The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-06-12

to which the bishop belonged should be
elected to congress. In the same year
and at the same election the president of
the Mormon church took occasion to
write a letter TO the bishops Of his
church indOrsiug the candidacy Of a GER
tain gentleman for Representative IN
congress. In 1898 one Of the apostles OF
the Mormon church i'm A letter to one of
the first presidents of seventies virtually
advocated the election of certain candI-
date for seat in the United States SEN
ate.
In 1902 an apostle Of the Mormon
church went through one of the counties
Of Idaho. telling the Mormon voters that
it was the viii of the church that they
should vote q certain ticket.
In later years the method Of dOmind-
ton by the Mormon church in political
affairs has been, to a great extent, by
means of a rule requiring those Of any
prominence in the church to take COun-
sef' before becoming candidates for pub
lie office This virtually puts into the
hands of the Mormon priesthood the fill
ing Of the various offices in the state
If the church takes TO itself the right to
decide who shall be the candidates for
offices, there is no other choice left to
either candidates or people. Under this
rule Ine people can not vote for anyone
who il a prominent member Of the Nor
mon church unless the ruling authorities
of the church permit him to be a cand1-
date. This rule thereby becomes spec
les of political usUTpatiOn. striking at the
very foundations Of our government. Our
entire political system is based on the
theory that every cOter has the right to
vote for anyone he pleases. and that the
people have a right TO call upon whom
SOeVeT they viii to represent them and to
administer the affairs of the nation and
Of the commonwealth. But the rule which
has been promulgated and enforced by
the officials of the Mormon church pre-
cIudes any member Of that church from
serving the nation or the state unless he
has been designated for such service by
the hierarchy which governs said church.
This means that the state shall subsist
in all things in and through the 'COun-
sell of the church.
The pretext under which the leaders of
the Mormon church excuse their seleC-
ton of candidates for public office is
that IT is a rule of the church designed
to prevent high officials in the church
from becoming engaged in public affairs
to the neglect of their ecclesiastical
functions
This veil is too thin to conceal the real
motives and designs Of the Mormon
priesthood Were that the true reason
for the adoption of the rule. il would be
made to apply TO all the higher officials
Of the Mormon church under all circum-
stances and all would be prohibited from
becoming candidates for public offices.
And in such case the object of the rule
would be attained by requiring OF every
church officer who becomes d candidate
for public office that ne resign his
church office. and this without favor or
distinction
But the rule is not so framed or admin
istcred. Under this rule one may be
candidate for public office or may not
be according to the will Of the first
presidency and twelve apostles Of the
Mormon church. Under the rule, as II is
applied. one of the twelve apostles may
be elected to the senate las in the case
of Mr. SmOOD or he may be defeated (as
in the case of Mr. Thatcher. If one of
the higher officials of the Mormon
church becomes a candidate for public Of
flee he may retain his official station in
the church. as in the case of Mr.. SmOOt
of his office and deprived of his priVl-
Ieges in the church, ds happened to Mr.
Thatcher. these differing applications of
the rule depending wholly on the viii or
caprice of the first presidency and the
twelve apostles Under this rule Mr..
Roberts was defeated for the office Of
representative in congress and under the
rule he was afterwards elected to the
same office
But the domination Of the higher Of
ficiaIs in the Mormon church does not
cease with the selection by them of
candidate for public office. 1t is a fact
of no little importance in this case that
where the Mormon church is strong the
candidates favored by the ruling authori-
ties of that church are generally elect
ed.
The fact that Gentiles are sometimes
elected To office in preference to Nor
mons in localities where the MOrmOns
are in the asCendenCy does not tend to
prove the absence Of church influence.
1t is shown by the testimony that the
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