The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-19

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its ultimate object the absolute divorce
of church and state.
The movement is not aimed At the
religious belief of any person. and is
not an attack on any church. we aim
TO bring about in fact that which has
long been advanced as the proper
theory namely: that non-interference
in politics by the dominant church
which. for fourteen years. has been
promised the people of Utah.
To this end we propose to nominate a
ticket which shall. by the personnel of
lis nominees, guarantee that high &C.
clesiasticS have not dictated the ticket
or any part thereof.
Are you Wit. us?
If so, will you favor US with an i'm
mediate reply, using the enclosed
stamped envelope? Very truly yours,
GEORGE r. HANCOCK.
W. f SNYDER,
For the Committee.
Mr.. Gibbs Reply.
Marysvale, Utah, Sept. 16
Messrs. George r. Hancock and W. r.
Snyder. Salt Lake City:
GeHtlemen-Lack of time has pre-
vented an earlier reply to your inter
esting communication of the 10th inst.
As a Mormon Democrat, during the
past fifteen years. ] have opposed the
very influence" which you and the
other gentlemen associated with you
seem to have just discovered During
those fifteen years, in private and in
public, on the stump" in the Willard
, County Blade, the Nephi Blade, the
Provo Dispatch, occasionally in The
Salt Lake Herald. and later i'm the
Marysvale Free Lance, / have earnest
/ ~ and peFsistently opposed political
stamping by apostles of MY CHURCH
My opposition to apostolic slumping
was-is-based upon three principal
reasons tO-Wit: First. In their deVO-
ton to the principles of Mormonism,
and their loyalty 10 the teachings Of
the apostles, whom they believe 10 be
prophets. Seers and reVelatOPs, the
majority OF the Mormon people cannot
distinguish between inspired teachings
( of an apostle. as such, and the fervid
utteranceS of the same person when
enacing the role of a politician.
To al the Mormons the one IS
inspired religion 20 the ua5 Ority OF
MormOns the other is inspired politics.
Second It aroused tie resentment OF
the adherents of either party against
whom the political mOUthings Of the
apostle politician were directed.
Third An apostle cannot. without
resigning diVeSt himself of his apostle
ship. 1t is, therefore, a debasemeuc Of
his holy calling to take part in politics,
/ to become a heeler. or d political boss,
even by implication That even apOs-
ties can purify politics is an ''irides-
cent dream" Vide Apostle SmOot, and
the pool in which ne is now founder
ing. 6The pool appears to be purify
ing itself, by the exodus therefrom of
many of those who. until recently,
could see no harm in basking in the
political sunshine of apostolic IN
huence and Interference
Was Called Sorehead.
During those earlier years. when 1.
as Mormon, was opposing the semi
political utteraHces OF Presidents
George Q. Cannon and JOSEPH F.
Smith. and the political rawlings Of
Apostle-stumper John Henry Smith,
the Salt Lake Tribune and many of
those who are now afiiliating with your
new movement" were calling me a
sOrehead, jacb-MOrmOn. etc, and were
vehementiy asserting that presidents
and apostles had a constitutional right
TO talk for their party. (The singular
number is used advisedly-)
From its birth the Utah Democracy
has consistently and persis-ently stood
for the absolute enforcement of church
and state. In the campaign of 1873,
when the interference" of which you
now complain had reached an acute
stage in behalf of the Republican par
". the Tribune said there was no
church influence, and a loud Amen
was uttered by scores of Republicans
who were then. or expecting to become,
! beneficiaries of that same 'interfer-
! ence."
On the 22d day of October. 1895. the
I Mormon and Gentle Democrats from
every county in Utah met in a re-
convened convention in Salt Lake City.
and entered a mighty protest against
I the influences which, as it appeared TO
| Democrats. were multiplying the free
/ dom of the ballot and paralyzing the
I campaign efforts of the Democrats. In
answer to that protest the Tribune and
! A select coterie of Republican Office
/ seekers. WHO were bending the preg-
nant hinges of their knees" TO the
! church leaders. called the DEMOCRATIC
/ reconYened convention a 'grand-stand
! play" the baby act" etc
4 Since the division on party lines IN
4 Utah. o. w. Powers and thousands OF
! other nom MormOns have been loyal TO
/ their Mormon Democratic friends, and
/ have proved beyond question their
| faith i'm them. During those weary
years the Mormon Democrats have
|
| equally loyal TO their church.
No Grand Stand Play.
Gentlemen. were the Democrats of
] 1895 really making a grand stand
| play or were their grievances real2 II
real. were not those Republicans who
! denied the existence of the evil of
| which Democrats complained affected
| witk political blindness. or We're they
the most contemplate lot of hypo-
! critical sycophants that ever craned
! their necks and opened their capacious
mouths to receive, the political crumbs
| which they hoped would fall from the
| church tables2
Gentlemen, that for which you are
| now so unexpectedly clamoring has
been almost won by the loyalty of Nor
mon and Mormon Democrats "a
| TIE fundamental principles of Democ-
racy. On our part the conflict has been
| waged with patience and dignity. T.
not your present unexpected attitude
the result of your signal failure to po-
litically boss the Mormon church, in
stead of to any born patriotism
To me and thousands of other Nor
mon Democrats your hungry wal
smacks too much of the zeal of tho
new convert and of the vindictiveness
and Intolerance of the apoetate