The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-07

Speaker Roylance spoke briefly II
lhe same vein. as did also Representa-
tive Parry.
And then. as it began TO appear thar
nothing would be accomplished by the
caucus, Mr.. Roylance said that Hon
Moses Thatcher was in waiting outside
the assembly hall, and that, IN response
TO a request from thirty-three OF the
Democratic members. he had decided
10 address them on the subject OF his
candidacy.
Earlier in the day a letter. signed by
thirty-three members, was sent 10 Mi-
Thatcher, asking him to permit the use
of his name as a senatorial candidate.
His reply was made TO the entire eau
Gus. Mr.. Thatcher read his address,
and was literally appiauded lie sald;
Salt Lake City. Utah. Feb. 8, 1898
Hon Senators Aguila NeDeker' oresl-
dent; Harden Bennion. r. c. Cham
bers. William G. Nebeker, A. ..
Smoot. D. .. Rideout, jr., J. Y Robl-
son, d. H Peery, jr.; Hon. Represent
atiVes William VI. Roylance. speaker
J. Il. Belts. j. 6. Bywater, J. w.
Clyde, D. 5 Cook A +. E'arr, Jr-,
J. Fisher A ". FoTman, J. ii. tui-
mer, Il. II. Greenwood. J. j.. Hansen,
Alice Merrill Horne. c. NJ. Jackson,
J. Lapish, NJ. Larsen, b. L. Lloyd, w.
O'Neil. J. Parry. L. II. Redd, II. b.
\ =.
art. NJ ". Mansfield:
Lady and Gentlemen-I have the
honor Of acknowledging the receipt OF
your esteemed and important cOmmuni-
cation Of even date, in which you desire
TO know whether or not l would become
Il candidate for the highest office in the
gift Of the people of d sovereign sfate-
the United States senatorshiD. Permit
me, in replying, to express TO eacn OF
sfrar. ar1ff ~
which l am capable for the very great
honor rendered by the offer of your
support.
Were 1 10 fail in appreciation of your
generous intentions, l should be I'M
worthy of the confidence reposed in me
by those for whom l entertain profound
res9ect.
From the smouldering embers of the
dead past you have famed into a mo-
mentary glow spark of latent human
ambitiCn-only TO be again consigned,
by conditions over which you and l
have little control, to its former place
Of repose.
You will, hope, agree with he in
that determination when you shall have
heard only a few of the many reasons
way the interests of the people of Utah
ami their peace, happiness, prosperity
and good name, cannot be served by my
accepting, even if elected, the high Of
fee you would confer upon me.
While briefly referring to those rea-
sons. l beg that you viii patiently con-
slider past and p>esent conditions, as
well as those likely to appear in the
very near future.
The history of political affairs since
division on national party lines in Utah
is Of record. and is herein referred to
only for purposes of this reply. AS to
the part L have taken in politics, dur
ing less than a single decade, or as to
how that part may appear, is matter of
little consequence to me individually,
though it may be viewed differently by
you. When great principles are in
Volved, individuals should become of no
moment their ambitions and hopes he
ing merged into the public welfare.
Nevertheless. it is but natural that
each individual should desire 10 be re-
garded as conscientious, honest and
truthful; devoted TO God, loyal to coUn-
try and just to all men. As individuals
we should endeaVOr to maintain a high
sense of r-cOmDrehending fully
the meaning of contracts implied or
specific: ttie sacredness of covenants
and the binding obligation of agree
ments. pf
l have sought earnestly to impress
these facts, on my own mind. and to
earnestly have I prayed for the COM
ing OF d time in this prosperous, young
and vigorous commonwealth when sec
tional strife and religious animOsities
might cease. When as between Gentle
and Mormon Democrats there should
exist no political differences. When
everyone might worship according to
the dictates Of conscience, or not wor-
ship at all. according to choice; when
in social and civil affairs there should
remain no separation. and when all
might work for the common good and
for the moral and material advance
ment of this interior state. without ref
eTence to color or creed, party or poll
tics. To this end I have hoped that
fraternal regard and progressive
thought might sometime evolve an i'm
passable barrier, over which church in
fuences. hurtful to the state, might
never pass; and over which state inter
ference. harmful 20 church organiZa-
ton. might never go. So. being united
we could all hold fast 20 that supreme,
constitutional guarantee. that con-
greSS shall enact no law respecting the
establishing Of religion. nor prohibiting
the free exercise thereof" on the ore
hand, and on the other that each citi-
zen should see to il that no act or word
of his should faint the church with the
dangerous charge Of improper ecclesi-
astical Interference in the affairs of the
civil government. l hold such a CON
summation TO be worthy Of the best
effort of statesman, poet and prophet
Are we not now justified in believing
that upon a platform so broad and just
the people of Utah. in whom the nation
has confided. for whom it has frater-
nal affection. and upon whom it has
built high hopes of liberty and love.
have come at last to know how to dis
between the obligations Of
the citizen of the state. and of duty
10 the church. even though the citizen
and church member might be one per
sOnality. Certainly, in view Of the
past-alike painful and prohtable-the
honor this day rendered me would seem
TO verify the conclusion that the an
OF the past are secured in
the realiZationS of the present. For,
while ! have in no sense been before
your honorable body as a senatorial
candidate. l certainly could not have
come seeking such honor with the en-
dorsement o. any religious organiza-
ton whatever.
May We not. therefore. justly exon
crate the dominant church of Utah in
this natter What stronger proof of
that fact could be afforded than you
have given 10 all the world, in this
virtual tender 10 me OF the senator
ship Judging from the record. 1 know
OF no act aiforGing such positive dem
onstration of non-church interference
in civil affairs; for in what manner
could il benefit itself, or think TO bene-
fit Itself 10 a greater extent, than in
70 influence your choice of
a United states senator.
You viii remember in this connec-
ton that the congressional euactments
commonly known as the Edmunds and
laws. were directed.
not Only against the marital relations
Of soma of Utah's inhabitants. but also
against what was believed to be church
domination in political affairs
While it is not my purpose 20 dwell
at length on the effect produced here