The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-23
LIBERALS, OLD AND NEW

HERE HAS BEEN a good deal OF
useless commotion and discussion
over the so-called Liberal movement
inauguratcd recently.
Many ardent enthusiasts have hailed
it as a resurrection of the old Liberal
party whose creed was opposition to
anything and everything Mormon.
while some have viewed it as a fore
runner of the day when all the offices
and all the spoils of the non Mormon
cities viii be in Gentle hands. On the
other hand the chief spokesman of the
Mormon church has sought to make
the movement appear ridiculous by be-
Hitting some of its promoters and as
sailing the character of others.
As matter of fact, the chief sup
port OF the petition formulated BY the
organization comes from good citizens.
intelligent people, who deny the ac-
euraey Of President Smiths statement
that conditions he described were
known and condoned here at home.
Many Of those who signed the protest,
said to number 5000 in all, have no in
terest in the political object OF the or
ganization if it has any such object
They are determined. however. to cor
rect the inference left by President
Smiths statement 10 the Smoot com
mittee, and to that extent their mo-
lives are not open TO question
But. if these signers were asked TO
pledge themselves to a compaign
against the Mormon people. compare
lively few of them would do it. They
are fighting polygamy and church in
reference in civil and political affairs;
they have no grievance against Nor
mons as such, and they lodge no pro-
test against the seating Of any Mormon
in the senate who was not a polygamist
or high church official. They have seen
enough Of politics in Utah to fight shy
OF the professional politician in the role
Of moral reformer.
IT VIII De noted that the old leaders
Of the Liberal party arc no. in the new
movement. and this is readily account
ed for The old leaders made their fight
on principle and they quit lighting
when they agreed to a division on par
ty lines that statehood might be Sc
cured. They do not question the good
faith of the Mormon people as a peo-
pie, and they have faith in the younger
generation of the church. They see in
this new movement an attempt to use
their old platform for personal and po-
litical ends; they see nothing in the
new programme to inspire confidence.
and they discern no high object to be
attained by a renewal of old animosi-
ties.
The Herald Believes the signers of the
protest are entirely justified i'm setting
forth their convictions as they have.
1t believes further that the attempt to
ridiCule the movement is ill-advised
and calculated to strengthen rather
than weaken sentiment against SEN
ator Smoot Certainly. abuse and
threats cannot brighten the men and
women who are in sympathy with the
protest. Further. The Herald is con-
WINGED the organizers of the movement
can gain nothing al this time by going
beyond a simple, dignified exposition Of
their belief The senate committee is
hearing their cause; it is giving both
sides every opportunity to present evil
dence, and its report should be conclu-
sive.
To organize a new party. based OBJ
viously on personal and political mo-
tives, is to prejudice the case in its
hearing and strengthen the Mormon
church leaders in their contention that
the fight against SmOOt had it's origin
in religious and political prejudice
The very large majority OF the people
Of Utah, Mormon and non Mormon.
want Senator SmOot to have fair
hearing. They hope for a verdict that
shall settle for all time the long and
bitter controversy of which II is the
climax. Any effort to gain partisan or
factiopal advantage from the situation
while the case still is in court. must
fail and ought to fail because it cannot
have the sympathy of the people most
interested in a righteous judgment Of
the case