Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-11-07
COMPARISON IN POLITICS,

The furoro which certain dem'gosue'
and their dupes are raisIng about zee
cleslastcal influence among the Mo''
mons Ia scarcely circumstance
when compared with the riots and OUT
RACES pcrpctratol upon Catholics ]"
England and America IN the times
when ant-Catholcsm ragged WIN
fury Tar ahead IN forociiy OF the Out
burst proceeding from the anti MOT
,nons.o How much real cause there
was for the charge Of 'preslly conlIol
In politics in the one case may per-
hans b, guaged by the merits OF the out
cry ab nut Mormon Church dlctouoni
at am. rate the latter Is nothing bu'
sound and fury.
The ground Of the old objection
against the Latter-day Saints was 'heF
adhesion In one party FOR election pur'
poses. The reason for that unity mas
been given, and is generally understood
among people posted upon Utah history
They had TO meet common enemy
an organized body composed Of persons
Of different faiths aud parties ana so
they acted together In self.dcfense Be
fore these consultations occurred In
Utah. the Mormon people comprised
but one body Of residents, Of one faih
and purpose and national party dlVi'
slons were unknown,
After the division on party lines. po-
litlcal doctrines were promulgated by
opponents OF the two great national
parties. and many supposed Democrats
who had taken that side because Of
open Republican hostility exhibited IN
legislation, learned what the principles
aud policies Of both parties We're on
national questions, and became Repuh-
llcsns from choice. Political education
proceeded until most Of the older resi-
dents OF Utah became pretty wen set
tied In political convictions, and have
been for some time ardent Democrats
or positive Republicans. The younger
people. AZ they have arrived at their
majority. have made their choice as
they elected, often differing from their
parents and other members Of their
family. So today the Mormon Church
Is not Of any one political party but ITS
members vote as they please.
The claim that they are under oblga-
lion TO vote as directed by religious SUI
periors. or that the Mormon authorl-
ties claim The right TO command them
IN political matters, IS positively and
UNANIMOUSLY untrue Nothing has ever
been advanced IN proof OF the accusa'
ton but differences, exaggerated stories
or invented Incidents the grain OF truth
81 any IN either Of them being simply
the presence Of some church
officer In political affairs as a
candidate or supporter in which
he appeared as a citizen hay-
ing no more than equal rights with 9th
or citizens Of the nation, and the state
These are the facts known to the old
en- residents Of che state and especially
to the Mormon people, who are per-
fectly free 10 vote as they choose for
any person or party as they may elect
and they are naturally indignant when
orators and writer's intimate to the con.
trary, thus branding them as a set Of
religious sorfs with no mind or viii Of
their own. Against such charges every
man and woman OF spirit and COM
mon sense should set their faces and
emphasize their freedom by voting In
such a way that the malwers may 20
down to ignomlnIous and signal defeat.
This should be their pleasure and We
look upon 1t as their duty. as indie
pendent voters DESTROYS Of the public
welfare and the public peace.
We have been led To these reflections
by the publication In the current num-
Der Of the Inter- Mountain Catho.ic,of au
editorial entitled Catholics In Politics"
in which is copied communication t1
the New York sun signed "T. II J.,'
which reflects the views or our local
contemporary ana makes good reading
Al the present iuncture Here are two
paragraphs from the letter which form
its concluding portion and embody the
gist OF the article
when immigration was Catholic IN,
Democratic party secured tine Catn0li,
vote because its platform had cham
pioned the cause of the immigrants
Immigrants voted as q body not De-
cause religion had united them iu poll
ties, but because they were despisoC
aud insulted, regarded as Foreigners
aud intuders and were driven together
by the contemptuous treatment which
they received whenever they were out
side their own circles They lived to
gether ~ certain localities because thO
only work which they could Obtain
kept them an for "a while upon IN,
same financial footing. Their acquaiut
ance was all of tie same race and ne
ligion because the prejudice OF the TIM
had oslracsed them from an sOciet!
except their own II was "a natural re-
suit that they We're united I'm politics
as they were compelled TO be in othc
things II WAS natural that they sh0ul,
have supported @ party whose detons
OF their liberties was lonely oasis IN
desert OF insult IL should De sourc
Of pride 60 their descendants that the.
had the spirit TO fight their own battle,
instead Of bringing under a hand whiCl
struck because Il felt itself too power
ful TO fear q returning blow, II the.
had acted otherwise they would hay
shown themselves united for citizen
ship In nation whose institutions do
inand pride and courage IN every sta
ton OF life, II they had acted other
wise they would have deserved the In
suits they received.
THAT a change has come II 10 b