The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-10
DRAMATIC AND DEFIANT.

DRAMATIC AND DEFIANT.
Senator Calnons entertainment at
the Salt Lake theatre last evening was
one Of the best that has been given
under its present management.
Ostensibly it was to be vindication.
Hard things have been said about the
senator, it seems; but they have been
said behind his back. And through it
all he has borne himself with an un-
complaining silence, which his enemies
called bravado, but which, from his re-
marks. must have been pious resigna-
ton.
It was a great meeting, in both at
tendance and enthusiasm, and the chief
fault found was in the size of the hall.
1t wasn't big enough.
Senator Cannon's address was highly
dramatic. and was hilariously received
and uproariously applauded. He
turned his batteries of vituperation
against Arthur Brown, whom he called
upon to come from behind the skirts
of the woman's club This, however,
was foreshadowed in the Tribunes edi-
torial of recent date.
Then, in well modulated tones of de-
fance, the senator turned upon Apos-
ties Heber J. Grant and John Henry
Smith, whose portraits he painted in
dull black on q, dark background. He
denounced the authorities of the domi-
nant church for their silence in refer
ence to the Grant letters, concerning
which so much has been said. He ad-
dressed himself personally TO Mr..
Grant, who stood up while the senator
declared that henceforth his life would
be dedicated TO the exposition of that
mans infamies.'
When Senator Cannon began to talk
about the separation of church and
state, and the necessity for the abso-
lutte independence of the people from
priestIy domination and influence, the
audience was clearly with him Those
were sentiments which appealed to al
most every one who heard them.
But, unconsciously, the minds Of men
ran back over a period of a few brief
years to the time when the senator
was first honored by the Republican
nar+v-to those little pamphlets, en-
titled Nuggets of Truth" circulated
in his interest-to the recommend"
issued in his behalf for campaign pur-
poses-to the set OF instructions" sent
to all the bishops and teachers" in
the state to disseminate Mr.. Cannons
campaign literature through the Sun
day schools"
However, they were willing to over
look it all to know or hear that he had
foresworn such political methods in the
future. 3. --4-4,
And when he condemned the prac-
tice Of going into the grave and strip
ping the dead of their cerements. to
drag them forth or partisan effect,
the illustrated pamphlets of '92 and '9S
and '94 rose up like ghosts themselves,
with their portraits of Frank j. Can
non and Joseph Smith-of Frank ].
Cannon and Brigham Young-of Frank
J. Cannon and John Taylor. and so on
through the. list-Frank J. Cannon, the
candidate Of a political party, and
each of the others a dead ecclesiastic
stripped of his cerements for political
use.
But good sentiments are always ap-
pIauded, whether uttered by one who
practices them or not. And when they
are spoken in the pugnacious, defiant
and dramatic manner which the sena-
tor can assume upon occasion, they are
.vociferously" applauded, as they
were last night.
The little he had to say of senatorial
candidates was obscured by the feel
ing manifest in his treatment of the
Pharisees." But in his portrait Of
senator it was clear that the speaker
was trying to draw his own likeness.
This appeared to be in bad taste. but
enc must remember that it was a deli
cate position the senator occupied.
when he had finished telling what a
senator ought TO be, and how he ought
to look, this is the impression he Gre
ated:
Were the state of Utah to place
its order for a senator who could and
would reject the glory and grandeur
Of the gods, it could not ind one bet !