The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-26
SHEER AT A1IATEURS.

This is a fault any amateur celebrating
| body. without proper leadership. Is likely
! 10 commit Where was the mys-
! terious influence?
The foregoing arc two segregated
sentences taken from an editorial in
the Descrct News. in which the sheet
! half heartedIy abuses the departed
| Legislative Assembly.
| Separated as they were by consid-
erable space Of words, the two sen
tences have yet a close relation, The
/ Assembly did not quite meet the views
Of the herarchs There were too many
independent men holding places as law
makers. In many respects the Federal
bunch, representing the president of
the Mormon church, were able TO carry
out his will; in many ether respects
they failed. Their occasional failure
accounts for the statement by the Des-
crct News that the Legislators were
amateurs and had no leadership. Ben
ner N Smith, Stephen Ii. Love. Sam
Park, George Lawrence, Albert u. Mil
Ter and many others are amateurs in
the view of the News, and not one OF
then-nor all of them togetber-could
be qualified for leadership because they
did not entirely submit themselves to
that mysterious influence II the
mysterious inhuencc-the rule of the
Mormon priests-had been constantly
admitted, the church organ would have
had no censure for the Legislative As.
sembly. Its members would have been
statesmen and patriots, and the leader
ship would have been wise as divinity.
The News asks the whereabouts of
the mysterious influence. 1t was there
all-wrong and quite too effective for
the public good, although not so effect
i've as the church leaders desired. 1t
was in the City and County bull ling
every time Marshal Spry went there.
1t was in the Governor Office every
time the Governor was there. 1t was
eEerted, or attempted, upon the in'li.
vidual Legislator every time the EXecu-
tive talked with him, aud every time
he was told what ''Tho Brcthrcnr
wanted.
The chagrIn of the Deseret News, anil
its sneers at the Legislative Assembly,
constitute the best possible sign that
Utah is being redeemed. 70 the prin
ciplcs enunciated by the American
party, aud to the warfare made in sup
port Of those principles, is admittedly
attributable the courage with which in
dividual Legislators combatcd the hie-
rarchical will. Even though the Amer
lean party had no members of the Leg
islature, yet the influence Of that party
was felt upon men who were striving TO
enfranchise their own partisan organi.
cations from the polygamuus and priest
lY rule, Prominent Republicans Of
Salt Lake have admitted the merit of
American principles, and have stated
it to be their hope that these prnci-
Piles would be engrafted upon the Re-
publican party. Their desire has been
effected just far enough to show the
value of those principles and to dem
onstratc the utter futility Of waging
battle for their triumph through any
party which is dictated from church
headquarters. The individual Lcgis
lator who is devoted to the work of re-
demption has asserted himself in some
instances, and has spared the State
from many bad laws, and has voted
for some good laws, in defiance of
priestly command. But in so doing he
has been read out of his party, and his
work at best has been largely non-cf-
fectivc; for the Governor of the State
stands ready to veto any measure
which does not have prophetic approv.
al. Carried TO the utmost, then, the ef-
ficacy of partisan Republican or
Democrat who adhercs TO American
principles, and yet holds TO his par
tisan organization, is negative. He
may refuse to vote for bad laws in the
Legislature, but he cannot prevent the
veto of the good laws.
The condemnation by the News of
tins Legislature proves that it has In
some respects been loyal TO the people.
and has in some respects asserted
American principles; and the partial
victory for the right thus gained is
only an emphatic proof of Republican
and Democratic partisan inability to
serve the people while communinp in
partisan way with church political ma
chimes.