Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-03
"CHURCH INFLUENCE"

Tho faction which Is reaching out TO
grasp the reins Of civic power In Salt
Lake city frantlcally exhort the citizens
80 ignore party lines and come over in
20 their camp Of the Ph!lstlnes But at
the same time they raise a great outcry
against Republicans and Democrats II
they endcavor to persuade the public to
do the same thing, that is, to vote
Tor candidates regardless Of political
affiliations, That is just about as much
consistency as the un-Amerlcons exhlb-
SIS in an their clashlng contentious and
self-reMting facts.
We are not offering any argument In
favor Of the proposition that members
Of either party should leap over the
bounds between their respective camps,
but merely drawing attention to the
kind OF reasoning INDUCED in by the
common euemy At the same time. we
believe that the true policy in local
government IS to select and support the
best and most suitable men for public
positions, regardless OF their partisan
connections. That Is simply our opin-
ion. 1t is shared however by millions
m people in different parts OF this
great country. A notable instance IS
that Of Secretary Root IN sup
porting Attorney Jerome. city Of
fcals are elected on basis
entirely different from that upon
which national politics IS founded,
We gee no good reason why a similar
policy would be wrong here.
However we have no advice TO offer
on that score, nor Is there any lnstruc-
tlon or direction or Tip" as claimed
by some over.zealous partsaUs, on poll
teal matters from the Church author
flies We have to repeat this aud em-
phaglze t. IN consequence OF reports
that reach W, many OF which no doubt
are exaggerated or misunderstood by
people who claim to have been APP
preached In that way.
There Is SIN much talk about"Church
influence and which way II Is likely 10
be turned IN the city election, People
who use the term ought to define
its meaning in their minds. Every par
ty having candidates I'm the field would
be Glad to gain the support OF Nor
mon voters We use that phrase with
reluctance, because II ought not TO en-
Ter into the political vocabulary It
should have been eXpunged long ago
and would have been but for the adj
vocatcs Of bitter hatred Of Mormon
Church leaders"
Legal voters who are "Mormous' in
religion have just as many rights un-
der the law and in justice as people
have who are not Of their faith. no
more and no less, Their votes count
the same according 10 numbers
RS those OF Presbyterans, Methodists
Baptists or Atheists They are
divided as TO parties Their influence
IN either party Is political. not relig-
ious, To talk Of Church influence"
them I'm either party Is absurd. so far
MS the so-called Mormon vote is con.
rcrned, They vote as they choose
They are not cocrced or even advised
by any Church influence as TO which
party they shall belong to. or what tick
et they shall support. They are as free
RS any citizens can possibly be No
one has the right to use influence in
he name Of the Church to persuade
hem one way or another
As to the right Of every citizen TO
Bsk advice In regard to men or to mea-
surcs, wc have always taken the
ground that il Is his privilege to seek
Tor It on his own volition wherever he
chooses It Is as much his right TO
ask the opinion Of "a Church official IN
whose Judgment he has confidence. as
to seek II from a lawyer, a political
manipuator friend or an enemy OF
any calling or profession. II not, why
not?
by this we do not mean to assert
that any citizen Is under obligation.
or requirement. or advice to ask for
opinions or views as 20 political mat
iers from any ecclesiastical authority.
And we assert most positively that II
Wv ellNhlA 'lNI 'h'Il VIC ANnlA'UA va
Tho Church ON political matters he
would receive no encouragement or
counsel, but would 40 away empty,
That gentleman has kept alo1f from
political affairs from the very day of
his accession 10 the office which he
holds ana that is known TO the people
over whom he presldes SO far as he
rs concerned, Church influence IL nil,
o. 70 not about time that AN this nom
sense about Church influence" should
be buried ont Of sight and scent? There
Is nothing in 10 but foolish talk and cf-
fort TO army class against class TO
promote strife and bitterness, and
play into the hands OF political gam
blers and trIckstera and keep up an UNI
founded prejudice. which does more
harm 20 non" Mormons" in this state
than to the "Momons' themselves In
the present struggle Tor civic suprem-
acy all Dretenso Of such influence
should bee banished
Let the merits Of the candidates be
set forth honestly and fairly, and let
The people decide for themselves that