The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-03
A UNITED DEMOCRACY.

BY this time it ought to be plain to
everybody that the Democrats of Utah,
Mormon and non-Mormon alike, will
stand by their colors to a man and fin
ish the fight they are making against
every effort to precipitate a religious
political war in the state. IF there had
been any question about it before the
speeches Of Judge W. H. King and
Judge o. w. Powers, and the recep-
ton accorded them, would have settled
the stability of the party beyond ques-
ton.
Judge King is a Mormon by convic-
ton. He has been reared in the faith
and believes in it devoutly. When his
religion is attacked he is as quick to
defend it as any member OF the church.
He is familiar with its. doctrines and
its history, and all his associations from
childhood have taught him TO hold its
tenets as sacred. And with his religious
convictions, the judge is outspoken in
his denunciatiOn of the men who would,
if they could. use their religion as a
cloak to secure political preferment
Firmly he believes that such an effort
is an insult to his church and a menace
to its integrity. Like all his Democratic
friends in the church. he deplores the
linking of religion and politics by men
interested only in the achievement Of a
personal ambition. And like a man
among men he points out the danger to
the church and state from such a
course.
To the casual observer, it may seem
an easy thing for a man of Judge
Kings standing and ability to take such
a position; but to those who know the
situation thoroughly his outspoken OPP
position is evidence of a fine moral
courage. 1t would be much easier for
him TO remain silent and let others take
upon themselves the burden of mis-
representation sure TO follow 1t
would be a simple matter for him to
follow with the current and discuss
only the commonplace issues of a cam
paign. Fortunately for the state and
for his party, Judge King believes it
his duty as church member and a
good citizen to speak out the convic-
ton that is in him, and the result has
been one of the ablest, fairest, most eff
fective attacks on the Republican sys-
tenn in this state that has been heard
In this campaign.
Nor has Judge King been alone in his
courage and devotion to principle. J.
H. Meyle, L. r. Martineau, Ashby
Snow. Mat Thomas and other Mormon
Democrats have been just as outspoken
and upright in their stand for fair
play and the elimination of religious
questions from politics. They repre-
sent the sentiment of the Democracy
exactly, bravely. and they are present.
Ing an array of arguments that must
go far toward convincing the people of
their faith that the Democratic party
offers the one hope Of a final and per-
manent solution of the problem that
confronts Utah.
With these able men as fellOw-work-
ers for a common cause, Judge Powers
presents with equal force the conviction
of those nOn-Mormon Democrats who
refuse to desert their party and make
pealing to prejudice against religion
for political purposes The judge was
one of the leaders OF the old Liberal
party and he fought hard for its cause.
But when he Joined in the movement to
dissolve the party and organize on ma
tionaI party lines, he did it i'm good
faith. When ne reconvened the Demo-
Gratis to protest against Republican
abuse of religious influence, the men
who now compose the American"
party made fun of him and called the
convention "grand-stand play"
From the organization Of the Demo-
cratic party he has consistently opposed
the Republican appeal for aid on re-
Iigious grounds. but he has just as con-
sistently refused to be cajoled or
coerced into joining a fight against any
church or any religion. He stands to-