The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-30
PREPARING FOR THE CAMPAIGN

The initial move in the American
party campaign was made on Tuesday,
with the meeting of the State Central
Committee. A State Convention was
decided upon, to be held during the
coming month, and this Will probably
be a mass convention. The nominees
of that convention will be q candidate
for Representative in Congress and for
Justice Of the Supreme Court. There
will be no lack of excellent material III
each case, and the enthusiastic cam
paign which the American party Will
wage from the time of The Convention
on until the day Of election will win
for its candidates vote that Will be
a surprise to both branches Of the
church political activities,
The great contest will be waeed in
Salt Lake county. and here the cam
paign VIII undoubtedly be hot. The
politicians of the church Republican
and tho church Democratic parties are
protesting that there will he no fusion
between the two partisanships. As g
practical question. however. the politi-
clans who are now making these pro
tests will have very little 10 say
about it. The question for both will
bo settled up at the church headquar-
ters, and If ''the authorities conclude
that it is best TO fuse they will fuse
after the tickets are put in tho field, in
spite of any protests OF any of the
nominal political leaders of either
party or Of both parties. The instruc-
tions will quietly go out, probably at
the meetings on the Sunday evening
prior to the election day, which will
make the fusion complete, and destroy
all the reckonings OF those who under
took to engage in politics without the
help Of "the Lord. -
Everything promises an unparalleled
vote for the American party this fall.
The American party vote in this city
will undoubtedly be much increased
over its vote last year, while the vote
Of the party throughout the county will
be surprise to those who lean entirely
upon the church both for their infor.
nation and guidance. The American
party is young, 1T is enthusiastic, 1t Is
gaining adhcrents daily in large num-
bers; it is tho only party in the State
that has any real principles, any prac-
teal proposition that affects the dailv
life, habits, and interests Of the people
Of Utah in the most vital manner,
1t is true that If the Republican
party or the Democratic party were
real actually holding to their princi-
pies and being guided by them. there
would be interests Of some value Mt.
tached to the triumph OF one or the
other; but as it is, both are mere pup
pets, being guided from and by the
church interests, without any regard
whatever to the principles, standards,
or traditions OF either party.
The vital issue here is whether the
voters shall be free Americans, with
elections conducted and nolitical conven-
tions held without interference from
or control by any high ecclesiast;
whether the church agents shall be
prevented from roing to the delegates
and to the people and whispering to
them that certain things are to be done
because "thus sayeth the Lord" All
that villainy in politics is so utterly
pernicious, obnoxious, reprehensible,
and loathsome that the free voters of
Utah have become tired to death of it,
and are determined that it shall cease.
That and the determination that the
law shall bo enforced here impartially,
without fear or favor, and that the
Statehood pledges shall be redeemed at
par, is the guiding note and policy Of
the American party. And no one not
enthrallcd entirely in church complica-
tions can fail TO see that that is the
vital issue and to array himself under
the standard of Justice and right