The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-09-20
TIE BAD BREAK.

Our friends Of the opposition, the Re-
publicans, are counting upon large Nor
mon vote for their candidate for Congress.
1t was the fact that he Is a Mormon and
the other fact that he Is member OF q
leading Mormon family that secured his
nomination He has done nothing which
entities him to the distinction. If his name
had been brown or JOKES and he had not
been connected with the church whose
embership makes up so large majority
OF this community, he would have been
| about the last man that anyb body would
have thought Of in connection with the
delegateship. If anybody had proposed his
nomination the suggestion would have been
laughed down in the convention, or treated
with sheer. There are scores OF RepuDli-
CANS hereabouts who have done some ser
vice for their party. They have been lie
long Republicans, and they are men OF
mature years and recognized good luug-
ment. Any Of them as a candidate would
have been credit to the party, and in the
improbable event of his election would
have commanded respect IN the
House of Representatives. 1t seems
/,
should all be passed by and the choice
rest upon young man whose Republican
ism cannot be two years old. The name
and the church connection alone can ac-
count for the act. In this the great mis-
take was committed, as the men who en-
gineered the nomination will learn before
November, and those who opposed it al
ready know.
To suppose that the candidates connec-
ton with the Mormon church would be q
drawing card was a direct confession OF
belief in what Mormons and Gentilcs who
have aligned themselves ON national party
lines have denied; it was equivalent to say
ing religion is influential in politics; that
party principles would be ignored by Nor
mons in q contest for Office between one Of
their church members aud Gentle. We
have already said this was an insult to the
Alormons, and our faith in the honesty and
integrity of these people is such that we
firmly believe they will take pains
TO resent the reflection upon their
political trustworthiness. They will
if they are true to their pro-
fessions, as we believe they are,
be careful 10 be faithful TO party, and thus
not only rebuke those who counted on
Mormon insincerity but prove to the world
the total absence of any collision between
the church aud state. At the last two cleo
tons in this city, the only ones since the
division on party lines took place. the tick
cts bore the names of Mormons and Cen
tiles, and some of the anti Mormons pre-
dicted that the Mormons would scratch the
Gentiles, without regard TO party. THE
HERALD said this would not be done, and
the returns verified our faith in the politi-
cal integrity of the Mormon people Never
was there more honest voting in any coun-
try, Mormons and Geniiles on the same
tickets running evenly. The honesty was
carried so far that the Mormons voted for
Gentiles and absolute strangers on their
own party ticket, when on the opposite
ticket Tor corresponding offices were Nor
mons and intimate personal friends.
The same will be true in Novem-
Der. The more Intelligent and
better informed Mormon delegates
in the late Republican convention were
aware of the trustworthiness of the Mormon
voters, and how impossible it would be to
lead their votes to Mr.. CANNON because
of his church connection. They pleaded
with their fellow delegates not to bank on
church support, not to nominate Mr..
CANNON because he was Mormon, but 10
name 8 strong and tried Republican. re-
CARELESS of religion. This was good poll
tics, but it was beaten by those who
thought they saw a chance to gain votes
by nominating a Mormon, though they
would have known, if they had reflected
moment, that if their assumption were to
be proven well founded terrible black
eye would be given to the Mormons and
the professions of the past years as re-
CARDS honesty and sincerity be shown to
be shemelessly false.
The HERlLD's confidence in the Nor
mon voters is 30 firm that we confidently
expect every Democrat in that faith to
lose sight of the fact that the Republican
candidate is a member of the church and
the son of lending Saint We shall be
grievously disappointed if party fealty
does not prove to be as strong in Mormon
as in Gentle.