The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-31
TFrom Tho washington POST

Mormonism is cutting an important fig
ure In the Philippine tariff and the State
hood bills-hoth, by the way. administra-
tion measures, No public mention has
yet been made of this. though when the
bills in turn reach the Senate there is
promise of a lively ventilation of the
subject
AT this juncturc 1t seems probable that
each measure will be defeated In the
Senate, and Mormonism more than any
other factor VIII be responsible for it.
Curiously enough, the Mormon interests
involved favor the Statehood bill. but are
opposed to the Philippine bill The Nor
mon church Is growing very rapidly In
Arizona and New Mexico. which the adj
ministration desires to unite and bring
into the Union as one State, For this
reason Mormonlsm is supporting the
Statehood bill at both ends of the Capt.
tol. Mormon interests are hostile 10 the
Philippine tarlff bill because OF the rapid
growth of the beet-suGar industry in
Utah. Idaho and other sections OF the
far West where the Mormon church IL
strong. The lowering OF the duty on raw
sugar provided for In the bin that has
passed the House. would inJure an Inter
est in which more Mormon capital is In
vested than I'm any other productive In
duStry save farming.
II has been learned at the Department
Of Justice that the practice OF uolyEamy
Is so common among the Mormons OF
Arizona and New Mexico that the Gov
eminent already has secured convictions
in fifteen cases In Arizona and seventeen
cases In New Mexico. These proSccu-
tions appear to have been so quietly
conducted a 5 not TO have attracted Wide
attention. and II is realized that one of
the potent causes OF SO little being
known about them was the desire Of All
elements In the two Territories Interested
In Statehood TO prevent publicity as much
as possible.
Senators Gathering Facts.
Two or three members OF the Senate,
however, VINO are opposed TO the admis-
sion of Arizona and New Mexico on any
terms are preparing TO develop all the
facts available bearing on the subject of
Mormonism in these Territories. and use
them rs convincing arguments against
the administration bill, which Will be
presented in the House by Mr. Hamilton
OF Michigan, and Will be fathercd in the
Senate by Mr.. Bcveridge. II is conf
IDENTIFY believed that this line Of attack
viii completely overwhclm the support
eTS OF the measure, and that as a result
the Foraker bill Will be substituted In
the Senate for the Hamilton Beveridgc
bill. The Foraker measure provides sim
ply for the segregation of Arizona and
New Mexico from the Oklahoma-Indian
Territory proposition.
1t Is q fact OF vast significance TO the
pOlltlCS OF the NOTtnWcSt lndt inc DtGl
sugar industry is almost completely un-
der the control OF high officials of the
Mormon church Joseph Smith, head OF
the church, Is the active president OF
seven big sugar factories in Utah, three
In Idaho, and numerous other either pro-
Jected or actually uUdcr construction in
Wyoming, Montana, oregon, and Nevada,
Many millions OF dollars have been In
vested in these factories and many moro
millions are ready 10 be put In new
plants: large part II not practically
all. OF this capital was raised by the
Mormon church tithing system. II Is said
that the church officials who are MEM
bers OF the directories OF tine various
beet sugar plants and factories make
very careful accounting every year TO the
central governing body Of the church as
TO the earnings OF tho tltheS thus in
vested.
Inspired by Normonism.
In an important sense then. It can be
asserted that the long, fierce struggle I'm
the House over the Philippine tariff bill
pending which there was 4 brave display
OF o rebellious spirit TO the Speaker by
the band OF insurgents led by Mr. Bah
cock OF Wisconsin, was a fight between
the sugar trust and the Mormon church.
Tho sugar trust, OF course, being almcSt
wholly q refining interest, demands free
sugar so that no tarln at all would suit
that concern even better than the . per
cent of the Dingley rate fixed by the
Payne bill, but as the bill makes pro-
vision for absolute free trade I'm Philip
pine sugar after the expiration Of the
trado treaty with Spain in 1893, the trust
is satisfied with the outlook so far as
that is Influenced by the House bill. An
analysis Of the lnsurgent movement
shows distinctly tho influence OF The
Mormon beet sugar interest although II
is true that many OF Mr.. Babcock's fol-
lowers have no cause particularly TO fear
the effect Of the Mormon church on their
political future. This element. of course
ioined the insurgents largely because OF
tho fear that a reduction anywhere along
low 11rsl
impetus to the movement for general
tariff revision.