The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-14
IN THE LIONS SKIN.

| This is quite In accord with the aWaz-
ing nsoence which has been mani
| tested from time TO time by the Smoot
politlco- ecclesiastical ptotters.
| For number OF years IL has been the
evident purpose of the managers OF
| that machine In make the Republican
party practically the successor of the
old Peoples party, which was the eN-
ponent of church politics In Utah prior
to the division of party lines, so called.
| That is TO say, they would dress
the ass I'm the lions skin. Since
| that division the church leaders. az
ter President Woodruff died. have per-
sistcntIy and effectively worked to-
ward that purpose, 1t began gropinely
during the presidency OF Lorenzo Snow.
| finally eliminating in the dominance OF
| President Joseph f Smith, whose cvi
dent purpose II has been 10 control both
| political parties. In this he has met
! with a success that is revolving to the
real politicians of every shade OF opin-
| ion.
1t is an anomaly In tho United states
| to find an entrenched power back OF
both parties and able to control both or
| each at will The history OF the re-
verses or one party and another In
Utah viii fully attest how successful
the hierarchic control of both has been.
not only to the awarding of victory to
one or TO the other at the pleasure of
the leaders, but TO smothering any
complaint that the defeated party
might be disposed to make.
But In the few years past while an
occa sional cuff would be administered
to one party or the other. there has
been a tendency to make the Republi-
can party the church party. and to
have 1t replace the old Peoples party
in Utah; and not alone in Utah. either,
but in Idaho and pretty much every
where except In Arizona where the
church has consistently boosted the
Democratic party.
1t makes no real difference to the
church leaders what any party calls
itself or what they call any party. The
only thing that they are interested In
is that the party To which they give
their support shall carry out their die
tates
To such degrading depths has this
dictatoria policy reduced the politi-
clans of Utah. that there has been q
marvellous weakness of spine among
them, q disposition to fawn and truCkle
that has been absolutely sickening to
any upright American. Any man who
wished to stand and walk and not
crawl has been bludgeoned by that dis
reputable control until the conditions
became absolutely unbearablc; and tho
American party was organized simply
because IL had to be organized in order
TO give an opportunity for the express
sions OF any real American political
sentiment Both the old parties were
absolutely debauched. their unlawful
cohabitations with the church had
thoroughly demoralized every practical
principle of uprIghtness. Of integrity,
Of decency.
And now, shameless at the last. as
arbitrary and indecent at the first.
these groveling tools OF an unprincipled
hierarch have the unbrdled effrontory
to come forward and undertake to
make Smootism n National issue of the
Republican party; OF that party which
declared in It's first vigorous platform
and has never reversed II, that the con-
ditlons which these hierarchs under
take to establish and maintain in Utah
is a twin relic of barbarism. coupled
with slavery.
ipt nllbI y,
tnue as they seem to be tending at this
time that this vicious control this an
anchronism in civil government, this
outrage on American institutions. this
blot upon political methods, will be
made a direct issue in national politics
! two years hence but no party will dare
for one moment to take the Smoot side
OF that question. The most that the
Smootites can possibly hope TO do
would be to suppress in the Republican
national platform of 1908 all reference
to their Indecent politics. their out
RACES committed upon the American
public, and their defiant declaration
that they will obey neither the laws of
God nor of man.
The Americans of Utah will look for
ward with the keenest interest to the
national convention Of 1908, to see what
| success will attend the efforts on the
one hand of the reactionaries and on
the other Of the American patriots to
place both national parties on record on
this evil question. which is so threaten
ing to the peace and the liberty OF the
people of the whole mountain region:
and the American people OF Utah will
look forward to the outcome OF that
struggle with the utmost faith in the
triumph of American institutions and
of American principles.
cEEK1MC HnMcTARn nI1AppE1c