The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-12
RELIGION AND POLITICS.
Judge Tells Why American Party Is
Strong.

Judge Tells Why American Party |,
Strong.
May &c, 1906. Hon. George Sutherland
United States Senator, Washington, d
{. Dear SenatOr-Friends of w. d. Liv-
1ngston have asked me to write you iI
regard TO his candidacy for the office OF
United States district attorney They
base his claim for recognition on the
following grounds: First, that he is an
able lawyer, we'll qualified for the Of
flee, is and always has been a consistent
and loyal Republican and one who has
never 'bolted his party, and, second, that
he sacrificed himself and suffered huml-
iating defeat when candidate for the
office OF district judge solely in the inter
est of those who now have at their dis
pOsal the federal patronage of this state.
including the0office in question. and that
there was an implied. if not express I'M
Outstanding between Mr.. Livingston and
those with whom he formed the alliance
which resulted in his political defeat and
downfall, that he would be taken
care of
His friends insist that, according to
every principle of justice and fair deal
ing, to say nothing of the ante-election
only to party recognition but to special
consideration al the hands of the men,
beers of the Utah congressional delegation,
and to have his application for the office
Rejected Because of Religion.
1t is reported that you have gone on
record as being opposed to the appoint
ment OF Mr. Livingston to the office men,
toned because he is a Mormon, that
there must be an equal division of the
federal offices in Utah between the Nor
mons and Gentiles.' and that according
to the division decided upon by yourself
and colleagues. the office of United States
district attorney must go to a Gentle
(See enclosed clipping, Salt Lake Herald,
MAY "a. 1860
In regard to the second ground upon
which the friends of Mr.. Livingston base
his claims for recognition in this matter,
namely, the alliance he made prior to the
last state election with certain gentlemen,
which, his friends claim. proved his I'M
doing politically in this state to saw MOTH
ing of the ruinous effect his defeat had on
his business and his standing as an at
torney-at-law, l have nothing to say.
'If, however, Mr.. Livingston, who
is in every respect we'll qualified for
the office, is to be turned down be-
cause he is Mormon, not only de,
sire to protest against this uncaIIed.
for discrimination, but, as a Repub-
lican and as an American citizen
who is as deeply interested in the
future welfare and upbuiIding of this
state as any person within it's bor-
ders or elsewhere, denounce it as
un-American and contrary to the ba-
sic principles upon which the gov
eminent itself is founded and upon
the perpetuity of which depends its
continued grandeur If not its very
existence.
mot only is the test or policy
which is thus adopted by the Utah
congressional delegation in determin-
ing the fitness and qualification of
men for public office opposed to every
principle upon which our political
system is founded, but is in direct
and fragrant violation of section 4,
article I, of the constitution of this
state, which, so far as material to
this question, provides: mo religious
test shall be required as a quaIifica.-
ticn for any office of public trust;
and, again: There shall be no union
of church and state
Violation of Oath.
Now, senator, am unable TO conceive
how IL is possible, without violating both |
the spirit and the letter of the foregoing |
provisions of the state constitution. for |
You to say to one set or class of citi- |
zens of this state that they are ineligi- |
bic TO hold certain public offices because |
they ere not members Of the Mormon |
churCh-that is, the Mormon religion is |
an 4ss, indispensable qualification for those |
ofnces-and on the other hand, say to /
another class of citizens that because they |
happen TO be members of the Mormon |
church they are necessarily disqualified |
rom hololnS other offices of public trust.
You may answer that the federal con-
stitution ard statutes define and fix the
of federal office holders.
and that the provisions of the state con-
stltutlon referred to do not control. 1
coneede this, but, nevertheless, if this OBJ
noXlous rule is to control in the appoint
ments TO federal office in this state, it
must, of necessity, govern in the selec-
ton of candidates for state offices.
The rank and file of the Mormon neo-
pie. with possibly a few exceptions, are
bitterly and unalterably opposed TO their
church being continually made a factor
IN politics; but II the rule that appears
TO nave been adopted by those in con- |
troll of the Republican organization of
this state is to be followed il will place
the Mormon church in the attitude of
being an important if not a controlling
factor in the politics of this common
wealth.
"This is nothing more nor less than
the union of church and state. And
this union of church and state in
Utah is the only Justification the
party has for its existence,
and by thus making Mormonism an
Indispensable qualifications for one
set of officers and disqualification