The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-25
A WEAK DENIAL.

1t takes good deal of gall for the
bierarchie organs 10 deny that the &c.
cleasisstical activities OF the Mormon
church use the Republican or the
| Democratic party indifferently az suits
the priestly interests. 1t takes abnormal
stupidity for them TO deny that "the
form Of having two parties in the field
is simply TO blind the Gentiles,' or
any one else simple enough to he mis-
| led by mere form without substance.
| Nothing is better established than the
fact that the ecclesiastical rule here
| is supreme in political and civil al
fairs, and that the favor Of the hie-
| rarcby wins every time; the frowu al
ways means defeat.
Mr.. Knox, the Republican candidate
for Mayor in this city. was beanten by
church influence The returns from
tho Mormon election districts told the
tale, though the pretense was that
there was o revolt among the Gen
tile Republicans, a pretense so utterly
abortiye that we had no difficulty in
showing that in the very locality
where tins so.callcd revolt was hottest.
the discomfort did not affect above
fifty votes.
On the other hand, the Third ward,
the Mormon stronghold, lost a high
percentage of its Republican votes, so
that the majorities for the church
favorite mounted up by the hundreds;
and so in the other parts Of the city
where the Mormon vote was strong,
especially where it was the prevailing
vote In such districts the Republican
candidate was lost, even where he
ought to have had the right, from the
party standpoint( to rely on substan-
tial majorities. The church influence
was decisive against him throughout
the city.
But the next year the church politi-
clans made it up TO the Republican "
party, forcing Democrats under
church control to desert their party by
thousands not only in this city, but
throughout this State; 80 that there
was scarcely n grease-spot left of the
democratic purity.
In 1905, however, the pendulum
swung in this city toward the "Demo-
cratic" side of the pit, and highly
spectacular play was made. For some
hours after the opening Of the polls,
the attempt was mado TO force a show
ing for the Republican" candidate
for Mayor, but it was noteworthy that
the vote was light up till after noon,
and tho big guns Of tho local hierarchy
had not showed their hand. About one
o clock, the priestly manipulators for
the Republican party gave up;
their candidate for Mayor was beaten.
Then the strong hand Of the church
was put forth; workers" by the score
were sent out with the whisper" and
from that hour until the polls closed
those workers labored successfully
with their Republican" brethren to
desert their own candidate for Mayor,
and vote for the preferred "Demo.
cratic' candidate Of the hierarchy.
This labor was revealed in the election
returns, where 1t was shown that the
church whisperers and workers had
controlled about a thousand "FRepubli-
,ans,' making them vote for the
church Democratic candidate for
for him only, apparently
10 show just what they could do, and
TO have gauge whereby to measure
the controlled vote, and see TO what
,xtent, If any, the brethren and sisters
lad refused TO obey counsel in their
voting. So far as known, there was
10 disobedience.
In view OF this shifting, shifty rec
'rd, so recent as to be fresh In the
minds of all, it is marvellous, not TINT
he denial of church influence in poll
les and control of both parties should |
30 so weak, but that it should be made |
It all.