The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-26
Mormonism and Politics.

A political crisis having arisen in Utah.
the Democratic state convention. which
couple of months ago met at Ogden
and nominated not only full state tick
ct. but candidates for United States SEN
ators. has been convened in "extraordin-
airy session. and will come together at
Salt Lake City today to cRlsider the ex-
pediency of withdrawing the ticket nom
mated and taking ground under the ex-
lstlng circumstances, against the admis-
SION OF the new state to the union. 1t is
an extraordinary event in American poll
tics, that of political party proposing
TO abandon the field because of the stand
taken against it by a powerful church,
That church in the present case being the
Mormon. To understand this fully it is
necessary to go back a little.
The convention of the Republican and
Democratic parties of Utah in nominate
ing their tickets made them up of about
halt Mlormons and half Gentiles. Both
are running a Mormon candidate for
governor and each a Mormon candidate
Tor United States Senator. A few weeks
ago the Democrats stood the best chance
mon church was invoked by the Republi-
cans. whose candidate for Senator is
George Q. Cannon, ex-Delegate in Con-
sress and a polyganous saint in emf
convened in Salt Lake a conference of
the Mormon priesthood, and it undertook
to force the Democratic Mormon candi-
dates off the ticket on the ground that
they had accepted nominations without
the sanction of the church authorities.
AT this meeting Saint Cannon, who is an
intense Republican for the time being
bitterly denounced the Democratic nomi-
nations. which threatened to interfere
with his plans of ambition and self-ag-
grandizement. But the Democratic can
didateS have emphaticauy declined to
withdraw under priestiy dictation. They
have gone SO far as to assert a doctrine
that is novel to the Mormon hierarchy of
Utah, namely, that the church has no.
thing to do with their political opinions
and actions. The latest reports from the
territory indicate that many OF the Nor
mons agree with them.
The Democratic state convention
meets today in extraordinary session 10
consider the situation, and there is talk
that. considering the Overwhelming pow
er of the Mormon church it may with
draw it's ticket and oppose the admission
of the state to the union at this time
The Salt Lake Herald, the Democratic
organ, in giving the causes that led to
the reassembling of the convention spec
ifes the declaration of Presiden Smith
at the priesthood meeting that the Nor
mons must support the Republican tick
ct Smith is the first president of the
church and it's highest authority, whose
giVings-out are accepted as little short of
inspired. And as to the convention The
Herald says:
1 he COHVSuLlOH VIII take SuCn action
as will teach those who seek to play
upon the religious prejudices of a large
portion OF the people for Political pur-
poses, thereby prostituting religion and
debasing politics, that it cannot be done
with impunity nor without danger to the
happiness and prosperity of Utah.
1.-THE convention will come to COM
mon understanding as to what consti-
tutes church influence in politics, and
declare that there cam be no peace in
Utah. whether she be territory or a
state. until such influence ceases to be a
factor in politics"
The plot by which the Mormon church
was carried over to the Republican party
is said to be the result. of a conspiracy
entered into by James S. Clarkson, of
Iowa. a Republican manager on the ma
tional field, and Saint Cannon, the polyg-
amous Republican, who aspires to a seat
in the federal Senate If the Democrat tic
convention withdraws it's ticket it will
appeal to the Democrats and independ-
ents of the state to defeat the constitu-