The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-13
IdahO's Church Candidate for
Congress Utterly Fails in
Weiser Speech.
FACES COLD AUDIENCE
FOR TWO LONG HOURS
Effort to Ridicuie the Mormon
Issue and Dubois Falls Flat
on His Hearers.
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
WEISER. Oct l2.-The reception
rendered Congressman Burton l.;
French In this city would have chilled
one far more versed In the vagarles
OF politics than the champion OF Nor
monism who misrepresents this State
in the halls o9 Congress. Had tons OF
ice cold water been thrown over the
audience that gathered at the opera
house to hear how the gentleman was
going to "make good " his position on
the Mormon question, it could not
have been more chilly. Much as the
gentleman tried with his schoolboy elo-
ouence 20 draw forth few rounds OF
applause, it utterly failed. Even when
he spoke for twenty minutes about a
visit he paid TO Mount Vernon, the
home of Washington, and the many
wonderful impressions he had while
there II fell on deaf ears. The vociter-
ous and deafening applause that he had
depended upon was not Forthcoming,
and BERTHE began to realize that his
wonderful talk against time was unap-
preciated by the audience,
Mr. French talked FOR nearly two
hours, ard during that entire time he
never mentioned the name of Gooding
or Borah, or referred TO them In any
have Congressman French reelected,
even az the cost of throwing down his
colleagues, and as he had gagged the
feelings OF the Republicans of Weiser
during his stay in the city before the
meeting, he knew that 1t would not
do for him to mention either the name
OF wouldbe Governor or Senator, and
he kept clear of the shoals. 1t is
stated that a well known Democratic
fr:ar1 ,nfnrpnal etrn rhar WochIn
county Republicans al favored Nor
rison, and that FOR his own good he
had better let Gooding and Borah rest
IN oblivion, and the result showed that
be followed the ''hunch" given by his
Democratic friend. The only candi-
date mentioned by him in his discourse
was Miss Chamberlain, candidate for
State School Superintendent, and he
would not have mentioned her only for
the fact that she sat on the stage with
him.
Republicans Disguised.
Republicans who went to the meeting
expecting TO hear the issues discussed
in an intelligent manner went away
disgusted. The only reference TO the
Mormon question made by the speaker
was to; attempt TO ridieule Senator
Dubois for claiming that there IS such
an issue before the people OF the State.
4 prominent Republican, a man who
held an Office under the Morrison ad
ninistration, told the, writer today that
the only time ne applauded the speaker
was when he stated that be was about
10 close his speech.
Mr.. French stated that he had been
misquoted IN his testimony before the
Smoot investigation committee, but
failed to state what he did say. He
did not deny that he stated under oath
that if he SHOULD complain of Nor
mon who Is living IN polygamy that it
would be resented bv the Mormons and
that it would destroy him politically,
and that be had been reliably informed
by a reputable physician of Bear Lake
county that there had been births N
polygamous families since 1890 IN that
county; neither did he state in his ad-
dress that he had never read the am
nesty proclamation issued by President
Harrison in January, 1898, although he
stated al the investiga ZION that he had
not read it, a sad admission from man
representing great State in the halls
or Congress TO admit ignorance on a
subject OF such great Importance TO the
State he represents But the greatest
admission of all, and the one that
should brand him forever In the eyes
of all good men and women is that
the people OF Idaho do not care sufi.
S1N.t!J ocCuL VIC t-idIbFi D- blDSS WHO
are living in polvgamy to care whether
they are prosecuted or not.
American Sentiment Grows.
The Boise Statesman and other sub
sidized Mormon sheets continue TO harp
on the American party tickets that are
put In the field IN Ada, Bannock and
Bingham counties. To one VINO is I'M
acquainted with their tactics of misrep,
resentation, it would look as though the
ticket is condemned by every Democrat
IN those counties, when, as a matter
of fact, they heartily indorse it, but
three or four soreheads in each county,
who have not been in accord with the
party for several years, being opposed
TO il. Tbs fact is that the Statesman
and its Mormon allies see that there
is trouble ahead 70, their masters in
the nomination of these tickets and are
endeavoring 10 discount them without
regard for the truth.
The Republican party in Idaho is get
ting IN desperate straits for something
10 talk about, although the Statesman
continues to tell the people in doleful
strains that unless they elect Goodug,
Governor, anarchy win reign in the
Stats, and they will ail be murdered