The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-20
THAT BoAsTED ooLLUsIoN.

The American people will be 10th to
| credit the serious intimations conveyed
| In an editorial article republished in
The Tribune this morning from the
Northwestern Christian Advocate,
which in turn quoted from the Pitts
burg Christian Advocate, under the
| title. The Case of Reed Smoot."
And Yet the suspicion is not an un-
natural one, for the Mormon hierarchy
have assiduously cultivated the idea
that they are the especial friends Of
President Roosevelt and the national
Republican party, and that Apostle
Reed Smoot is the chosen protege OF
the Chief Executive. 1t has been cur
rently whispered in Mormon circles for
some time that there has been con-
tinuous bargaining with the political
forces of the United States In order to
protect the polygamous practices and
the interference with affairs Of State,
by the prophets. secrs. and revelators.
\ few of the circumstances which are
related With much eclat by the ennis
saries of the church TO keep their peo-
pie composed In the face Of the aroused
sentiment OF the country are worthy
of note as showing upon what grounds
(false grounds, no doubt) such Ideas
as those expressed by the Christian
Advocates are based: Five years ago.
when there was danger of constitu-
81 ha
olusion of President Brigham II. Rob-
crts from the House of Representatives
because he was n polygamisD the
usual lobby was sent by the Mormon
hierarchy to Washington to pledge po-
liucel support for the party in power,
provided the effort to replace the po-
lysamy OF the Mormon church under
Federal control should be abandoned.
Greatly exaggerated statements were
made concerning the number of voters
controlled by the Mormon church in
the intermountain country and on the
Pacific coast For instance, Gen.
James S Clarkson had derived the
idea from Col, Trumbo, Bishop Claw
son, Apostle John Henry Smith and
others that In nine States out Of the
Union the Mormon voters held the
balance Of power. Iowa even (because
of the presence there of the so-called
Josephites) was in the list. The plea
OF the lobby was for the time being ef-
fective. In 1900 every effort was made
by the church leaders TO fulfill their
secret understanding in politics, And
now the hamboyant use of President
Roosevelt's name from the pulpIts Of
the Mormon tabernacles demonstrates
the bold pretense OF the hierarchy that
they have formed a collusion with him
by which he Will use the power of his
high office to protect Apostle Smoot In
the Senate, and to withstand any ef-
fort for constitutional amendment
Quite recently the appointment of Will
liam Spry. a known devotee. of the
hierarchy. as United States Marshal
for Utah, has been used through the
church whisper as a final proof of the
friendly cooperation of President
Roosevelt
uSse die SOluc Oh the causes Tor
the suspicion; and yet, like many
other apparent cases. when carefully
scrutinized, this shows a fatal defect.
President Roosevelt is devoted TO all
the high ideals of American life, His
character, therefore. is of itself the
strongest kind of disproof of any claim
which can be made by the hierarchy
that he fayors their protection from
just condemnation and punishment.
And, In all his public utterances, there
Is not one scintilln OF comfort for the
proponents OF this cause The boast
Ing has all been on the part of the
Mormon preachers. They have taught
their people, by sly innuendo and cum
ming compliments. that President
Roosevelt is a friend of the hierarchy:
but President Roosevelt himself has
never said anything in public nor
printed anything which supports that
absurd claim.
With all due respect to the two
Christian Advocates. we prefer to be-
lieye that there is no more sturdy op-
ponent of the practice of the Mormon
church hierarchy than Theodore
Roosevelt. President OF the United