The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-13

and had it submitted to Franklin S.
hlcnardS, Judge King and myself for
legai examination and [ understood
that Mr. Sharp and Mr.. Ritter were
associated However, we worked
against the bill and it was defeated.
NO church influence was used, and the
talk that we approached only Mormon
members is wide OF the mark | per-
sonally consulted Senator Booth about
the matter. What the church did was
IN nowlse of a political nature That
is al l know about this matter"
w. H. KING.
Judge King positively denied that he
was on any such committee. and as far
as he knew. none existed. He has not
seen the heads of the church on any
such business; had not sent any ines
sage to them nor received any COM
1nunication from them, directly or in
directly. In fact, Mr.. Cannon, whom
he had seen on legal business connec-
ted with the power dam, was the only
high church official he had talked with
on any subject since the legislature
convened. He had not been consulted
by the governor ON any bill; had not
even spoken to him further than to
say, How do you do?' when he
met him on the street Judge King
was the attorney for the Brigham
Young academy and when the bill in
reference to the state empowering the
academy to confer degrees was pend
ing in the legislature he was consulted
in his legal capacity, and in that ca
pacity had a consultation with f. S.
Richards, the attorney for the church.
the Brigham Young academy being
church institution. That measure was
the only one he had been consulted
upon during the whole life of the legis
lature.
F. s. RICHARDS.
F. S. Richards, when approached on
the subject, declined to be interviewed.
The accusation that a steering COM
mittee had been appointed by the
heads of the church to influence the
governor in matters of legislation was
so vague, no names of either the APP
pointers or appointees were, as far as
he knew, mentioned, and why he
should rush to defend himself when as
far as he knew there was no accusa-
ton against him, wasn't quite clear to
Mr.. Richards. He had nothing to say
on the subject, but conveyed the idea
that he had no knowledge of any such
committee if il existed. Talking
further Mr.. Richards said he person
ally had been consulted by the gov
ernor on two or three occasions in
reference to certain bills, but that was
not extraordinary because every gov
ernor for the last twelve years had
asked his views on some pending legis-
lation during their terms of office.
REPRESENTATIVE MONSON.
REPRESENTATIVE Monson, of Cache
county, was found by a Herald reporter
last night. The gentleman was very
reluctant 20 discuss the maItter at
all, but when asked point blank if he
did not have reason ITO believe that
there was a steering committee sane
toned by the church, replied:
Yes, 1 have. But the committee did
not, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, ever attempt 10 influence the
governor. 1 learned of the existence of
such a committee from d Republican
member who said it had been appoint
ed by the leaders of the church. / do
not believe that it accomplished any
thing with the house The fact is that
measures favored by the committee
% were defeated in the house y.
JUDGE POWERS VIEWS.
To the Editor of The Herald:
1 received the information yesterday
for the first time, that six men, three
Democrats and three Republicans were
chosen by the leaders of the Mormon
church as a junta to edit the legislation
of the late legislature. The proof sub
mitted to me that such a committee ex-
listed, is sufficient to establish tho fact
in a court of justice. AS chairman of
the Democratic state committee
would be supposed to know if any
Democrats were chosen or accepted the
position of a steering committee, but I
was not taken into the confidence of
the men who made the selection or
the men who acted. In the face of re-
peated declarations that the church
leaders had not and would not inter
fere with our political affairs, here is
interference of the most obnoxious
kind, fraught with infinite danger.
Did The Herald know of this junta
while the legislature was in session?
If so why did it not expose and de- |
nounce the same?
This matter must be denounced and
an end put to this junta business or we
should lay down, let our file leaders do |
what they choose and say that we like
it pretty good. 1 am anxious to know
whether The Herald will be heard from |
IN good strong American style, or |
whether Democrats must be satisfied !
with perfucctory editorials regarding |
political principles. 1 am salts |
fed that political conditions are
unsatisfactory to many people. /
Good. strong Mormon Democrats |
CdlleQ upon NE yesterday anu dQ-
Vocated very radical action. Our lead |
ers might as well take some heed of I
the mutterings of the rank and file for
Fhey portend a storm. AS a Democrat |
/ ask that The Herald voice the princi-
pies Of Democracy and speak right out
in meeting / tell you in all serious
ness that there is danger to the party,
danger that the lines Of political di-
vision here will fade away unless the
tide is turned.
People are noting the fact that one
OF our candidates for the senate last
fall, man dearly loved by the masses,
has lately been tried, convicted and
sentenced by ecclesiastical authority,
without a hearing and while he lay
upon bed of pain and that The Her
aid has said not one word editorially
bv way of condemnation. They are be-
ginning to fear that the voice and
conscience of the party has been stif1ed
and their party again throttled. This
must not be. Q. W. POWERS
April L, 1896.
DEfTDRn(VVty