The Indianapolis journal., 1895-11-11
THE FUTURE OF UTAH
EFFECT OF THE RECENT ELECTION
ON THE EXISTING PARTIES.
Priesthood Interference I'm Politics.
High Church Dignitaries.

manner by which the Latter-day Saints
usually accomplish their purposes. In a
political sense. the Mormons are anything
but free traders. Indeed, their politics
adopts from their religion the idea that they
are peculiar and exclusive people, who de-
sire to transact all their business and to in
dulge their social habits together among
themselves. The prophet Joseph Smith
was a protectionist, holding that the four
main pillars of prosperity, viz, agriculture,
manufactures navigation and commerce. re-
Quire the fostering care of the general gov
ernment. Brigham Young often declared
that every article of home consumption
should be produced by home industry, ad-
vocating thorough independence 'of foreign
markets. OF the present presidency of the
church all three, Wilford Woodruff, George
Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith are Repub-
licans. Frank j. Cannon, son of George O.,
is the present Republican Delegate in Con-
gress from Utah. Joseph F. Smith has been
identified with the. Republican party ever
since President Harrison granted him
pardon, under which he returned to Utah
from long exile. Woodruff, who is a
senile octogenarian, openly exhibited his
Cannon ticket for Delegate at the polls last
year, and had the fact of his voting it tele-
So ii appears that the highest authorities
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
day Saints are identified with the Repub-
licans. There are. however, some prominent
church leaders who are not only Demo
Gratis. but who, in the last canvass. re-
sisted the attempt made by President JOS
long ago to set the body of Mormons
against Apostle Moses Thatcher and Bishop
on on the cef cSe without
having first obtained the consent of the
church. Indeed, quite a number of the
election a are ssas Mormons. Thatcher. h ' Of the
Council. of Twelve Apostles, has been
named BY by his Is party for United States n Sen Sen
as congressional delegate, ran for Gov
ernor; Bishop Roberts, for Congress-; Rich
ara w. Young, a SON OF Brigham: Tor su-
various offices. The Republican State ticket
contained quite as many Mormons, and was
one of the oldest polygamous families in
Utah. So, as represented on their tickets,
the church influence question would seem to
be six of one and half a dozen of the other.
The fact probably is that there is a good
deal of demagogy on both Sides so far as
the leaders are concerned, and vast
faith, with dogmatism, on the part OF the
masses.
people who are recognized as managing the
affairs of the church as TO the freedom OF
all Mormons to exercise their, own un-
matters. But there are the best reasons
for asserting that such pretensions are
false. The highest dignitaries Of the church
have been caught prevaricating In respect
1892, signed with President woodruff
public statement declaring they had no
disposition to direct III these matters, the
former toured the Territory during the con-
gressional contest in the summer and fall,
teaching the doctrine that the priesthood
alone knew the spirit of God, as well with
To n
Lorenzo Snow and other men conspicuous
in the Mormon society, freely advanced the
idea that as through their perfect organi-
zation they could regulate the number of
votes to be cast by them at every precinct.
1t was their best policy to make a nearly
equal division between the Republican and
Democrats parties. The effect of such ad-
vice was seen in the election results. In
the congressional Delegate election OF 1892
Bishop Stevens produced with the counte-
nance and Endorsement of a member of the
presidency a clean letter OF Fellowship Tor
one Of the candidates. who had confessed
letter was circulated at the Sunday schools
and church meetings throughout the Terri
tory and naturally construed as expression
of the desire Of the priesthood for the elec-
tlon Of the aspirant so whitewashed.
A CHARACTERISTIC TRICK.
One of the curious features developed by
the recent Utah campaign was a telegram
dated July IS, 1894, addressed by the Nor
mon presidency, Woodruff, Cannon and
Smith, to a gentleman named Isaac Trum-
bo capitalist and promoter vibrating
between Salt Lake and San Francisco. This
gentleman had scarcely been known In Utah
politics until he dropped in with General
Clarkson about the time things were being
done out there to prevent the free-silver
party from supporting Weaver. or, rather.
to persuade the Liberals to espouse the
cause of Harrison. Utah, to be sure had no
the organ of the Republicans of Idaho; Wy
oming and, to some extent, Nevada. There
was the same distrust OF the ola parties
that exists now in the mountain states,
and il was desirable that as lar as possipie
tho Republican Mormons or Utan snould
not be allowed to sympatnize Win ls,, .ne
thereby cxerted upon thousands OF saints
i'm the adjoining states. There was consid-
cradle dckepng rrs e asUS' eoa fro Of Carlson and
Trumbo Republicans. both, gave rise TO no
end of gossip, but there never was any con-
and the question of statehood. These names
were indeed associated with certain rail-
road projects fathsrea by 81 GsoIge soI oSn srt
surely they had done nothing 10 promole
the measure to which the Democracy es-
t itsss the Minneapolis convention received the
Utah admission subject with a cold
shrug. The Democratic convention.
eauivocaI oT sne and Si'e' emphatic in fayoring
tha nronosition At the previous session OF
Congress Delegate Caine OemocraD had
introduced an enabling act and advocated
If with zeal and persistency, backed by the
entire Democratic party, but was prevented
from getting his bill through cniefy by re
nubljcan opposition. Mr.. Gaines successor,
Rawlins took up the same cause with even
more enthusiasm, and, by his eloquence ana
nersonal solicitation among the members.
carried the measure through the House trl-
umDhantly silenced the opposition or the
New England Senator's in the Senate, ana
had the pleasure of witnessing the Presi-
dents signature of the act. But the tele-
gram alluded to above congratulated Mr.
Tr,Imbo on the successful termination or
YOUR labor" with other hattering but total
iy undeserved and amazing remarks. This
telegram was freely used on and before the
ing that the Democratic party was in no
sense to be commended for its efforts to-
ward securing statehood. but that the glory
rested elsewhere. 1t was a document which
on its face exhibited partisan purpose. al
though purporting to be i'm the nature of a
thanksgiving prociamation prosaneiy asso-
ciating the name of Trumbo with the AL
mighty as having wrought the political
deliverance of the people of Utah" 1t, in
fact. belied a dozen previous declarations
by the same ecclesiastics as to the perfect
neutrality of the priesthood in regard to
politics. Indeed, the Deseret News the or
gan of the church, edited by one of George
the I.atter-day Saints took no interest
whatever in statehood. Truly, the record
of the high Mormon officials in regard to
their solemn declarations on the subject of
the freedom of the Saints in all political af-
fairs is one bristling with evasions, subter-
fuges, deceit, fraud and falsehood.
A TIMELY WARNING.