The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-28
TIMES HAVE CHANGED.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
Time works wonderful changes in a |
mans point OF view. and in none so
wonderful as the politicians. For in
stance, the American" organ pro- |
fcsses TO doubt the sincerity Of b. II. |
Roberts declaration for the separation
of church and state and the reaffirma- !
ton Of the articles of Democratic faith
i'm 1895. Now IT happens that in 1895
Mr. Roberts and his associates i'm the
Democratic party, i'm convention assem-
bed. made an open declaration against
this very thing and protested against
W hat they regarded as ecclesiastical in
reference IN political affairs. The
American organ at the time scoffed
at the declaration because it and its
friends were the chief beneficiaries of
the thing which Mr.. Roberts de-
nounced. The year before the same
organ by the same means succeeded
I'm utilizing the same forces for the
election OF Hon. Frank J. Cannon as
delegate to congress, and most naturally
it had nothing to say then against
church influence in politics. Mysteri-
ously enough, too, that same campaign
saw the most unique campaign docu-
ment ever circulated in Utah, publ
cation called Nuggets OF Truth" is
sued by the state Republican commit
tee. IL contained among other things
photographs Of the first presidency of
the Mormon church and the candidate
for congress: and just as mysteriously
il was circulated in all the Mormon
Sunday schools and meetings for Mr..
Cannon's benefit.
Later. with statehood. the same influ-
euces we're utilized in behalf of the
same man and against 3. II. Roberts
and Moses Thatcher. then Democratic
candidates. In every instance the pres
ent American" organ could see no
wrong I'm the system. and loudly pro-
claimed the fact In every one of these
Instances the "gumshoe" promoters and
'Whisperers' were encouraged by the
organ, while the Democrats. including
AIR. Roberts. were derided, and the ex-
ertion OF the ecclesiast- politicians was
applauded as a righteous act in behalf
of a most worthy cause.
As has been said, time brings
changes. and I'm no case has the change
been more remarkable than i'm the
American organ. Far be it from US
10 suggest that the whispering"
methods were ever right The Herald
and the Democracy of Utah have al
ways opposed the appearance of church
influence in political matters: but it
is a rule Of the law. political as well
as civil, that men who come into court
must show clean hands. And by that
rule the American" organ is barred,
OF should be, from ever questioning any
mans sincerity who opposes ecclesias-
teal interference I'm affairs political.
ID and its friends have been the chief
beneficiaries Of such influences in times
past; IL. and its friends, have been most
. active i'm inviting the exercise OF such
influences. 1t and it's friends had no
criticism TO offer on the subject until
81 and it's friends found some one else
had borrowed their system and adapted
IT for the benefit of Smoot and his
friends.
The truth is. and every voter in Utah
knows it, that the Americans" would
find themselves without leaders tomor-
row II they could compel the Smoot
following to assign their machine and
its accessory influences TO those Re
publicans who are now Americans"
As one observer has most aptly re-
marked. the organ is swinging. not a
club. but lasso; and if its moose could
enfold the powers that have backed
Smoot and aforetime published Mug
gets of Truth, there would be no
American" party and no american
organ.
The people Of Utah ought to be
firmly convinced by this time that the
one way, the only sure way. TO elimi-
nate church influence or ecclesiastical
influence from politics i'm Utah. is to
eliminate those men who have been its
beneficiaries. That can be done very
simply and effectively by electing a
Democratic ticket and destroying both
the Smoot machine and the "Ameri-
can" aggregation at the same time.
on general principles we doubt the
San Francisco story that the Nelson