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

NOHDt tudL the hierarchy at the nedQ OF
the Mormon church has for years past
formed a perfect union between the Nor
mon church and the state of Utah, and
that the church through its head dom
mates the affairs Of the state in things
both great and small. Even before state
hood was an accomplished fact, and
while the state was IN process Of form
alton, and afterwards, during the ses-
sions of the first and succeeding legis-
latures. 1t was notorious that a commit
tee appointed by the leaders Of the Nor
mon church was supervising the legisla-
ton Of the state.
At about the same time, or shortly
prior thereto, ii became known through
out Utah that the leading officials OF the
Mormon church desired that the voters
belonging 10 that church should so d.
vide on political lines that about one
half should belong to one of the great
political parties Of the nation and the
other half to the other party, leaving
considerable number unassigned to either
party. so that their votes could be cast
for one party or the other, as might be
necessary TO further the interests of thai
church
1t is, of course, intended by the lead
ers Of the church that this influence
shall be secretly exerted. and this is in
many cases, if not in most cases, easily
accomplished by means Of the perfect
machinery Of the church, which has been
adVerted to, by which the viii Of the
first presidency and twelve apostles is
transmitted through ecclesiastical chan
nels, talked over in prayer circles of the
high councils Of the church. and then
promulgated to the members Of the
church as the will of the Lord" Not
WithStanding this attempt at secrecy, il
has for many years been a matter of
common knowledge among the people Of
those states in which the Mormon
church is strongest that political infIu-
enCe is being continually exerted in the
matter Of state and lower municipal Of
fcialS- As was said by one of the wit
nesses who testified on the investiga-
ton: Whenever they indOrse a man, he
will be elected. Whenever they put upon
him the seal Of their diSapprObatiOn, he
will not be-
1t was shown in the investigation that
in the state of Idaho candidates for OF
flee, in order 10 have any hope of sue
cess, must visit Salt Lake City and ar
range for such success with the leaders
of the Mormon church. The result of this
is that whatever the Mormon church de-
SheS to have done, either by way Of leg
islatiOn or in the way Of administration
whatever the Mormon church desires
shall not be done, is not done. So we'll
recognized IS this fact that in a state
convention held in Idaho in the year 1904
one Of the leading MOrmOns made the
proposition that in case a certain resOlu-
ton should be withdrawn he would go to
Utah and ask the president Of the Nor
mon church to cease interfering IN Idaho
politics. Thus it appears that the Nor
mon church dominates the affairs of the
state Of Idaho to an extent only less than
il does the affairs of the state Of Utah.
As an illustration Of this fact, ii was
shown that a bill in which the Mormon
church was vitality interested was passed
by the legislature of Idaho shortly af-
ter the visit of one of the apostles of the
Mormon church, who came there for the
purpose Of procuring such legislation.
striking illustration Of the power of
the Mormon church in Utah in matters
of legislation appears in the history of
what is known the Evans BILL
which was passed by both houses of the
legislature Of Utah in 1901. in order to
prevent prosecutions for pOlygamOus CO.
habitatiOn. This bill was favored by the
president Of the Mormon church and by
d majority Of the apostles and was pass
ed by a Mormon legislature. 1t was We
tOcd by Mormon governor, the prlnCI-
pal reason for the veto being that the at
tempted legislation would bring about an
amendment 10 the constitution of the
United States under which those guilty
Of the crime of pOlygamOus COhabitatiOn
would be prosecuted and punished in tn
federal courts.
Perhaps one Of the most instructive in
stances of the exercise of the power of
the Mormon church in political affairs
was in the matter referred to in the pro-
test the case Of Moses Thatcher In
that case the testimony taken before the
committee leaves no doubt that not far
from the time when the leaders Of the
Mormon church required their followers
to divide between the two parties, il was
ordered by the Mormon leaders that
those officials of the church who desired
to engage in politics in behalf Of one Of
the political parties should go out and
influence the people of the Mormon
church in favor of that party. while
those who were Of the contrary opinion
should remain at home and not attempt
to influence the members Of that church
TO adopt their way of thinking Mr.
Thatcher saw fit TO diSObey this ediCt
and not only to become a candidate for
the United States senate. but to go out
among the people and endeaVOT to win
converts to the party of which he was a
member For this Offense against the
political diCtatiOn Of the first presidency
and twelve apostles, Mr.. Thatcher was
depOsed from his position as an apostle
deprived Of all his offices I'm the Mormon
church denied the privileges which are
accorded to every Mormon in good
standing. and the whole influence of the
leaders of the Mormon church was nut
forth to compass his defeat.
AS was we'll said by Mr.. Thatcher at
the time of this occurrence, this action
on the part Of the ruling authorities of
the church transformed the Mormon
the steering apparatus OF which was in
the hands Of the twelve or fifteen men
at the head All this occurred because
Mr.. Thatcher refused TO take counsel
that is, to follow the dictates Of the
Mormon church as to who should be
come candidates for office and who
should not become such
Specific directions given by the heads
Of the Mormon church to those under
them seem to have varied according to
circumstances. Several years ago. and
before the admission Of Utah into the
union as a state. it would appear that
the apostles of the Mormon church would
convey to the members of that church
instructions concerning their political
action openly and in public addresses
The people would be told from the pull
pits Of the Mormon church what ticket
they ought to support.
As late as 1892 a bishop of the Nor
mon church called together a number OF
the members Of that church who be-
longed to a party opposing the party of
the bishop, and told those whom he had
thus called together that he had received
a message from the first presidency to
the effect that the candidate of the party
= --::---=.==.ss=--===---=--.-=--==--====