The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-20
AN ASININE EDITOR.

A Boise newspaper asserts the Mormons
had something to do with the Senatorial
election farce recently played in that city
Its line of argument may be followed
through the following extract from the edi-
torial article referred:
Senator DUBOIS is the sworn foe of the Nor
mon church. Mr.. CLAGETr is the zoe of no man
or aggregation of men WHO will lerd aid to en-
able him TO achieve the goal of his mad anbi
tlon Nothing, except the passage of the cleo
tlon law, would hurt the church more than
Senator DUBOIS retaining his seat. With him
IN Washington they know that in whatever
shape they sought TO secure favorable legisla
ton for their church, their Nemesis in the per
son OF Senator DUBOIS would be on their tracks
and relentlessy destroy their plans. With him
there would and could be no compromise He
is bold and aggressive fighter, and his thor
ough knowledge of the devious ways Of the
Mormon leaders peculiarly equips him for bat
tie with his old enemies. dr. CLAGETT is of
different temperament. Would it be going TOO
far to say that in the election OF Mr.. CLAGErr
the church feels that listening love may hear
the rustic Of wing" and that with him seated
in the United States Senate the church has one
more friend to assist in its deviltry and disoy-
dley' SeudIOr DObOlS Will DC seated ana Will
retain his seat, and in this last vain effort to
down their enemy and seat their friend the
church will find that like many another hereto
fore attemptel they have failed
In the light of the facts one must wonder
ii the editor intended to pose as humorist
when he penned the above. If not as
humorist then he should send along a kew
to explain how it has been possible for the
Mormons to have anything to do with the
Senatorial matter. There is no Mormon in
the legislature. There is no member of
either house who owes his election to
Mormon vote. In fact, it was pretty gen
orally understood in both political parties
that opposition to the Mormons was an es-
sential qualification for the nomination,
If it were known that Democrat or Re
publican entertained any sort of respect
for a Mormon he would have been de-
nounced from the stump. And back of all
stands the fact that tho Mormons neither
voted nor attempted to vote, but abided
faithfully by the law which had disfran-
chised them on account of their belief.
Under these circumstances, the legislature
being not only overwhelmingly but en-
tlrely and radically anti-Mormon, we re-
specially ask how it was possible for The
Mormons to influence in any manner?
There is another thing in this connection
which it is evident our Boise contemporary
is deplorably ignorant of, and that is MIR.
CLAGETT's attitude towards the Mormons.
When FRED DUBOIS was Sucker urchin,
playing marbles and hat pins, WILLIAM H.
CLAGETT was making an ass of himself in
denunciations of the Mormons. Some of
the most vicious and most senseless
speeches against the Mormons were uttered
by him, and one of the earliest anti
Mormon bills in Congress was formulated,
introduced and advocated by him. If he
has changed in his ideas he has done so
since the last campaign in Idaho, when he
was as bitterly anti Mormon as MIR. DUBOIS
had ever been.
We cannot but think the Idaho editor has
unwittingly made fool of himself in this
matter. If everybody were as ignorant
of current events as he seems to be his
balderdash might be accepted as true, but
we imagine the Idaho people understand
the situation too well to take any stock in
the rot INDUCED in by the Boise ass. The
Mormons had about as much to do with the
ridiculous proceedings which have been
going on in the Idaho legislature lately as
they have with the downfall of Premier
CRIsPI, or the fire in the imperial palace at
st. Petersburg yesterday.