The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-15

recall, in 1854, going to a county conven-
ton in what was then Oneida county,
Idaho. which comprised what IS cow the
counties of Oneida. BaRnock Bingham
and Fremont Those who are familiar
will understand that that extends. from
the Utah line to Montana, about one
sixth of our then territory. / went to
this county convention, where there were
thirty-fivc Democratic MormOns and
seven Democratic Gentiles. In those days
in Idaho the Mormons were all Demo
Gratis. There was no exception at all.
There was no such thing as a Mormon
Republican. You were divided in Utah
on other lines. Peoples and Liberals We
had the Republican party and the Demo
cratic party. / well remember BishOpp
Kicks. who afterwards came to be presi-
cent of the stake, and who had only
been in this county Of oneida about three
weeks Wheh ne STOOD up II thar county
convention and not knowing the names
even of the men whom he desired to be
nominated. he pulled a slip of paper from
| MS picket and said: II nominate Sol
Hale for sheriff and ] nominate some
body else for something else" He NOM
mated the entire ticket his nominees
receiving thirty-fiVe votes against seven.
CCheers) These seven Gentle Democrats
went with US over TO Malad and we or
ganized an anti-MOrmon party carried
the election, passed the test oath and
redeemed the territory.
Test Oath in Idaho.
That test oath is now in the constitu-
ton OF Idaho. II is part of Il. I had
the pleasure, and II was ohe of the great
est ones of my life, of taxing our consti-
! tuition to Washington as a delegate from
Idaho. and asking congress to admit us
TO statehood on it, a great many came
TO me and said: We can't do il with this
test oath; you must take that out, I was
young man and rash. I know now from
politicians in Utah and Idaho that ] would
( have been more the willy politician if l
| had acceded. but ! said to them. NO:
YOU can keep us out Of statehood for
/ forty years If YOU desire il is Your priv
llese: no territory can conae into the
/ Union with constitution which our poo
pie do not approve Of and our state viii
go into the Union with the test oath in it,
or We will stay out forever"
Now. after while came the manifesto
| from the first presidency to tho apostles
of the Mormon church ratified by the
People twice in conference. IN which they
made pledges TO the government of the
| United States and the people OF the
| United States that among other things
! they would keep out Of politics. All of
/ YOU recall the sigh OF relief which went
UP all over this mountain country, Why.
we were the happiest people the sun has
/ ever shOne upon anywhere. The fight was
! over. We took the MOTmOns by the hand
| and said. Let us now go hand in hand.
| side by side, and work out the Great des-
tiny for this magnificent country of ours
We helped them to statehood in Utah. I
gave my personal pledge to the senate OF
! the United States. At that time | was a
Republican senator, and some OF the older
! senators said TO me, cau~tifese people be
| trusted. and I said l pledge my honor
that they mean what they say in. this
| manifesto, and we all did. Then things
went along smoothly. we took the test
/ oath out Of our laws. that is 70 say. we
/ repealed the laws Of our statute books
1 making the test oath effective After
having kept the MOrmons from voting for
4 ten years We restored them their fran
| chise. gave them every privilege en-
! coura ged them in every way, and all went
/ beautifully for five or six years in Utah
as well as in Idaho.
Apostles Busy in Idaho.
J But one by one the laws were repealed
| rejecting on them, and then. two years
/ q 90. when our campaign was or. Apostle
IJOhn Henry Smith and Apostle NJ. +. Cow
/ lev appeared in southern Idaho to tell the
/ Mormons what ticket they should vote.
I Now. we are not making any fisht on the
! Mormon people. | am not. yOp are not,
we are making q fight for the Mormon
! people. We are their friends, end their
best friends, and they know it.
| was In Oneida county. as at present
! constituted. where fOur-fifths OF the peo-
| pie are MoTmons. when these apostles
/ appeared in that county TO tell tic Nor
mons how 10 vote. ] was 10 make a
/ speech there that night, aud | made it.
! and addressed an audience as large as
! this. After the meeting nad q COD5ul-
| tatlon with one OF the old Mormohs. who
was running for the state senate I said
( to him: I'VE are beaten" He said.
! Yes" 1t was a Democratic county.
said the church is beating us. He said:
/ Eyes. These apostles are beating Us. and
7 think will withdraw our county ticket.
\ Now mind you. as / am talking 10 young
( Mornons. II there are any here. Mind
you. on that Democratic county ticket
! were q great many splendid young Nor
mons: they had right 10 aspire 20 oe
| sheriff and assessor and recorder. per-
/ feet right as American citizens. They had
got their nominations fairly and houeStlv.
| They were entitled 10 the vote of those
who were Democrats: but. all Of a sudden.
! these apostles came. swept them out. and
elected the whole Republican ticket do
YOU suppose the Democratic MCrmonS
! liked fhat2 DO YOU suppose the younS
! Republican MormOns liked it?
Trick on Legislature.
| Now. IN addition 30 that am speaking
I now Of Idaho. and what led up TO this
! fight-it is not our making, but it is
! theirs.
Things we're connected. There we're
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