The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-26
BETTER THAN FUSION.

from the real purpose Of Smootism.
Somebody out on the street whispered
that he had received inside information
from church headquarters that the HE
rarchy were all a-tremble with fear Of
American party success and that the
only remedy was to fuse the Democrats
and Republicans this year in Salt Lake
county; and then in a little while,
when Republicans objected and Demo
Gratis resisted, there was o pretense OF
hopeless retirement by the hierarchy
from the field OF political activities.
But all the time fusion was never at
temptod-except the old, the new, the
constant fusion Of the hierarchical vote
into one body to be placed at the COM
mand of either party that the hierarchy
might select on or about election day.
Far better than the ordinary fusion
IN politics is tho Roberts plans of aid
ing Smootism Perhaps 1T is dignity
ing Mr.. Roberts too much TO speak of
it as his plan, for probably the strategy
was not his-his merely was the voice
to deliver the message, The strategy
was concoctcd, or at least approved,
at church headquarters. Under the
scheme, both the Democrats and the
Republicans were TO refuse to unite in
one body for this fall election; proper
spokesmen for the Democrats were Sc
lected to denounce the Navajo Jimmies
Of the Smoot machine and even to say
some sighting things OF the apostle
himself, and to devote their most mag
nilicent oratory to the declaration that
the church was not in politics and that
its name in tho miro.
How infinitely better this than com
monplace fusionl To amalgamato the
two parties would bring odium from
abroad and adverse comment at home,
and would eventually lead to frictions
between earnest, sincere and rival pol
iticians Of the two National bodies
which ere misrepresented here by the
two parties-Democrat and Republi-
can. But to effect all the results of
fusion without its appearance would
be TO save the church from criticism
and Smootism from an otherwise as
sured disaster at tho polls.
The essence OF Smootism Is church
rule in politics.; that is all there is to
Smootism, Take away tho influence Of
the church and Mr.. Smoot could not
stand one hour in competition with
even ward heeler in this community.
And so President Brigham II. Roberts,
the terrified mouthpiece OF the unterri-
fed hosts, appears on Democratic day;
and, while pretending to attack the
Smoot machine actually upholds the
entire proposition Of Smootism by
pledging his "unsullied honor'' that
the church is not in poiticsl
What more does Smoot want9 That
is the Endorsement which if accepted
by the Democracy leaves Smootism not
only triumphant, but beyond criticism
by Democratic press and speakers. AS
the church takes away a hundred Dem
ocratic voters and passes them over
to Smootlsm, Roberts can say; "The
church is not in politics and its voters
have been deceived by whisper"
sand Democratic voters and conveys
them to the Smoot corral, Elder Rob
erts can say: ''The church exerts no
influence in politics and he who dares
TO assert to the contrary is falsiHer
in his teeth. - When tho church delivers
ers President Brigham II. Roberts CT
the hierarchy can say: "The church
is composed of its entire people and
they are free, and the man who says
that the superb and immaculate Joseph
Z. Smith has interfered in the politics
other must answer to me the big
me, Roberts; the man who set all Utah
on FIRE with his intlammatory utter
ance against the use of church inhu-
ence when he was a candidate for of
fee in opposition TO the church, who
recanted and wore sackcloth and ashes
TO get his ecclesiastical job and salary
back. and who now sees no church in
fluence in the arbitrary rule of an apos-
tie over both Democratic and Republi-
can parties in this State Of Utah.
Better than fusion Indeed 1t is
better for Smootism than any kind of |
an open combination between the two
parties. So long as Smoot can COM
mand the services of servile Demo |
cratic employees of the hierarchy to
declare that there is no church inhu-
ence in politics he can get or use
church influence to his hearts content, |
and so long as President Brigham II.
Roberts is accepted as the spokesman
Of the Democratic party so long will
the Democratic party be merely po-
litieal quorum of the church and go
long Will Smootism be able TO use