The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-12
MoRMoNisM IN POLITICS.
The Latter Day Saints Once More ST
Front In Utah-Indiotmento of theICbr,o,,
for False Pretences--The Younger III.
ment and Its Future.
IN. Y. Post. }

again" the average Gentle citizen of
Utah feels like moving to strike out the
word "again." 1t Is commonly believed
here that the Church is in politics now
just as much as ever, the sole difference
being that it's chiefs begin to feel more
certain of their ground under Statehood.
and are therefore more careless of appear
ances. In the minds of many of the old
er Gentle residents the Church ia under
pretty strong Indictment for conspiracy
with intent to defraud, politically, and
the counts run about as follows:
~ The manifesto suspending the
practice of polygamy, in obedience to the
laws of the United States. This created
the impression that the leaders of the
Mormon Church were yielding to the
pressure of public opinion, and would be-
come law-abiding citizens without further
constraint from the government.
e. The declaration that the Mormon
people should divide on national party
lines, and cease to vote solidly MS the
Peoples party, opposed TO the solid Gen
tile element, the Liberal party. This
created the impression that real politics
was to be allowed to be cultivated in
Utah, to the exclusion of Church dicta-
ton.
CD The securing of Statehood, which
was no longer to be justly refused, pro-
yided only that the obligations above
mentioned were entered into in good
faith
"a The adoption of woman suffrage,
which put into the hands of the Church a
most efficient means of controlling ma
jorities, on the theory that women are
more easily led by their spiritual advisers
than men. In the Western metaphor, this
gave the church ''cinch."
80. The absolute defeat and degrade
ton from Church offices of Moses Thatch-
r, the Il rst prominent Mormon to act in
good faith on the idea that Church and
State were henceforward independent,
and that there was no good reason why
he should ask the consent of the Church
before becoming q candidate
for the United States Senate. In order
to compass Mr.. Yhatcher's defeat the
Church vote in the Legislature was
thrown at the last moment TO Mr. Raw
Inns, an apostate Mormon and an avowed
opponent of the Church, proving that 1t
Was thought safer to trust an enemy With
a temporary advantage than to oounte-
nance the practice OF political independ-
ence among high Church officials.
e.. The organization of the Citizens
Non Partisan" campaign, both in Salt
Lake and throughout many oil the small
Ter towns of the State Ostensibly this
movement was launched by some of the
prominent business men OF Salt Lake,
both GENTLE and Mormon, but as the sit
uation develops it appears more and more
certain that it was incubated in Bee
Hive Corner" as the Church Presidents
Office Is called, and that it has for its
purpose less reform in city government
than the organization of q compact ma
iority for the use of MIR. George @. Can
non in his campaign for the United
States Senate.
Part of the evidence brought forward
In support of this indictment Is the noto-
rious fact that many of the older Nor
mon men are still living with polyga-
nous wives, and that the Legislature is
likely to find occasion to repeat bienniaiIy
its bill of 1885, to legitimizo the offspring
of polygamous marriages; and also the
fact that the Salt Lake Tribune, once the
doughty champion of the Liberal party
and the fierce hater of Church interior
gist for all the acts of the Church which
seem to call for explanation, an alliance
SO extraordinary that it can but excite
suspicion of its motives.
The latest scene In this drama was
flashed upon the public on the last day of
the October Conference Of the Mormon
Church, whom just before adjournment
the aged President, MILFORD Woodruff, in
terru pied the order of exercises to make
an announcement, the gist of which WAS
that tbs time had come when the mouth
OF the First Presidency should no longer
be closed in regard to politics, and that
Mormons should disregard the national
party lines in local elections and unite
upon the "best men" for office, whether
city or State Offices wers in question.
This announcement, sprung upon pub
lie almost hysterically sensitive to any
thing which savors of Church interior
deadly parallel in which this latest de-
liverence was contrasted with those Of
two and three years ago. was o feature of
the morning papers. But the President
explained and the Tribune affected q
lofty indifference and an overpowering
faith in the people; and 1T was again
that enc of the chief desid-
6rata OF the modern revelation as 1T is
given TO the Prophet. Seer and Revelator
Of the Mormon Church, is an equipment
Of good, plain, inexplainable English.
This sort OF thing is trying to the pa
thence and chilling to the optimism of
good Americans, but there are signs, new
prtheless. that the world moves, even in
Utah. 1t is always to be borne In mind
that the Chuorh'' as it figures in poll
tbs is simply a clique of prominent
Church officials, commonly known as
the Cannon crowd which is fore
doomsd to the fate of all INSCRIPTIONS.
greedy, and secret rings. Also 1t Is plain
that these officials, however shrewd, do
not always accurately gauge the growth
of independence among their own people.
as was dramatically proved in the Brig
ham city episode last year, when George
Q. Cannon at meeting Of the Box III
der Stake denounced the former Liberal
leader in Salt Lake, Judge Powers, in
libellous language, and when his speech
was reported to the Salt Lake papers
denied his words, with the serene conf
ience that not one of his hearers wouId
80 far forget the dictates of Church disci-
pline as to question his denial. His
panied surprise is to be imagined when
. dozen members of the Box Elder Stake
offered to swear to the accuracy of the
original report. and Mr.. Cannon was
to fall back upon the pitifnJ
excuse of a lapse of memory.