The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-01
A NATIONAL ISSUE.

A late issue of The Houston (Texas)
Post contains a thoughtful editorial
article under the tide, Dangers OF
Mormonism, in which is reviewed the
political relation of the church HE
rarchy and Smootism to the institutions
Of the United States. The Post con-
cludes with the following sentences:
II Smoot Is permitted to serve out his
term, AlormoniSm in its political aspects
will become q peruicious force and will give
the country considerable trouble in the fu,
ture. II tho Republican majority in the
Senate fails to do its duty. however, II will
hear from the people Of other States who
do not intend Tint Mormonism shall become
a political force in this country.
That is an indication that the Nor
mon question may become National
issue at an early time; and if so, the
Mormon church has everything TO lose
and nothing to gain in the contest, and
the same may truthfuly be said of any
political ally which may array itself
on the side of the church or may seek
directly or indirectly to protect the
church from public Judgment in this
country.
Smoot has sought to guard his seat
in the Senate by the argument that he
controls tho preponderence Of votes or
the balance Of power in six States of
the Union, and that his political favor
is too valuable to 30 lost to the party
in power. His claim is an exaggera-
ton, although it might be fulfilled in
the early future If leading politicians
Of the country were to continue to up
hold Smootism in the hope of making
that offense against tho Nation a per-
manent ally Of the party now in power.
But the forthcoming election is likely
TO open the eyes Of those gentlemen
Of the East who have been misled by
Smoot's arrogant assumption of iuflu-
ence throughout the intermountain
country and on tho Pacific coast; and
it is not improbable that they will cast
Off Smootism and all afiliation with
the Mormon hierarchy before the next
Presidential election; if motif they
persist in protecting crime for the sake
Of the dangerous help that Smoot can
e1tend-the Houston Post is right, and
the issue will become National in it's
character.
OF all the fraudulent, fictitious,
treacherous combinations in politics
that ever disgraced the country aud
ruined party, the conjunction with
the hierarchy of tho Mormon church is
the worst, They seem to deliberately
hunt out their "friends' for sacri-
fce, No sooner have they used a party
to. their own ends than they seek to
make alliance with The other party in
preparation for its ascendancy. The
method is so easy and yet SO offensive
that it is a matter for wonderment
that politicians do not detect it and
become disgusted bv 1t. While alliance
with the Republican party seems to be
desirable to the hierarcbs one would
think that all of the hierarchs were
born and bred Republicans-nearly all
those who are in politics evidently be-
ing professors OF that political faith.
Ask one of the hierarchs of today what
is his party. If no be a Republican he
will boast of the fact and say that de.
spite his ecclesiastical station he feels
that he has his individual right of pref
erence and that he votes the Republi-
can ticket If, on the contrary, he be