The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-11
THE PROPOSED INVESTIGATION.

Representative Rideout, of Salt Lake
county, has introduced a resolution in
the house calling for the appointment
of a committee consisting of seven
members of the legislature to investi-
gate the question whether or not there
was such an exercise of church iniiu-
ence in the late senatorial contest as
TO affect the choice of United States
senator. 1t is needless to say that the
church influence referred to is that OF
the Mormon church. The resolution,
which will be found elsewhere in this
issue, is quite lengthy and sets out IN
full what is required of the commit
tee, and empowers it to call such wit
nesses before il as it may want. To
this resolution an amendment was OF
fered by Representative Shepard, OF
Salt Lake county, directing the com
mittee to extend it's Investigations stu
further and ascertain what influences
of all kinds were used during the legis-
lative contest. and what amounts OF
money were expended by the various
candidates, and for what purposes, and
whether or not any attempts TO bride
members of the legislature were made
The resolution and the amendment to
it cover all matters that could possibly
be investigated, while the powers of
the committee are ample for all pur-
poses.
VIII the legislature authorize the in
vestigation and appoint the commit
tee? It possibly may, it probably will
not. If it does. what viii the investi-
CATION result in? It is very doubtful
indeed if anything definite or tangible
regarding the use of church influence
would be elected. That the church
was hostile to the candidacy of one of
the gentlemen who sought an election
to the United States senate, was
matter of common knowledge; the
declaration of it's official organ imme-
diately after the announcement of his
candidacy is proof sufficient of this.
Now. the question is, Did those who
control the policy Of the dominant
church directly influence the election
or defeat of any candidate? That
members of the church in subordinate
ecclesiastical positions interested
themselves in the contest, is no doubt
true, but were they so interesting
themselves by direction of their &c
clesiastical superiors, or of their own
volition? What church influence in
Utah means is pretty well understood,
and refers to a definite source, and to
no subordinate officials acting indie
pendently. If any credence is to be given
to the rumOrs that were rife during
the contest, the candidate who was
supposed to be most acceptable to the
church was defeated as we'll as the
one who was most obnoxious to the
church. This would tend to show that
the church influence at all events was
not sufficient 10 accomplish its desire
in an affirmative way. And that is a
great gain for Utah.
The amendment covers matters no
less important than the resolution, and
if there is to be an investigation they,
too, should be inquired into that the
rumors that have been circulated may
be proven or disproven; for the infiu-
ences referred to in the amendment !
are as bad in their way as those re-
ferred to in the resolution.
1t is probable if the investigation is
ordered it will be found that there has |
been far more rumor than anything |
else. It viii also be found that each /
candidate and his followers were play |
ing politics, and the game of politics
has many moves and combinations. |
That it was the first real senatorial |
game ever played in the state gives it |
a prominence and Importance that it |
would not otherwise have. The people /
viii get used TO these games after
awhile By all means let the investi-
cation be had. as it win do much TO
clear the surcharged-with- at
mosphere.