The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-03
THE SHOOT CASE AT HOME.
Democratic Newspaper in Utah on It's
 Regrettabe Effects There.

From the Salt Lake Herald.
 Although the hearing of Senator
 Shoots case has only begun, the result.
 the unfortunate result-is being felt here
 at home. None but the unkind and vim
 dctive could rejoice at the effect
 throughout the country of the publicity
 being given the personal domestic af-
 fairs of men who feel the stigma attach-
 ed to such publicity; none but will feel
 the inevitable effect on every relation of l life business domestic social and civic,
 which must follow the Haunting of such
 revelations as are bound to come out in | the hearing
 The effect here at home, as has been
 said is already being felt Apparently
 there is to be revival in some degree
 of the old bitterness. the suspicion of
 neghbor for neighbor, the dearcation between Mormon and non- Mormon in bus | mess affairs, the rivalry of politics em- phasized by lines which had been all but obliterated.
 It Is only natural that personal feel
 ing should follow the lines of religious
 utilization to some degree; but It should
 be remembered in all fairness that men who have every regard for the individual | ! just what has happened and advised
 against the nomination and election of Senator Shoot for that very reason. Sen ator Shoots own friends, both of his church and of other churches, told him
 that his enemies and the foes of his faith would exert every energy to bring
 about the his downfall, told him that the
 state would suffer in it's material inter-
 ests. In the face of this 1t Is hardly fair
 to say that Senator Shoot is the victim
 of persecution or that the fight against 1 him Is matter of religious prejudice alone, or that the senator is the victim | of anything but his own ambition.
 Nor should 1t be forgotten that the non
 Mormons as well as the Mormons of l Utah will suffer. The injury to the state
 must fall upon all citizens alike. Fossil
 bly,. Senator Shoots chief defenders
 assert the Mormon faith will benefit by
 the widespread distribution of their doc. | trines, the exploitation of their beliefs | throughout the country. If this is true, there is some compensation to them, but for the nom Mormon no such consolation
 Is offered. They see nothing ahead but serious and permanent injury to their l state the stoppage of desirable immigra- | tion. the humiliati ton of their representa-. | tives in congress the depression of the | high hopes they have based on the sup position that the old agitation had ceased | forever Concedng that tn. friends of | Senator Smoot have cause for resentment
 is it to be expected that the men who op- | posed him in all sincerity outside of his | religion will not resent the injury his
 election has wrought to the state and its | interests?
 The fact is that conditions compelled
 just such a crisis in the states affairs as the election of Senator Shoot precipi- tated Holding the supreme office of his church. with one exception. representing to the public mind an ecclesiastical posi-
 ton incompatible with the duties of the
 senatorship. representing. too. an infiu-
 ence in public civil affairs which many believed inimcal to the public welfare, he could have expected no other outcome to his political aspirations. He can hardly claim that the opposition to him was based on hostility to his religion be- cause others of his faith, but not of his exalted church station, have gone to the senate and been welcomed. It was Shoot. the apostle not Smoot the Mormon, who invited the attack; and his friends should be broad enough to concede the honesty of those who sincerely believe his reten- ton in the senate would be violation of the states pledge that no church infiu- ence would be permitted in the political and civil affairs of Utah,
 The Herald has no sympathy with those who are willing to see Utah injured that Senator Shoot may be humiliated; 1t be- leves the best interests of tre state will suffer no matter whether the senator re- tains his seat not But, 1t believes, too
 that the exercise of forbearance on both sides, the elimination of personal animos- tiles. and the absence of controversy at home will go far toward preventing To- cal situation which might easily do end less harm.