The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-18
CHURCH CONTROL CONFESSED.

The brethren who are III control OF
the church political quorums should get
together and not cut the ground from
each others feet when they speak
about the action of the church III poll
tics and IN other trespasses. The Deseret
News has (as we all know falsely
continually insisted that there has been
no interference by the heads of the
church in politics or in any way IN
the direction of political affairs. Apos'
tie Smoot, however, in his organ in
this city, admits explicitly that the
church has intcrfered In politics, but
claims that this interference was
against the judgment and the will OF
Apostle Joseph +, Smith when it was
done Speaking of this matter he
says that
Joseph r Smith. through all his life of
official activity in HE church, was opposed
10 interfering in politics. When 1t was done
by the former presidency 1t was over his
protest When he became the chief authority
OF that organization. interference by tho
Mormon church ceased absolutely, as it
should cease. It has never been exercised
since.
There could be no squarcr admission
than this that the church and that the
former presidency Of the church has IN
terfcred in politics; aud further, that
that interference was maintaiped up TO
the time that Joseph +. Smith became
president of the church. For, as Apos
tie Smoot says, through his mouthpiece,
it was 'Fwhen be became the chief au.
thority of that orgs ni1atiop that sin.
reference by the Mormon church
ceased absolutely, as it should cease. -
In this Apostle Smoot is committed
radically aud absolutely to the propo'
sition that the Mormon church prcsi.
dency has interfered in politics; that
it continued to interfere up to the time
that Joseph F. Smith became president
Of the church. These two propositions
are clearly admitted. The claim is
made, however, that since he became
president that interference has alto.
gether ceased.
Whether this claim thst the inter
ference ceased when he became presi-
dent is TO be taken in the same Pick
wiokian sense that the News has always
denied any interference by the first
presidency at any time, is question
TO be considered. In view OF the cleo.
tions OF recent years 10 this city it
would hardly do to claim that Joseph
+. Smith has his skirts clear cf this
sort Of interference and unwarranted
control of politics. It will he remem-
bered that the Mormon church, as
shown by the returns from the strong
Mormon election districts IN this city,
made change of over three thousand
votes, ignoring politics, as between the
municipal election Of 1901 and that Of
1908. That is TO say, whereas Mayor
Thompson, Republican, was elected in
1901 ty 2 majority of over twelve hun.
dred votes, two years later Richard
Morris, Democrat. was elected
Mayor by over two thousand majority.
The change was made, ss stated, In
the great Mormon ward, the Third, and
In other strong Mormon election dis
tricts which were grouped. and the re
turns compared, in The Tribune the sec
puU udN dli'T Nut tlfNllOn
of 1903:
There can be no escape from The con
clusion that this change OF result was
made by reason Of the interference of
the church leaders, and under their
direction. Similarly, in the city cleo
tion Of 1905 the church leaders under
took to control the election here. Apos
tie Smoot was on the ground during
election day, riding around to the polls
and overseeing the matter himself, His
preference was for the election of Mr..
Lynch, Republican" to be Mayor;
that was the keynote sounded at the
Sunday night meetings Just prior to
election day, and the little leaflet Of
the Improvement association was de.
voted very thoroughly to the cause of