The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-25
INHARMoNIous HARMONY.

of Democratic day at Saltair was the
harmonious uniformity of their contra
dlctoriness. Every one admitted
church interference in politics, and
most Of them denounced it; and some
OF them, while really admitting and
ficrcely condemning it, actually had the
gall to deny that il existed.
DR.. Conroy of Ogden stated that the
Democratic party in Salt Lake was
beaten last year by the rankest kind
Of injustice, by whisperings, and sub
terfuge; that is to say, the usual meth
DDS of church influence were employed
IN that election, according TO Dr. Con-
roy, against the Democratic party. DR..
Conroy identified this un-Americap
method by which the Democratic party
was beaten in Salt Lake with the &C.
clesiastical bossism Of which Apostle
Reed Smoot is the head, and he resent
ed the idea Of any man undertaking to
control the politics of the State by CO.
ing out clad with supposedly religious
authority TO boss politics -
Mr.. Roylance of Provo was enthusi-
astic against fusion, and also against
the Republican postmaster at Provo
drawing $4,000 a month from the
Government while spending most of his
time running about the State on free
transportation fixing up political deals
for Reed Smoot -
Mr.. NIoyle denounced whisperers and
gum-shoers, and charged fatty that the
Republican party had turned to the
church for its strength and support.
He charged that the Republican party
dragged the relief societies of the
church into the last city election here.
He denounced the idea of fusing with
the Republicans, but on the contrary
demanded that the Republicans should
come TO the support Of the Democrats
this year, on the same basis that they
last year demanded the Democratic
support for their candidates; that is to
say, then they claimed to have the
most votes, but that the election last
fall showed that the Democratic party
had the most votes, therefore the Re-
publicans should now go into the Dem
ocratIc camps, This is good church
doctrine whether used In behalf of the
Democratic or Republican party. 1t is
also the prevailing doctrine here; it is
the doctrine that is acted upon by both
parties, the Republicans voting the
Democratic ticket when properly
called upon TO do so, and likewise the
Democrats voting the Republican ticket
whenever the church counsels it, Mr..
Moyle was strictly in the swim in his
position in thus recognizing fairly and
squarely that both parties were nero
church activities, each in its special
direction, and each subject to the con-
troll Of the church at will.
Mr.. Fisher Harris also spoke against
whispering and gum-shoeing, but was
very broad-minded as to the rights OF
religious opinion. He is so tolerant as
to this that he IS quito willing to have
the church elect him to Office whenever
it wishes to do so, and no questions
asked and no reproach hurled back.
Mr.. Roberts made very much such a
speech as he made in the campaign of
two years ago against Mr.. Howell at
Lehi. 1t is noteworthy, however, that
he made only one such speech, and
while repudiating the idea that the
church is in the political field, he knew,
of course, that he was merely carrying
out Reed Smoot's programme, whose
long suit is IN doing precisely the same
thing that Roberts did. If Messrs.
Roberts and Smoot can get the people
to believe in spite of all the evidence
to the contrary, that there is no church
domination in politics here, then all will
be well, and the church can keep
on exercising its political activities
through one or the other Of the great
parties 'and at will, and all will be
serene, No man has had more bitter
dose of church interference in politics
than Mr. Roberts has had, and it is a
most remarkable exhibition of gall for
him to get up before public audience
in Utah and deny that church influence,
especially when sending right along
with that denial howl about the very
thing he says does not exist.
1t was beautiful day, it was beau
tiful occasion, and the inharmonious
harmony was beautiful thing to see;
and still, the thing that cropped out
bigger than the typical donkey's ears
all through was that everybody knew
and recognized the fact OF church inter
ference and control in politics, and
most OF them denounced il, especially
when it works against the Democratic
party; but in those times when it has
worked for the Democratic party, these
denunciations have been conspicuously
lacking.
AS to that form Of denunciation OF
church activity in political affairs, it
is merely begging partisanship and
does not go to the root of the matter,
does not consider the obnoxiousness OF
the church interference and control as
vicious principle in politics and in