The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-07

Editor Herald promised your re
porter that I would furnish him with
a statement for publication. Here it is: /
have seen Mr. Roberts hydrophobic
attack of me and can only account for
its rank dishonesty on the ground that
his extraordinary itching for office has
temporarily turned his brain.
When he returns to his senses, I
should like a plain statement from
him. unembellished with billingsgate,
as to when and where I discredited the
marriage system which gave me birth
or stamped the brand of dishonor on
my OWL parents. If the rabies of Of
fice-seeRing had not unsettled his rea-
son, Mr. Roberts, with all his proverb-
ial lack of wisdom, would not have
made that accusation, because he
knows I would rather my tongue were
torn from its roots than it should utter
a word against the divinity of the sys-
TEN that gave me birth. He knows
that have not said one word against
the system of plural marriage, except
that it has been put in allegiance by
the manifesto of the president sup
ported by common consent of the
church. He knows. that it is out of re-
gard for those who are discharging
their moral obligations and maintain
ing their families and to shield them
from harm that I warned the people
against the probable results of his
election. am quite willing to com
pare records with him at any time or
place as to what I have done for my
fellow religionists and what he has
done, But that is not the question
My standing in my church or my belief
in principle is not involved in the mat
ter at all. His insidious attempt to
place ne in a false light and at the
same time arouse a wave of religious
sentiment in his own favor just on the
eve Of election only demonstrates the
depths to which a political demagogue
may descend in his mad race for Of
fee. The personal malice that Mr..
Roberts spits into The Herald impels
me to say a word or two more in ref
erence to his present attitude.
II is a matter of common knowledge
that weeks before the Democratic con-
vention he began deliberately to plot
and plan to go to congress; that he
was repeatedly warned of the possible
trouble his candidacy might engender,
Of the certain turmoil it would create
and Of the peril in which it might place
some Of his brethren. a man with one
atom Of love for his people or regard
for their interests would have seen tie
folly CT such a course, but utterly OBJ
livious Of everything save the gratffl-
cation Of an inordinate selfish ambition,
he stolidly began the construction of
his political fences. What were the
liberties of his brethren compared to
the melody of his eloquence ripping
through the halls of congress and
echoing back in sweet cadences to his
ears! He caused circulars to be sent
broadcast through the state to mold
sentiment in his favor. When the con-
vention assembled it did not want him.
The men and women of Utah assem-
bled at that convention foresaw the
disturbances his candidacy would Gre
ate; they foresaw the evil results. his
election would bring upon the state.
But by the low cunning of the common
political jobber, by manipulation, ca
jolery, coercion and the assistance Of
men as unwise as himself, he procured
the nomination and so wantonly and
with malice aforethough planned the
trouble and turmoil in which the peo-
Eple find themselves today. The best
friends Mr.. Roberts has most deeply
deplore his candidacy The very men
who worked hardest for his non1ina-
ton now experience the greatest re-
gret. There IS nothing in my address
but that is admitted by them to be
true, and no amount Of personal abuse
Of me can change the facts. Mr. Rob
erts as a candidate for Office at this
time is a mistake. The trouble with
him is that he loves the sound of his
own voice not wisely, but too well.
In his mental alterations, Mr. Rob-
erts alludes to a sow returning to her
wallow, dog to his vonit and lot