The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-28
POWERS SPEAKS
TO WOMEN VOTERS
Tells of Their Duty in the
Present Political
Campaign.
GREAT ENTHUSIASM SHOWN
"AMERlCAN" PRINCIPLES DIS
SECTED BEFORE BIG CROWD.

The Woman's Democratic club gave
reception in honor of Judge o. W.
Powers Democratic nominee for con-
gress, at the headquarters of the county
Democratic committee yesterday after
noon The rooms of the committee
were thronged with members Of the
club and their guests, many late-comers
being obliged to stand throughout the
program. Judge Powers was the only
speaker. He was introduced by Mrs. NJ.
+. Cunningham.
At frequent intervals during Judge
Powers remarks he was interrupted by
applause. When he had finished his
talk he was surrounded by friends Of
all political and religious beliefs, who
assured him of their steadfastness to
the cause of Democracy and their de-
termination to vote and work for him
from now until the election a week
from Tuesday next. Judge Powers said:
Ladies: have heretofore discussed the
lniquitieS of 'SmOOtiSm. ] have endeaV-
ored to point OUT the danger to the
peace of the state through its longer con-
tnuance in power. / have urged the
people to flee from il as they would
from the bosom of destruction and TO
take refuge within the ranks of the Dem
ocratic party, the party of sanity in
Utah. 1t is clear to me that peace will
follow Democratic success and that the
interests of the state will be advanced
by the election of the Democratic ticket
both state and county.
In the speech to which | refer / dis
cussed the plank in the Democratic plat
fern which declares the election of an
apostle to the United States senate was
unWise, and l declared that there Is a
strong prejudice. bred in the bone. among
the American people against ecclesiastics
in politics. This declaration has been
criticised 1t has been insisted that no
such prejudice exists and that to de-
clare that high eccleSiaSticS should refrain
from taking part in political strife Is
to interfere with their inherent rights,
and hence ] want to fortify the state
ment that l made by incOntrOyertiblo
facts. In the state of Colorado the Re
publican candidate for governor upon the
Republican ticket, Mr.. Buchtel. is a
Methodist preacher. Speaking of his can
san paper, says:
Clergy in Politics.
Democratic newspapers and orators at
tack him on the ground that he is a
clergyman and as such has no business
in politics Strangely enough, his cam
peign is opposed quite much by the
good MethodlstS, who hate to see one OF
their pastors lower himself by taking
an active part in politics. by those
who have no use for churches
At the Republican meeting at the Salt
Lake theatre. Oct. %. 1906, Senator Suth-
erland endorsed the position of the Dem
Ocrat1c party, FOR he said
L did oppose the election of Senator
SmcOt not upon personal grounds. but
upon the ground that no apostle should
be sent to the United States senate"
People gave public expression to this
view in their state constitutions OF the
earlier days. Thus it was provided by
Section Z of Article of the State OF Vir-
ginia:
THAT all persons holding lucrative Of
fees and ministers of the gospel and
priests of every denomination shall be
incapable of being elected members of
either house of assembly"
Again. Article 3. Section >. Of the con-
vides:
or of any religious creed or denOmina-
ucn, and no person holding any civil
office of profit or trust under the state.
except justices of the peace. shall be ell
gible as senator or delegate"
Barred in Tennessee.
And the constitution Of Tennessee for
1884 declared IL Section 1, Article 9, as
fellows:
Whereas. ministers Of the gospel ars
by their profession dedicated to God and
the care of souls. and ought not to be
diverted from the great duties of their
functions; therefore, no minister of the
gospel or priest of any denomination
whatever shall be eligible to seat in
either house of the legislature"
In 1881 the state Of Delaware adopted
constitution, and in that constitution
the people wrote these words as found in
Article of Section s:
The rights, privileges, estate of reli-
glcus societies and corporate bodies shall
remain as IL the constitution of this state
had not been altered. No ordained cler-
gyman. or ordained preacher of the Cos
Fel of any denomination shall be capable
of holding any civil office in the state.
or OF being a member OF either branch
of the legislature while he continues in
the exercise of the PASTORAL or clerical
functions
Ir the first state constitution of Ken
lucky, adopted in 1872, in Section "a OF
Article 1, the people announced their
views in this language:
No minister of religious societies, mem
Der of congress or other person holding
any office of profit under the United
States, or the commonwealth, except at
tOrneys at law, justices Of the peace, mi
ltia officers and cOrOners, shall be
member OF either house during his con-
tinuance 10 act as a minister, or in con-
greSs or as an officer
Constitution of Kentucky.
A few years later, in I799 the Kentucky
people i'm Section of Article 3. eX-
pressed this the supreme law of the
mo member of congress or person hold
ing any office under the United States,
nor minister of any religious society,
shall be eligible to the office OF COVER
In 1850. in their state constitution, Sec
ton DC OF Article ?, the people of Ken
| lucky used this strong language:
mo person while he continues to eX-
/ e,cise the functions of a clergyman, priest
or teacher of any religious persuasion
society OF sect nor while he holds or
exercises any office Of profit under the
/ commonwealth shall be eligible TO tia
! general assembly, except attorneys at
law. justices of the peace and militia
When opposition to ecclesiasties in pub
lie office is so strongly entrenched in the
1 thought OF the American people that they
U1rite II into their state constitutions, can
! r~o,, wonder at the storm of protest that
/ vas raised all over the land over the cleo
! the Democrats amply justified in decIar-
inc II to be rnwise? The men who pre-
/ nared the state constitutions from which
! / have quoted were students OF consti-
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