The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-04
THE AMERICAN PROGRESS.

While the professedly independent
young statesmen of Utah arc doing
their denouncing Of Senator Smoot IN
Democratic conventions, and while
in the Republican ranks there arc
found occasionally men like Harrington
who will speak out against the ecclesi-
astical domination in politics, aud will
endeavor TO lead their party TO the
heights of security and peace. and
while there are organizations such as
those which was begun here aud on
trusted to nice little committee OF Gf
teen TO formulate methods to oblitcrate
machine rule from Republican poll
tics In this State, il must be confessed
that the Smoot grip upon both parties
has not been in any way perceptibly
shaken.
Yet 1T rs encouraging TO see these
young men take hold and do what they
can. Even if what they can do is moth
ing more than to deliver an impas.
stoned speech or an indignant denuncin-
tion, 1T shows that there is progress in
politics in this State, and that ia time
there may be hope that within tho ranks
of the so.called parties we shall finally
have some independence of spirit and
an eventual shaking free from the
church clutches.
But what has made all this possiblel
How does 1T happen that a committee
of fifteen to oppose the Smoot machine
can be seriously appointed IN Salt Lake
City! How does it happen that Demo
cratic conventions will seem to de-
nounce the church control without, 10
fact, saying anything about the church
or the Smoot control of the Democratic
party'
The answer is very plain: The Amer
lean party has brought this liberty to
Utah, even small as it is. When the
American party was organized, no one
10 either of the old parties would have
dared Tor one moment TO stand up and
even with the breath Of his mouth op.
pose the church machine and ecclesi-
astical domination in politics. True, the
Democrats did that eleven years ago,
but the hope Of church favor closed
their mouths from that time onward,
and the Democrats were RS completely
subservieut to the church power as were
the Republicans.
When the famous protest was
formulated against Joseph T. Smith g
appalling declaration that the Gentiles
here knew OF his lawless mode of life
and condoned his living in defiance OF
the laws Of God and man, there was a
timidity about seconding that move
ment that was so disgusting to inde.
pendent voters that their rage scarcely
knew bounds; all through this city
there was shrinking from any contact
with that protest; business houses re.
fused TO let IT be on their counters or
their show cases so that their custom
ers might sign, for they bad fear OF
church boycott. Now multitudes OF
those very business men are open adhe-
rents Of the American party. doing
what they can, nobly and in deep
earnest, TO redeem Utah from the depths
of political degradation into which she
has been plunged BY the autocrstic
church dominance.
All this, together with the open op-
position BOTH by Democrats and by
Republicans against the church ma.
chine, and against ecclesiastical con.
trol mark 4 splendid advance in Utah.
That this advance is due wholly TO the
progress Of American sentiment as crys-
tallzed in and about the American
party, cannot for one moment be doubt
ed. 1t is Americsnism that has done
it; il is American party progress that
has brought this healing to the State.
and which proposes to heal entirely the
dark scourge of political leprosy that
has permeated to the very bones of the
body polite. Americanism is the anti
doto to all that political disease, and
Americanism is the cure that viii be
radically and constantly applied until
there is a thorough and effectual cure.