The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-07
PARTY TIES TO BE OFF.

The organization and aggressive
strength of the American party are
effective IN disclosing the real po)itl-
cal situation IN Utah as nothing else
could have done. 1t has been the
American contention that the alleged
division on party lines in Utnh
was sham; that under the cloak
of Democracy or of Republicanism the
theocracy dominates political and
civil affairs, being utterly Indifferent to
party name, and intent only upon
Carrying out its own selfish and dis
loyal designs and purposes. Does
prospect open to take power and excr-
Democracy, the church leaders eagerly
seize it, and give the Democrats the
victory, as they did in 1903 in the
Salt Lake City election. Does it
seem to be best to operate under the
name Of Rcpublicanism, in order to
help Apostle Smoot in his fight for a
Senatorship at Washington. then the
Democratic party is practically wiped
of the slate, as was done in Novem-
Der, 1904. And then again in 1905,
in the city election, when favorite
and compliant son of the church is
running for Mayor, the "Republi-
cam party is IL its turn practi-
cally wiped out, and the "Democ-
racy' gets the controlled church vote.
Then again, in 1906, the Democratic
party, in its turn, is buried out of
sight, and the Republicans are
given the church vote. 1t is a
game of see.saw, as the election figures
prove, year. after year, first one
party and then the other apparently
in the ascendant, but IN fact the vic
tory is really TO the church leaders,
the actual dominating force, without
the least regard to either party.
The American party has thoroughly
unmaskcd this political situation here.
Until the organization Of that party,
there was denial of all the essential
facts. There is no denial now, There
can be none. The election returns arc
complete, an overwhelming demon
stration of the American party con-
tention. So completely has the COM
munity absorbed the lesson Of this
church control and rule that there is
not only no denial any more of the
essential facts, but there is practi-
cally an open admission of them. This
admission is taking the form of fu.
sion in the church interest, Of It's
controlled vote of both parties, for
next falls municipal election. Such
fusion, of course. is m open admis"
sion that party names and party
principles count for nothing in Utah;
that the real contest is the church
struggle TO maintain its dominion
and the consequent smashing bv it
of all prctcnse that there is any
such thing as actual politics in Utah
and any real division on party lines
The fusion programme which the
church politicians are now working
upon for the next city campaign is a
complete abandonment of the ground
heretofore occupied by the church in
this matter; comprehensive admission
of the American party claim. 1t means
that the church is driven into the last
ditch, and is about to call upon it's
heclers for the fight of its life to re-
tain political and civil control.
AS, VIC have said before in consider
ing this political move Of the church
leaders, we arc glad to see the cam
palgn so shape itself, 1t will be
square fight for and against church
control in our political and civil af-
fairs. Party lines will be swept away
by the church decree, and every voter
will be absolved from his OF her
former political allegiance. There will
be no old party names. as there has.
in fact, been no old parties. There
is not IN Utah any real Republican
party, just as there is no real Demo.
cratic party. Neither dare disobey the
church counsel" (Which is God IS
command to the leaders OF each. as the
counsel of the priesthood is God Is com.
mand to the Saints) to "gct to-
gether' to oppose the, American party.