The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-27
THE JEFFERSON BANQUET.


to Jefferson, tho spirit OF Americ canism
would find voice, Jefferson was great
American, a patriot, lover Of the peo-
pie, and champion Of popular rights
and personal independence. And that
well describes America anism. The con"
trast between his opinions and the po-
litical conditions that exist here is 80
direct that one Of the speakers, who
held that Democracy was Jefferson S re-
ligion, wondered if Jefferson came
to Utah today. he would be allowed TO
"Iivc his religion here. II was
most pertinent and pregnant suggestion,
one which in fact touched the core of
the evil political rule in this State
and its different subdivisions.
Tho thought so expressed was the
dominating one throughout the bali
quet in this city on Thursday night. 1T
found expression in the opening re"
marks by Chairman Martineau; in his
reference TO the ''lonely road of de"
feat to the crash prophet who at
tempted to predict what will happen in
Utah politics;' to the ranks of the
party having been thinned on one pre-
text or another; and putting up tickets
"although NC knew they arc cast for
defeat" 1t was plain throughout what
Mr. Martineau had in mind; and 1T Is
not the first time that he has talked IN
the same strain; occasionally, indeed,
he has been even more direct and en-
phatic.
Mr., Stephen l.. Richards, the next
sneaker was the man who wondered if
Jefferson would be allowed to 'live
his religion in Utah; and having the
dominating, political priesthood IN
mind, he told the young men of Utah
that they have more to live for and
more to work for, Sin the good old
faith of Thomas Jefferson than from
any man or set of men,
Mr.. Varian, while dealing wholly with
a National question, did not fail to pay
his respects to tho dominant power IN
Utah, where he cited the action of Cow
ernor Cutler in appointing two members
of the State Land Board who had been
rejected by the Senate as violation
of the State constitution, which pro-
vides that appointments shall be made
"by and with the consent of the Sem
ate This provision, however, was in
serted in the constitution when the
church political was on its good be-
havior; otherwise, had it expressed the
true relation Of authority, it would
have said, "by and with the authority
Of the quorum having the matter IN
CHARGE
But il was left for Mr. Dern 10 re"
late an incident which truly sets forth
in apt illustration the way politics are
manipulated in this State, Here it is,
as given by the Democratic organ:
After paying a tribute to Mr.. Bryan.
whom he knew In Bryan,s younger days
in Nebraska, John Dern told story OF
last falls election 10 show what became
of some members of the Democratlc
party. Mr.. Dern said he went to his mine
at Eureka a few days after the election
and heard the story from the young su-
perintendent of the mine, Republican:
"I never thought thing like one we had
the superintendent 1--WE had Democrat
working in the mine. He preached Dem
ocracy at every opportunity every day.
He used 10 say TO the other men that the
row In Salt Lake was only Republican
fight and that the Republicans should be
allowed to settle IL themselves. The night
before election we caught that man go
ing from door to door saying: Brother,
IT is the will of the Lord that we vote the
Republican ticket. Good night
''That is what happened in one hamlet
OF this state and no doubt 1t happened in
many others said Mr.. Dern. eve must
fight that IN the name of manhood and
womanhood. That is not American poll
tics
That incident, so aptly related, could
be duplicated in hundred election dis
tricts in Utah. And it is the very
thing that the American party was or"
ganized TO overcome. AS Mr.. Dern
pithily expresses it, 90 That is not Ameri-
can politics. Much less is it true Re-
publican or true Democratic politics.
The speakers were well and COM
mendably saturated with Americanisni,
as Jefferson was in his day, and as
he would be today if be might come
TO Utah No wonder that Elder and
Polygamist Brigham Il. Roberts and his
following left the banquet room when
they realized the situation. No wonder
that Roberts, who was scheduled TO
speak, did not speak, and no wonder
that the American sentiment was too
much for him. II was a right good,
strong American banquet and polyga-
mists or devotees of the civil rule Of
the priesthood had no part there,