The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-23

the grapevine telegraph, as he terms
1t, was used for the purpose of elect
ing him and encompassing the defeat
of the Democratic candidate.
The suggestion that this man makes
as to the course OF high church Off
Gals in political affairs indicates that
there is reason for this people to not
only declare themselves free. but to
make themselves free from Interior
and dangerous influences.
The Priesthood Meeting.
AT the October conference of the
Mormon church in 1895, Joseph f.
Smith took occasion to preach upon
/ the subject of home industry, follow
/ ing the line of argument that is con-
tanned in the pamphlet called Mug
/ gets of Truth and which Republicans
throughout the territory assert was
strong Republican doctrine. His re-
marks were endorsed by Republican
papers upon the ground that they were
in advocacy of protection and bounty.
On the succeeding day, the priesthood
meeting was held, and in this priest
hood meeting Joseph f. Smith, whose
Republicanism cannot be doubted.
arose and by necessary Implication
severely criticised and condemned one
of the candidates of the Democratic
/ party for the United States Senate
and the Democratic candidate for
I Congress from this territory, for hav-
ing accepted political nomination
without first taking advice and coun-
sci Of the first presidency. He had
I not ceased speaking before the Re
publicans present were possessed with
/ the idea that the church was in poll
ties and desired the success of the
Republican party.
His remarks were endorsed by
! George @. Cannon, ana from this large
/ ly attended priesthood meeting men
went into many sections of the terri
I tory and declared that it was the wish
OF the first presidency that the Re-
publican ticket should be elected at
/ the coming election.
/ Since that Mr.. Smith and the presi-
1 dent of the Mormon church have de-
( clared that they do not desire to in
/ huence any mans politics, but they
have yet to condemn, they have yet
( to criticise. any man who used the
remarks made by Messrs. Smith and
| Cannon for the advancement of the
/ Republican party They have per-
mitted their followers, without rebuke,
to convey to the people of the United
/ States, in public and in private con-
versation, the idea that the Mormon
church was dishonest from the time
it declared itself out of politics.
The Impression Tint Exists.
AS consequence of the foregoing
and many similar occurrences which
there is not space here to enumerate,
there has sprung up in the minds Of
/ a great many of the people of Utah
the belief that the presidency of the
Mormon church desire the success of
the Republican party, and are work
ing to accomplish the defeat of the
| Democratic party in the coming No
vember election. That such an i'm
preston is widespread. very many re-
/ liable people have repeatedly affirmed.
/ Such an impression does exist. and a
result of such magnitude must have
( nad an adequate cause,
! The Democratic people of the terri
tory of Utah feel that they have been
patient and long-suffering: that they
have waited and hoped against hope
that an end would be put to the use
of the power of the church in our po-
! litical affairs. and they have therefore
/ called this convention that the voice
| of Democracy may be heard, not only
IN Utah, but throughout the nation.
declaring as it does declare now. that
every Democrat is a free and indie
pendent citizen; that in Utah neither
priest nor layman, neither president
nor pope, shall now or hereafter be al
lowed to manipulate those matters
which belong to the people.
Statehood Due to Democracy.
We can truthfully declare that state
hood has been rendered possible for
Utah by the Democratic party After
repeated rebuffs from the Republican
party, which had refused every appli-
cation for the admission of Utah into
the Union, a, Democratic delegate in
Congress introduced an enabling act
which was passed by a Democratic
House, endorsed by a Democratic Sem
ate, and promptly signed by Demo-
cratic president Nothing now stands
in the way of the complete political
liberty Of Utah, but the interference
of church influence in political affairs
Her constitution is framed 1t has but
to be adopted in good faith, and the
proclamation of the president who
signed the enabling act will issue and
she will become d free state. That
constitution declares the complete di-
vorce of church and state If the peo-
pie of Utah intend that this shall mean
in practice what is stated in princl-
pie, the Democratic party will vote for
the adoption of the constitution and
urge the immediate issuance thereafter
of the presidential proclamation. When
men vote for that document they
should understand that it must be
maintained in letter and in spirit.
Democrats have no desire to retard
the great consammation On the con-
trary they are, as ever, the supporters
as they have been the originators of
the statehood movement, but demand
that Utah shall be free in every sense
before assuming the responsibilities of
the proud position to which the Demo-
cratic party has been the means of
her exaltation. We are for statehood,