The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-13

the reconveaed convention of 1895 and
made a declaration Of political indie
pendence, the Tribune compared them
to a lot of disreputable 'loafers,' re-
ferred to them as idiots, said they were
wrangling and slandering the state, and
it appealed to the radical members of
the dominant church to defeat them at
the polls. It's columns fairly ree!zed
with such reactionary sentiments.
If there was ever a time in the his
tory of Utah when the voice of a people
thundered for the right, when young
Utah made a sincere protest against
any attempt on the part of ecclesiastics
TO dictate political nominations and
elections, when a real ocean-roar of
disapproval against church dictation in
politics was heard, it was in 1895 at the
reconvened convention.
But that was a grandstand play, a
farce. a silly piece of business. accord
ing to the Tribune. Men gathered from
all over the state, left their farms and
shops and offices to join in this pro
test. They were not angry. They were
not trying to face down Il charge of
immoral conduct. They did not as
sembIe to assail political adversaries or
personal enemies. They were in ear
nests if ever men were in this world.
One after another of them got up
and declared how necessary it was that
this region should be free from church
rule" And the Tribune told them there
was no occasion for alarm; that the
nuggets of truth" circulated in the
Sunday schools, and the secret meet
ings being held all over the state in
the name of the church ana for the
benefit of the Republican party meant
nothing; that letters written from the
Office of the first presidency indicating
their political preferences were perfect
ly legitimate; that the rule subsequent
ly engrafted into the so-called mani
festo of 1856 was right and proper, and
that the Democrats were fools for OBJ
jecting and liars for complaining.
But when a candidate hires a hall
to attack his enemies, this IS how our
morning contemporary regards aim:
More, the highest authorities of the
dominant church have pledged them
selves that it shall never be done. 1t
was on that pledge that statehood was
given, and if there is trouble now, 1t
is because that pledge has been broken.
The knowledge of that exhibition of bad
faith is what swelled the APPLAUSE
around Senator Cannon when be de-
nounced il Each cheer meant more
than a cheer; it meant protest against
any attempt on the part of ecclesiasticS
to dictate political nominations and
elections 1t was the voice of the ueo-
pie laundering for the right. 1t Was
an ocean-roar of disapproVal against
church dictation, and the determined
effort to beat down the pledges made,
on the honor of the first presidency and
all the apostles of the church, that po-
lygamy shall cease in Utah.
We do not recall that Senator Cannon
said one word about polygamy. That
is one of our neighbours stretches of
imagination. If the senator's speech
contained anything besides a confession
that he is a bad man, anything else
than an attack upon his enemies, it was
the covert nomination of polygamist
as his successor. So that point is not
well taken.
But it's all rot TO speak Of Senator
Cannon's ocean-roar as being more of
q protest against the church in politics
than was that declaration of 1895.