The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-06-14

1t is said that certain Republicans are
going among the Mormon people these days
and telling the Saints that prominent
churchmen OF the past and present, whose
names are in a sense hallowed, or at least,
highly respected by the rank and file, were
or are Republicans, and hence the Mormons
should adopt that political faith.
The HERALD is going to say nothing
against the dead or living Mormon leaders
who are thus held up as political examples,
but we are going to tell the men who are
engaged in this work that they are indulg-
ing in mighty dirty business. In the hrst
place they are offering an insult to every
Mormon addressed. They are acting upon
the assumption that he is ignor-
rant as to politics; that he has no
knowledge or defined idea of political
principles; that he doesn't understand the
difference between the doctrines Of Demo
cracy and the teachings of Republicans;
that he is incapable Of forming an indie
pendent judgment for himself, and, finally,
they are giving color To the frequently as
serted and as often denied charge that the
Mormons get their politics from their
church officials We take no stock in any
Oh IQSS6 o44Ck6b4OhS. w
the contrary, we know the Mormons are
clear headed, bright and Intelligent; that
they are familiar with the principles of the
great national parties, and that as individ
uals they are capable as any other citizens
OF forming opinions and deciding for them
selves as to political doctrines. Knowing
them as we do, we do not like to see them
insulted as some are insulting them by the
suggestion that inasmuch as certain rev.
cred leader was a believer in Republican,
ism in politics they also should believe in
that issue, and cast their lot with that
party.
The HERALD will also suggest that in
addition to being cowardly and contempt
lille on the part of the ''drummers'' for
the Republicans, the practice displays a
weakness that we did not look for even in
the Republicans. If the latter can present
no better argument in support of their
principles than the circumstance that some
body else believes in those principles, what
sorry cause it is, to be sure, and what a
sad plight the party managers must be in !
If Republican partisan cannot defend the
principles in which he processes to believe,
why does be believe in theml If he is a
Republican because somebody else was a
Republican, and for no other reason, how
contemplate he must be IN his own eyes
and in the eyes of his fellow men,
We cannot think that this peculiar style
of proselytlng will be successful in any de-
gree. We have too much confidence in the
education and intelligence of the Mormon
people TO think that any of them will be
led off by this vulgar and transparent
demagogy. If any can be thus duped, if
any are so ignorant and possess so little
mind of their own that they are incapable
of deciding for themselves but will unite
with the Republicans because some of their
prominent churchmen were or are Repub-
licans, our hope is that they may go over
TO the opposition, for they will form just SO
much dead weight for the party to
carry Every one of them will prove q
splendid argument in favor of Democracy.
We refer to the matter merely for the
purpose of calling attention to the desper-
ate condition of the Republicans, when they
cannot uphold their own principles, but re
sort to this low trickery to make converts
20 their sickly cause