The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-25
PEAL COURAGE,

REAL COURAGE.
Those Republicans who think no Nor
mon Democrat is sincere are commend
ed 10 the utterances Of Ashby Snow
Democratic candidate for county sttor-
ney' in his speech at Murray on Tues
day evening. AS they read, they ought
TO recall the fact that Mr. Snow is a
sincere and devoted member of the
church, the son OF one of it's greatest
apostles, Erastus Snow, and that his
whole life is evidence that he Is not
only sincere, but coura geous. Address
ing himself largely 10 the attitude of
the Republican leaders who have asked
party support on religious grounds, Mr..
Snow said:
For the last ten years in this state
We have not been able to discuss poll
teal questions. You know the reason
why. You know the Democrats have
been determined that our citizens
should vote as citizens You know they
have always stood for a separation of
church and state. You know the Demo-
cratic party has stood clean in this
aspect ever since it's organization in
.he state
We have never sought to convince
any citizen except through his honest
convictions. Now we are still appealing
10 you as citizens. Ii seems to me that
we don't fully appreciate our duty as
citizens. You should bring TO your poll
teal affairs the good Judgment your
Ioc
men going about with pretended au-
thority telling you that you must vote
this way or that way for the sake of
your church. They are seeking to
arouse religious prejudice
II say TO you, my friends. that l have
more respect for the thief, the footpad.
the robber, than 1 have for the man
that goes around trying to steal your
good judgment. He takes from you that
which. If exercised properly. is exer-
cised for the good of all. I don't be-
lieve that the welfare of my church
demands that you shall vote accord
ing to your religion or your preiu
dices. I don't believe the leaders of nv
church stand for such things. Over
their signatures time and again they
have said that their people are free TO
vote according to the dictates of their
individual consciences. hope and prav
that the time will quickly come when
you will spurn men who come TO vol,
pretending that they have authority
from the church leaders to tell you how
you shall vote"
Those are frank. outspoken words
from a man who believes what he saws
and says what he believes. They repre-
sent the beliefs, the convictions Of
very large proportion of the men of Mr..
Shows faith, many of them differing
from him politically. They have accept
ed in good faith the assurances of the
church leaders that no mans right 10
vote as he thinks shall be abridged. and
they resent deeply and bitterly the ef-
forts Of the Republicans to bring the
church into politics on behalf of the
Republican party. With other Mormons
and non-Morrnons he believes the well
fare OF the state depends upon the de-
feat of those men who for any cause
inject a religious issue into a political
campaign; and with them he regards II
a public duty to fight openly on that
line.
The test of any mans sincerity is
usually the motive shown to govern his
action. In the case OF Mr.. Snow and
Judge King and Mr.. Moyle, the test is
easily applied, and the result is to their
credit II would be much easier for
them to remain silent, and avoid the in
evitable abuse and attacks from inter-
ested partisans that were bound TO fol-
low their public course. AS the event
proved, they brought upon themselves
the charge of insincerity: and even if
the charge is made by men whose un-
worthy motives are known. IT is never
theless a proof Of their manhood that
they preferred 10 invite attack rather
than remain silent in the face of wat
they are convinced is a great public
wrong.
Such courage as theirs deserves the
loyal support of every Democrat of