caesar
522:Wives of Brigham Young
474:by Charles Weitfle (c.
459:Mormonism and polygamy
434:
393:The defense included:
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147:Congressional hearings
130:
1188:The Salt Lake Tribune
1179:Stack, Peggy Fletcher
704:List of practitioners
562:Centennial Park group
553:Mormon fundamentalism
494:Wives of Joseph Smith
429:
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55:"Reed Smoot hearings"
1375:1907 in Christianity
1370:1906 in Christianity
1365:1905 in Christianity
1360:1904 in Christianity
994:, December 13, 1906.
992:Congressional Record
336:, church historian;
181:officially abandoned
151:United States Senate
40:improve this article
1105:Columbia University
947:. February 8, 1906.
908:Thomas G. Alexander
538:Reed Smoot hearings
318:Marriner W. Merrill
260:George Frisbie Hoar
236:general authorities
232:Political Manifesto
179:, which the church
145:, were a series of
135:Reed Smoot hearings
1157:Shin, Ian (2005),
1080:, Salt Lake City:
1044:, Salt Lake City:
945:The New York Times
845:Edmunds-Tucker Act
794:George F. Richards
790:Matthias F. Cowley
718: •
714: •
710: •
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702: •
698: •
694: •
692:Celestial marriage
674: •
668: •
662: •
656: •
650: •
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638: •
620:Edmunds–Tucker Act
618: •
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588: •
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566:Council of Friends
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380:oaths of vengeance
370:Matthias F. Cowley
310:Matthias F. Cowley
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1181:(April 3, 2004),
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604:Antipolygamy laws
513:Latter-day Saints
421:Julius C. Burrows
411:Of note, Senator
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590:Short Creek raid
502:Spiritual wifery
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