The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-10
THE PR1EsTHooD's POLITICS,

The Deseret News comes out IN
heated denial of our statement that
"party names and principles count
for nothing in Utah. But we have
abundantly demonstrated the truth OF
this. and the demonstration is easy at
any time. There is large controlled
vote al the command Of the Mormon
leaders here which is swayed from one
marty to another at the will of the lend
ers. and the effect Of the exercise of
that SWAY is manifest when the election
returns come IN,
Thus, at the election of 1901 Ezra
Thompson was elected Mayor OF this
city on the Republican ticket, by some
thing over 1900 majority. In 1913,
when Morris, Mormon, was running
against Knox, a Gentle, Morris being
the Democratic candidate, this Repub-
licau plurality was wiped out and
plurality of upwards of 2200 for Nor.
ris, the Democratic candidate, was sub
stituted, The change IN the vote, as
we have shown by analysis and by quot
ing the returns by wards and election
districts, was made almost entirely IN
the heavy Mormon wards and election
districts. Again. in 1904 when 1T was
desired TO impress the Republican ad-
ministration with the firm Republican
ism of the Mormon people so that Pres
ideut Roosevelt would exercise his in
fluence in the retention of Apostle
Smoot in the Senate, the Republican
vote Of the city was made l5,22o, and
The Democratic vote 57lI; that is, the
Republican party had plurality OF
94oS in Salt Lake City alone: but the
very next year at the municipal election
of 1905, the Republican candidate for
Mayor received but 1870 votes; while
the Democratic candidate received
1880; being q Democratic excess over
the Republican vote OF 2s60. Here is a
change in the one year between 1904 and
1905. of l2,26s plurality in this city.
In view of these figures it is rather
amusing to see the Deseret News come
out at this late day and say that the
majority of the citizens here (mcaning
the Mormon votcrs) care true and loyal
TO the party of their choice. The
figures prove that nothing of the kind
is true.
The declaration of Chairman Spry Of
the Republican State committee IN the
campaign of 1904, which was abundant
" verified by the election returns also,
was based upon the assumption that
there was no feslty to party among the
Mormon voters, His triumphant claim
was that for every Republican who
went to the American party they would
get four Mormon Democrats to vote the
Republican ticket. The returns abund-
antly verified this triumphant prophecy
and the fact of the shifting Of Nor
mon votes by wholesale first to one
party and then TO the other at the will
of the leaders of the Mormon church
is too well verified and has been too
often seen TO admit of the least doubt
! 1t is quite impossible TO account foI
the tremendous ebb and flow of The
vote from one party and another in Utah
politics (this cbb and flow being traced
| TO Mormon districts) except by the
hypothesis which is abundantly verified
also by daily observation, that the Nor
mon leaders have a very large proper
| tion of their total vote under absolute
control, to be cast for one party OF
! the other at the advice. counsel ol
will of the church authorities, without
any regard whatever to party prlnci
pies or party name.