The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-12

| obeNlng counsel, ana AT Ine c'topcl
conference Of the Mormon church in
priesthood II was agreed to put IN
operation all the machinery of the
church to defeat Moses Thatcher and
Brigham n. Roberts. The result of the
election was that Brigham n. Roberts
was defeated for the office Of Represen-
tative and n Republican Legislature
elected thus insuring the defeat OF
Moses Thatcher TO the Senate.
During the political campaign OF
| 1895, and on the 18th of October of
that year, at Logan, a bishop of the
Mormon church said to an assembly OF
teachers of the church that two men.
one OF the twelve and one a president
of the seventies (meaning Thatcher and
Roberts), had, contrary 10 the wishes
of the first presid ency and contrary to
| counsel, accepted nominations for high
Offices He said: "It is unnecessary
for me to name the men; you know
who they are. ] speak this for your
own good You know now TO vote.
On the same day at Brigham City the
president Of n stake at a religious
meeting of Mormons declared to those
who were assembled that IT was the de-
sire of the first presidency that
Thatcher and Roberts should be de
feated. AT the meeting Of the first
presidency and twelve apostles Of the
|
| October, 1896, TO take action IN the
case of Moses Thatcher for his refusal
to obey the political mandates of the
first presidency, George @. Cannon. IN
iustifylng the action of the quorum OF
| twelve apostles in deposing Moses
Thatcher as an apostle, used this Ian
guage:
When respect and honor Wilford
woodruff | bow 10 God. who has chosen
| him II | listen TO Wilford
Woodruff. II look TO him to see how the
| spirit Of God moves upon him II ask
| his counsel and take II. 1t is because God
has commanded me. God has given MIN
| the keys of authority. When
Joseph f. Smith obeys Wilford Woodruff
| he does It upon the same principle we
| reverence him as the prophet of God and
| as our leader We listen to him and are
guided by his slightest wish. 1t is be-
God. chosen by the Almighty to fill that
place. and that he holds the keys Of the
priesthood OF this generation on earth at
the present time.
Political Manifesto.
There was another cause of offense
to the hierarchy. In 1896 the first
presidency and ten Of the apostles for.
the "poitical manifesto, which re
quired all prominent officials OF the
church to obtain the consent Of the first
presidency and twelve apostles before
becoming candidates for public Office
This manifesto both Moses Thatcher
and Brigham II, Roberts at first refused
to sign. Brigham IL. Roberts was al
dency and twelve apostles to sign the
manifesto, but Moses Thatcher persist
emily refused.
At the April conference of 1896
Moses Thatcher was dropped from the
quorum of twelve apostles because OF
his refusal to sign the political mani
festo, Subsequently he declared him
Senate. The Legislature elected was
Democratic and the indications were
that he would be elected Thereupon
! the whole power of the church was
brought to bear upon members OF the
Legislature TO compass his defeat, and
In this the church was successful. Mr..
Rawlins being elected over Thatcher.
This result was accomplished by the
leaders of the Mormon church directing
Mormons who had been voting for
Judge Henderson TO vote for Rawlins,
One Mormon member refused, saying
81 Will not do it. and / know Just eX-
actly what it means, and | know that
| will be sent on mission.
Moses Thatcher was afterward put on
trial and escaped being excommuni-
Gated from the Mormon church only by
ance of the political manifesto
In 1898 Brigham Fl, Roberts, restored
to church favor, was elected to Con
gress by over 5000 majority.
The Legislature of 1899 was largely
! Democratic, but party dissension pre-
vented the election of Senator. In
this Legislature, however, the Mormon
church made determined effort to
elect one McCune, n Gentle, and would
have succeeded had not charges been
made against NcCune for attempted
| bribery. In connection with McCune s
candidacy, Judge Powers testihes as
follows:
The Legislature was largely Demo-
cratic, thirteen Republicans and fifty
candidate for Senator, Judge William II.
King and Alfred w, McCune. Undoubted
| y McCune was the church candidate.
Heber ]. Grant. the apostle. took a very
| active part In the campaign before the
Legislature for Mr.. McCune. Mr.. Grant Is
very pleasing letter writer. and In one
| of his letters. which is dated December
8, 1898. to j. Golden klmball one OF tine
| first presidents Of the seventies. speaking
of the Senatorial campaign he rccites
the amounts OF money that Mr McCune
had contributed to the Mormon church
for temples and meeting houses and mis-
sionary funds, and things OF that kind.
and the moneys that his Wife had given
to the church, and then his letter has
this significant paragraph,
i WISH 10 say 10 YOU that before en-
teTing the race TO assist MIR McCune 10
become a United States Senator | obtained
the full free and frank consent OF Pres-
dent Snow to work for Mr.. McCune. Two
years ago, at the time of the Moses
Thatcher fight. President Woodruff told
me that OF all the men mentioned as pros
pectiye Senators he would prefer Mr. Nc
Cune."
Among other reasons that he states why
Mr.. McCune should be elected is the fact
that he is not a Mormon, but In sympa-
thy with them. and could therefore do
more In the Senate for them than n Nor
mon could.
Bishop Warburton S Revelation.
In 1892 Bishop Warburton. Demo.
crat. called upon n number of his
Democratic brethren In the FIRST mum.
cipal ward of Salt Lake City and told
them that most of them had been
through the temple and understood
their obligations, and that he had re.
ceived message from the first presi
dency to the effect that it was the de
sire that Frank j, Cannon should he
elected to Congress.
In 1899 Mormon named Robbins Of
fered himself as an independent candi-
date for political Office rs against the
l,,n