The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-10-18

1 american Party, CONSISTING OF Re-
publicans and Democrats, Growing
in the West.
! Born in polygamy, his father, Geo.
! @. Cannon, having once been the most
prominent leader in the Mormon
church Frank ]. Cannon. once United
Estates senator from Utah, has become
the head Of a determined agitation
| to break down the political power Of
Mormonism in the western states.
| In a letter to Ellis E. Beebe, one
of the organizers of the silver repub-
lican party and now New York
banker, Mr.. Cannon tells of the plans
| by which he and others expect to de-
stroY what he terms 'an effective con-
| tract between the republican leaders
| and the Mormon bierarchy.' While
| present conditions exist in Utah and
other states. Mr. Cannon declares
| there is no chance for democratic sue
| cess.
| To break down this great Mormon
strength Mr.. Cannon and others are
| organizing the "American' party,
corr posed of republicans and demo-
| crrats alike, who, he says, recognize
| the futilitv of acting in politics as re-
publjcans and democrats while Nor
monism controls the organizations and
the candidates of both these parties
| This new party has already acquir-
| ed large membership in Utah,
| Idaho. Montana and Wyoming. and
! promises to exercise considerable in
| f1uence in the campaign Of 1908. On
| its membership lists are many of the
younger Mormons, who, following the
the lead of Mr.. Cannon. who was ex-
PEELED from the Mormon church be-
cause of his opposition to polygamy
have joined in the agitation to have
polygamy thoroughly wiped out.
| In has letter to Mr.. Beebe Mr.. Can
non urges Eastern enemies of polyg-
amy and other evils Of Mormonsm to
aid his new party. He says:
! "The chance for democratic success
| in Utah in 1908 is nil. An effective
contrad. exists between the republican
hierarchy by which this state is de-
livered bodily to the republican party
in return for favors bestowed. These
| favors are % a cessation OF the
movement and agitation within the
republican party for an amendment
/ to the federal constitution giving to
congress the power to legislate con-
! cerning polygamy and polyganous
| living; CD a defense Of Reed Smoot
apostle and representative of the Nor
| mon hierarchy, as a senator Of the
! United States, and a vote for his re-
! tention of his scat in the senate, and
! (3) disposition Of federal patronage
| in Utah and surrounding states in
| obedience to the wish of the Mormon
hierarchy EXPRESSED to the federal
ADMINISTRATION through Apostle Reed
| Smoot.
! There is a consolidation of church
and state in Utah. with the govern
ment exercised solely by the church
The Mormon hierarchy is powerful
| enough with it's adherents to sway
tens of thousands Of votes from the
| democratic party to the republican
party wherever and whenever reuuis-
tie for the purpose. Utah gave to Will
liam J Bryan in 1895. more than ST.
! 900 plurality. Almost entirely due to
the control Of politics in this state
by the hierarchy Of the Mormon
liam Mckinley in 1900 and a larger
plurality to Theodore Roosevelt in 1904
| Serious as is the situation for local
| democrats, the question in it's nation
al aspect is far more important. In
other parts Of the United States re-
publican leaders must d cal with sacn
state and its problems in a segregated
way. In the Rocky Mountain region
and wherever the Mormon hierarchy
has a considerable following the whole
arrangement can be made and is made
in one conference between republican
leaders and the representatives of the
| Mormon hierarchy. Such a contract
has carried with it the control of Utah
and Idaho, and an effective influence
and perhaps a balance of power in
Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Wash
ingson, and Oregon, and util recently
in Nevada.
| '"The reasons for the contract are
lpalpable-he Mormon hierarchy &C.
sires the protection ana fostering care
OF the great republican party Of the
nation. and the record demon
strates that 1t receives the coveted
consideration; the republican lea6ezs
desire the votes which are controlled
by the Mormon hierarchy in the in
ltermountain country, and the record
demonstrates that khe republican
Iparty receives these votes."-New
York Herald.