The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-16
BOTH IN CHAINS.

and Democratic" quorums of the
Mormon church political body.
Just now there Is large assump-
tIon on the part OF the Democracy that.
with the decadence Of Smoot Republi-
canism, the Democracy can rise In
public esteem as political entity
There never was a more fallacious
proposition. Smootism is both Dem
ocratic'' and Republican or 1t Is
neither The Senatorial apostle was
elevated To his present political sta
tion because of the dominance OF
Smootlsm and Smithism within the
, Democratic ranks In this State Left
to themselves. the Republicans OF Utah
would not have elected Legislature
which. in It's turn, would have elected
Apostle Reed Smoot. But with the
cooperation OF the ecclesiastical Dem
ocracy OF Utah, Smootism became tri-
umphant.
Tho Democratic party OF this State
has no more of an independent exist
ence than tho so-callcd Republican
party; the very breath of life for each
OIL IneSt IIl1SIldIneu - ne
rarchlcal favor. Neither one has any
hope, nor recognizes any particular rea-
son. for existence except as the sun
light OF prophetic favor warns and
Strengthens the political expectation.
1t is true that the church "Republi-
can" quorum presents the more sorry
front of the two; because Smoot claims
to be Republican, and, naturally, the
general Judgment of condemnation
alights first upon the party with which
he Is nomnally allied But in reality the
So called Republican party is no more
his creature. and in the long measure
of things Will be no more his victim.
than the Democratic party Will be. The
hierarchs are encouraging the Democ-
racy because they are ready to admit
that under Smootism the o-called Re-
publican party is a wreck and they
need a political agency which can serve
their ends with the people. They love
neither one OF them much, but merely
love themselves more-these hierarchs.
II, by encouraging the Democracy this
year and carrying over q body of &c
clesiastical voters from Republican
hranks. they could attain their ends,
even Smoot himself would be a silent
partner TO the political crime But they
will only do this IN case the Democ-
racy shall yield itself absolutely 10
their purpose. All independence must
be sacrificed. and the Democracy must
be the slave of Smootism before II can
have any favor from Smootism and
Smithism. In gaining victory by such
means. 1t loses the victory For the
people Of Utah are not leaving the
party with which the majority OF them
were allied-the Republican party-to
escape Smootism; and then accepting
party less In accord with their purposes
the Democratic party-merely to serve
tton OF the Republican party, Smootism
will destroy Democracy.
The Mormon leaders are still stand
ing by their claim that they are a pc
culiar and distinct people. Their IA
vorite aphorism should be applied to
them in politics. Let them be q pc
culiar and distinct people, and let them
be separated from others who do not
claim such peculiarity-who are plain
American citizens. The natural d.
vision in Utah is between the hierarchs
of the church on the one side and all
other citizens on the other side. 1t
makes no difference whether the &C.
clesiasts call themselves Republicans
or Democrats their purpose is the
same. 1t should. therefore, make no
difference to citizens what their
former affiliation may have been in
politics, they should range themselves
in the party which opposes the uncon-
stitutional and the un- American subor-
dinatio7 Of the state to the church
No Republican or Democrat need