The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-02
Evidence TO Be Presented in
PoIygamy and Politics.
CHURCH IN BUSINESS ALSO
STORY OF ROBERTS AND THAT
CHER TO BE TOLD.

Second-Church Interference in poll
itics.
ness.
The high officials of the church Will
ptoDaoly ce examined in regard to an
the phases Of the inquiry. At least one
/ former high official viii i'm all PROBABLE
/ lty be closely examined i'm regard 10
/ the question of church Interference i'm
politics. Aside from the officials most
Z OF the people already subpoenaed will
/ probably be examined solely for the
purpose of getting light on the matter
Of pOlygamy. II is stated bv Il we'll
/ known salt Laker who is interested su
( the inquiry that one of the women all
ready subpoenaed is expected 10 testify
! that she was pOlygamoUsly married sd
one OF the Utah temples I'm the year
1898 by an apostle. and strong teSti-
mony is expected from several ether
witnesses whose names are already
known.
For the purpose of ascertainip-
whether the church authorities exert
improper influence in business matters.
/ II is said something like twenty-five
people Of Brigham City will be sub
poenaed later to tell what they know
Of the acts Of President Charles Kelly
and other ecclesiastics in Box Elder
stake. While the witnesses in regard
! TO pOlygamy viii probably an be taken
from Utah, IL IS expected that Idaho
and Wyoming viii furnish some wit
nesses to testify in regard 10 church in
/ reference in politics and business
Judge Powers to Be Summoned
It is practically a certainty that
/ Judge o. w. Powers of salt Lake win
J be called to testify in. the case. Judge
| Powers stated yesterday that he had
not yet been SubpOenaed. and declined
1 cUaaE az 10 ma tier hrf srorr,
( other source il is learned that he VIII
/ be asked 10 tell what he knows Of
church Interference in Utah politics
/ Judge Powers has been prominent i'm
] Utah politics for many years past, and
! VIII probably be examined at length
/ iD regard TO the matter An effort viii
/ probably be made 10 show that the
l church has been active in the political
/ field in Utah for many years past. The
( inquiry VIII doubtless go as far back
/ as the campaign of 1895, when the first
/ state officers were elected. and cover
/ all the time from that year to the pres
1 ent-
The campaign OF 1925 is a memorial bic
one in Utah politics from the fact that
the activity displayed by Moses Thatch-
( er in that year ultimately resulted in
/ his being removed from his position
l of apostle i'm the Mormon church. Judge
! Powers was state chairman of the
/ Democratic party iE 1895. when John #.
I Game was nominated for governor and
b H Roberts for congressman. The
/ convention endorsed J. L. Rawlins and
! Moses Thatcher for senators. and Wig
/ OrOus campaign was inaugurated.
! Headquarters were opened in the Old
I Continental hotel building and every
/ thing pointed TO a sweeping Democratic
/ victory in Utah. The most careful can
| vases showed that Democratic success
! was practically assured.
Tale Of Priesthood Meeting.
/ Then came q surprise Immedi-
/ ately after the adjournment OF the Dc-
| tOber conference OF the Mormon church
different Mormon Democrats and others
/ began 10 drop into the headquarters
They all bore the same tale. which was
J in effect, this AT a secret meeting Of
! the priesthood Immediately after the
] close Of the conference George @ Can
non. then first councillor To President
/ Woodruff. had announced that Thatch-
( er and Roberts. both high officials or
/ the church at that time. had become
candidates for political offices without
/ securing the consent Of their ecclesi-
| astical superiors and should, therefore,
I be rebuked by q crushing defeat at the
polls. The reports stated that Presi-
Z dent Cannon's views We're unanimously
endorsed by the others present at the
/ priesthood meeting.
/ The exact language used by President
Cannon in his address never became
/ known to outsiders. but the reports had
: great effect AT first the party man
I ayers were disposed 10 disCredit the re-
ports, but they kept on accommodating
until all became convinced that the
I church had decided 10 administer re-
buke 10 Thatcher and Roberts at the
polls by defeating the Democratic tick
. al rr0 h.
Z already two months old. secret meet
] ing of the Democratic state executive
( committee was held in the Old Unity
hall TO consider the situation II was
decided that the convention should
/ be recOnvened. That recOnvened
I convention was remarkable
one. From every quarter or
the state delegations poured IN with
bands and drum corps. Mormon and
Gentle delegates determined 10 hight
TO the last Committees on an
| address to the public and ON the
/ ACCESSIBILITY of pulling down the Wicket
4 and fighting statehood We're appointed.
( The state constitution was up for rati-
/ fication in that campaign and many o.
! the Democrats favored throwing the
. party's strength against the cOnsIiJu-
ton TO keep Utah territory An
4 address. containing nine points or dec
laration and appeal. was reported
ana UllaIllLllOuEll olNtiA"- eA-~N+ .--
The other committee deadiocked TOR q
long time. but at length decided TO re-
port in favor of retaining the candi-
dates already named and making every
effort 10 elect them The report was
adopted and the second convention ad-
journed.
Controversy Becomes Personal.
Then President George c. Cannon
made an address at Brigham City. On
which he discussed the matter and
made 2. personal attack on Judge Pow
ers. Judge Powers replied % the. at
tack with considerable Warmth t-mis-
saries from President Cannon APP
preached the judge with a denial OF
the statement THAI President Cannon
had attacked Powers AfidaVits were
secured to show that the attack had
been made. and President Cannon then
said that if he had made the charges
the fact OF doiDE so had entirely es-
capped his memory Judge Powers Went
To Brigham City to make speech IN
reply. He received telegram thers
conveying q further explanation 10y
President Cannon. and the judge rcal
the telegram during his address 81
Brigham CITY that evening
Believing they still had a show the
] 3