Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-24
IN UTAH AND IDAHO
Mormonism is the Issue in
Both States.
MR.. SHOOTS POW Err
ALMOST COMPLETE CONTROL
OVER THE VOTE OF HIS CHURCH.
Senator Dubois and Ex-senator Heit-
field to Make Fight to a Finish
Tie Attitude of the Sheep Men.
Mr.. SHOOTS POWER
BY WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald

Idaho during the present campaign. and 1t
is an amusing illustra ton of the eccentrlci-
ties of American politics to find the repub-
leans lighting the church in one of those
states and the democrats in the other. In
Utah, Reed Smoot, whose eligibility to a
seat in the United States Senate is disputed
by the gentiles of Utah and by the various
Protestant missionary societies throughout
the country, controls the republican organi-
cation and was the director of the recent
state convention. He selected the canji-
dates and wrote the platform and while
neither are Objectionable to the party at
large, Mr.. Smoot is personally offensive to
a large minority of the republicans.
Thomas Kearns. an active and able young
Irishman, who picked up several millions
of dollars in a few years out here in the
mines, and was elected to the United States
Senate in 1862, is the leader of the gentle
wing and is making very hot fight. He
controls the Salt Lake Tribune and the
Evening Telegram. the republican organs
of this state. and is making an open fight
Smoot and his followers. He and his
newspapers refuse to support the republic
can state ticket. and appeal to the gentle
population regardless of politics. to defeat
it at the polls. kearns has a great deal
of influence and more money and prop )ses
to use both to the extent of his ability to
drive Sm0ot and the Mormon elders out
of the republican party. In order to en-
phasiZe his action he has publicly cn
nounced that he will not be a candidate Cor
reelection to the Senate. and people con-
slider his course as dictated by purely i'm
personal and patriotic motives
Charge by the Democrats.
On the other hand Senator Smoot claims
to have the support of President Roosevelt
and the republican national committee and
refuses to deny a charge freely made by the
democrats that the administration has en-
tered INTO compact with him under which
he is to give the electoral vote of Utah to
the President, while the President is to
prevent Shoots expulsion from the Senate
OF course such proposition is prepos-
ferrous. President Roosevelt could no more
control the action of the Senate in the
Smoot case than he could change the wind
or the weather, and if it could be proven
that he had made such q bargain with the
senator from Utah he would be promptly
retired to private life by the votes of the
CHRISTIAN people upon whom he depends for
election But for his own reasons Mr.
Smoot permits the impression to prevail
among the MOrmons that the charge is
true. l am told that he has even passed
the word around that there is an under
standing between the President and him
self. and that the Latter Day Saints will
have no reason to criticise the attitude of
the next administration if President Roose-
Welt is reelected
1t is too early to make predictions as to
the consequences of this row. Kearns and
his friends Will demand formal and public
assurance from the President that he has
no understanding with Smoot before they
Will support the republican national candi-
dates. They threaten to vote for Parker
II Roosevelt does not repudiate the Mormon
church and all its members and interests,
and. naturally, if he does so, Mr.. Smoot can
scarcely elect either the state or electoral
ticket.
The Mormon Organization.
The Mormon organization is as perfect
and as strong as it ever was notwithstand-
Ing the education of the people, the in
crease of the gentle population and the
acts of Congress. The ordinary utterances
OF the head of the church or the apostles
or the bishops still accepted as inspired
and the authority of its officers prevails
over the acts of the Utah legislature or
the Congress of the United States, or the
decisions of the courts or the prOclana-
tons of the President. Never from the
Gay that Joseph Smith led his little band
of believers from Kirkland. has the church
been in better condition financially. or po-
Htically, or more harmonious and obedient.
Its discipline is perfect and the adnoni-
tions of the elders and the apostles are ac-
cepted the highest law
This Is the more remarkable because it is
voluntary The means and methods used
to preserve discipline and secure obedience
IN the early days of the migration of the
saints have all been abandoned. If there
is coercion. persecution and punishment
nowadays nobody knows anything about it,
and there are vgilant courts, policemen
and newspapers in every city of Utah that
cannot be deceived or suppressed. So far
as the world KNOWS there Is no QlSCOntenL.
no dissatisfaction. no lack OF harmony
throughout the entire church and its mem
bCrship is increasing instead of otherwise
even under the legislation of Congress and
the proceedings of the courts.
These conditions give Mr.. Smoot, who
has been selected as the political leader of
the church almost complete control over
the votes of the Mormon population. and
ii is conceded by his opponents that 80 per
cent of them will be cast as he indicates
His orders are communicated quietly
= fsl,r, md al and FAHr-
feet is the discipline that no form of coer
cion will have to be used. 1t has been Gus
to;nary to divide the Mormon vote between
the TWO parties for obvious reasons, but, on
the theory that the republicans viii control
both the executive and legislative branches
Of the government for some time TO come,
all good Morm0 IS consider it expedient to
belong 10 that party now
The Situation in Idaho.
In Idaho the situation is somewhat diff
fereut The Mormons cast about - per
cent of the votes in that state. and both
parties Lave hitherto been on both sides of
the Mormon issue, according to existing
conditions and circumstances When idaho
was admitted TO the Union the Constitution
contained clause prohibiting polySamous
Mormons from voting The legislature pass
ed act to that effect, requiring a test
oath. But several years later. when there
was close night in the state. and the Nor
mon vote was badly needed. both parties
FASTENED to repeal thai law and both have
repeatedly sought to control 1t from time to
time. Senator Dubois was the leader of the
republican party when the law was passed
requiring all voters to make oath that they
were not polygamists and had no sympathy
with that doctrine of the Mormon church.
Ard. although he has since been member
of several political parties. he has never
shifted his attitude on that particular ques-
ton. AS a leader in four political parties.
he has always been anti-Mormon. and no
in the country enjoys the undying
hatred of the church fully es he. The
district in which he lives is controlled by
Mormon votes. and for that reason Mr. Du-
bois could not be delegate from his own
county to the recent democratic state con-
vention. He succeeded in persuadng the
convention of Custer county. which has a
radical anti-Mormon population. TO send
him as one of its delegates, and appeared In
the convention with red hot resolution
reading as follows:
We demand the determination of polyg-
amy and unlawful Capitalization within the
borders of Idaho.- and the complete separa-
ton of church and state in political affairs
We pledge the democratic party to enact
such legislation as will eventually suppress
ic aH+fIsF