The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-04
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS, VIEWS.


In the symposium of opinions fur
nished The Herald by the leaders of
the Democratic party, there is ample
evidence that sentiment is unanimous
as to the ACCESSIBILITY of maintaining
the party organization and making d
straight party fight in the city cam
paign this fall. The talk of fusion
which originated outside the party finds
no response either among Democratic
leaders or the rank and file Of the par
ty; and the reasons for this are stated
succinctly by the men who discussed
the situation in Sundays Herald.
Mr.. Peery, the Utah member of the
national committee, shows the absurd
ity of the proposal as affecting the ap-
preaching national campaign; Mr.. Mar
tineau, state chairman, considers the
question as related to state politics;
and Mr.. Cunningham, chairman of the
city and county committee, leaves no
question as to his attitude toward any
talk of abandoning the city field. Judge
King, B. H. Roberts, Mr.. Moyle. John
Dern and Richard 2. Morris, all men
who are recognized as foremost in par
ty councils. take the same position.
Nearly every man who has considered
the situation recognizes the impossi-
bility of fusion. To join with either the
Republicans or Americans" would be
to invite a campaign on purely re-
ligious lines, and that is exactly what
the Democracy of Utah has fought
ever since the division on party princi-
pies. 1t is the thing that makes poll
tics in Utah obnoxious because the Re
publicans appeal to religious prejudices
on one side and the Americans" sp-
peal to religious hatred on the other.
Both obscure the real political issues,
and both are responsible for the tur-
of the state in unrest and fractional
warfare for three years.
In a sincere wish to secure peace and
restore political lines to a normal con-
dition. the Democratic party has op-
posed the use of ecclesiastical influ-
ence in political affairs just as earnest
~ as it has opposed the American"
party's ostracism of a large part Of the
citizens of the state for religious rea-
sons. In every campaign the Demo-
Gratis have pointed out the fact that the
one way to restore peace is to defeat
both factions Of the Republican party
and deprive them of the means of con-
tinuing their warfare against each
other. Defeat is the one way. the only
way, to wipe out the fued; and there
can be no real peace in this state until
both sides are convinced by defeat that
the people are tired of them and their
mes hods.
Quite as much TO continue the fight
for an honorable settlement Of the con-
troversy as for the maintenance of PAR
~ integrity, the Democrats of Salt
Lake and Utah are unanimous in their
determination to keep on fighting. 1t
is the custom of partisans to ridfoule
the idea that principles govern parties,
but the principles involved in this cam
paign involve the welfare Of the whole
community as well as the future Of
the Democracy.
The committee has decided to hold
an early convention. name its candi-
dates and go in for a clean, earnest,
aggressive campaign. There will be no
appeal to religious feeling, no personal
abuse, no extraneous issues. The ticket
itself viii be a pledge OF good city
administration. which is a vital issue;
the platform will be short and to the
point; the record Of the party in city
affairs will furnish argument enough
20 justify an appeal for the support of
every voter who desires economy, eff
cheney and progressive policies in mu-
nicipal affairs.
With such a program carried out it
viii be no fault of the Democratic par
~ if the people elect TO continue the
Americans in power, or substitute
for them the machine that dominates
the Republican party in the county
and state.