The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-11-06
NOT PARTISAN
Strong Statement Issued by the
First Presidency.
PUT A STOP TO RUMORS
TRUMBo, CLAWSON AND LAM
NAN SADLY DISAPPOINTED.

At the request of Chairman Jones of
the Democratic national committee.
National Committeeman Dunbar and
Judge Powers called upon the first
presidency of the Mormon church yes
terday morning and called attention to
the rumors set in circulation by the
Republicans that the church authOri-
ties desired the election Of Mr.. McKin-
ley. In the course of the conversation
President Cannon said. That it would
be deplorabIe for any man to vote con-
trary to his political convictions be
cause someone alleges that il is the
wish of the church authorities. Presi-
dent Cannon authorized the statement
TO be made that no one had any au-
thOTity to say that the Mormon church
or the first presidency of the church
desired the people to vote for McKin-
ley or the Republican ticket. and if
any person has stated that such is the
fact, his statement is a Justification.
He declared that the first presidency
desired the people to vote their own
convictions uninfuenced by anyone.
A bulletin conveying the substance
of this interview was posted at once in
The Herald Office 1t created unbound
ed excitement in all parties. H. 3.
Clawson, the most pronounced partisan
for the Republican side among the
bishops, who more than any other has
always been perniciously active in pol
tiles, and Colonel Isaac TrUmbo, didn't
like the news They and their fellow
workers had been counting on the ru-
mors to help their campaign. Colonel
TrumbO is said to have been invited
to Utah at this time for the express
purpose of swinging the church inhu-
ence toward the Republicans. He and
Bishop ClawsOn boarded the latter's
buggy and did some driving.
First they went to the residence of
P Il. Lannan, owner of the Hanna or
gan They were in conference with
Colonel Lannan for some minutes after
which they came to The Herald office
Here Colonel TrumbO left the buggy
and carefully copied the bulletin con-
tanning the statement Of the first pres
idency.
This he carefully tucked away in an
inside pocket and then Clawson and
TrumbO drove TO the church offices.
They remained there more than half
an hour. About 3 O'Clock they came
out hurriedly and stepping into the
buggy again, they drove once more to
Colonel Lannan's residence. Once more
they held d conference with the Hanna
leader. What was said and done there
is known only to the men who Barrici-
pated in the council
People who saw Colonel Trumbo and
Bishop Clawson going into the house
of the man who had been their bitter
est antagonist in other years. knew
that something extremely important
must be on when those three could be
gotten into the same room In about
fifteen minutes Claws0n and Trumb0
left the Lannan residence.
Their further wanderings have no
bearing on this recital of facts. What
they did or planned may develop later,
but IL is not believed, from the ap-
pearance of the cOnferees that they ar
rived at any satisfactory adjustment
OF their difficulty. They could not es-
cape the plain official statement that
the church is not in politics.