The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-28
Both Parties Have Similar Appeal.

From the day that It was organized up
TO the present moment it's leaders and
managers have been and are pursuing in
their campaign the methods that make
Smootism, dangerous factor in this
state. While Smootism brazenly appeals
TO all Mormon Democrats to vote the
Smoot ticket: while it urges them to
abandon all political principles and unite
along the lines Of their religion. and with
out reason, insists that they must do so
IN the interest of that religion; the
American" party appeals to all Gentiles
TO unite under its banner of church OPP
position. 1t appeals to the religious pas
Sions and prejudiCes of the GentileS and
insists that they all unite in the interest
of the principles of this republic and as
a patriotic duty The two factions are
thus creating an issue of church and anti
church, and in making their appeals TO
the voters. neither the American" party
nor the Smoot party attempts to hug
close TO the facts and to declare to the
people the truth. So long as either party
feels that IL is advancing it's cause il
does not hesitate to resort to unworthy
methods and to make charges and coun-
untruthful. If 1T can be said with truth
that the Smoot party is cursed with I'M
wise leadership. it can alse be said. With
truth, that the American party suffers
from unwise leadership. These two political
factions. trading upon religious hatred.
have placed the state beneath the upper
and the neither millstones. and the com
mon people are the grist that is being
ground into powder.
Men Have Gone Mad.
men have gone mad in this state. When
read or listen to some of the appeals Of
the American leaders for support, and
when I read such screeds as that which
was lately put forward over the name
of a. Milton Musser, which falSifieS his
,ory and distorts facts, it almost seems as
q we could hope for no o,. peace here In
TO our graves amid the clangOr OF angry
tongues Of reckless partisans.
| was one Of the very last to leave the
Liberal party. 1t was not until the his
toric meeting was held in the Salt Lake
theatre on the occasion that the Liberal
party voted to suspend all activity polit-
lcally that, In our local politics, / united
with the party that / had always sup
ported nationally. 1 was in doubt as to
whether we were ready for statehood. I
was fearful that the smothered embers
of the bitter struggle would some time
burst into flame / was inclined to the
belief that the interest of all of us de-
manded that we remain territory and a
ward of the nation until such time as
Il was made manifest that we had finally
and forever settled our domestic and re-
ligious differences and were fully pre-
pared to take our place as a state in
the union without being looked upon by
our sister states as the freak of the
flock. But when united with the Dem
ocratic party in national state and local
politics / did so In absolute good faith.
/ Joined with my Democratic brethren
under the banner of the Democratic par
ty there TO remain so long as I shall
live, unless my conscience shall be salts
fled by overwhelming proof that the
good OF the people among whom / live
requires me to take another course
And while I am dealing with my own
personality in this campaign ] want to
SAY that while l was one OF the last to
leave the Liberal party and TO join
those who were dividing upon national
party lines. l have not been among the
first to leave the Democratic party and
to join some other organization.
Political Apostates.
In each campaign, upon one pretense
or another, sometimes for office and
sometimes the Lord only knows what for.
have seen Mormon Democrats leave the
Democratic party and join the Republi-
can party, and as apostates are always
the joudest in the denunciation of that
which they had formerly espoused. sc
these pin feathered Democrats who have
Joined the Republican party have beer
the most unreasonable in their denuncia
ton of the Democratic party and all their
former associates. And in like manner
during the past two years. i have seen
Gentle Democrats, the very men who III
words OF gall and with angry sound de
nounced me years ago because
clung TO the last to the Liberal party and
refused to unite with them in organ
lzing the Democratic party in this state
walk over into the American camp and
at once begin a campaign of denunciatior
and Misrepresentation of their former CO
workers in the Democratic party. II
seems plain that some of these joined thS