The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-10-18
THE ETAIS.
THE REAL ISSUE.

THE REAL ISSUE.
Senator Shoots friends persist in the
declaration that the opposition to him
Is not against his individual activity
IN politics. but is directed against the
Mormon church as a religious organ
ization. They say, further, that his re-
tlrement from politics would not stop
the fight. that nothing but the destruc-
ton of the church and the exile OF its
people could satisfy the opposition 20
his political ambitions.
Such a plea is natural enough for
men who care more for office than they
do for the welfare of the whole people;
hut the argument ignores the patent
facts in the case. The American
party. the most conspicuous force
fighting Senator SmOot. had its origin
I'm antagOnism to him, not to his re-
Hgion. There was no attack against
Frank Cannon when he was sent 10
the senate, although he was then 4
Mormon in high favor with the church
authorities There was no suggestion
Of opposition to Judge King because of
his religious faith when he went to
congress Mr.. Howell has had no night
against him because he is a Mormon.
1t should be plain TO any disinteres1ed
observer that any Mormon might sue
coed Smoot without criticism if he we're
not an apostle
Take the Americans" as extreme
types of the many who think Shoots
political ambition has been the curse
of the state; the very large majority of
them are friendly to the Mormons and
have no quarrel with their religion.
They fight Smoot and all his machine
workings because they believe sincerely
that his apostolic office and his sena-
toriaI office are Incompatible. They do
not question his legal right TO be can
didate. but they do resent, and with
their votes. the injury both TO the state
and the church. which comes from the
conjunction of high ecclesiastical and
political Office, with great powers Joined
in both.
Nor Is the opinion limited to non
Mormons. A great many sincere Nor
mons hold the same views. Hundreds
Of them voted for John BransfOrd for
mayor as a silent protest against
Smootism in this state; many hundreds
more will vote against the Smoot ticket
this fall for the same reason. And al
81 those people. MOrmOns and non
Mormons. will return TO their own par
ties on national lines the moment Sen
ator Smoot looses his hold on the po-
litical machinery of the state and re-
turns to his ecclesiastical duties.
Just as soon as Senator Smoot is
eliminated from politics i'm Utah. just
that soon will the American" party
be started toward dissolution. Thy
very backbone of that party is in tht
men and women who vote its ticket
not because they like its leaders or its
methods. but because they are deter
mined TO record their disapproval OF
Smootism. Most of them are tired
alike of the internecine war and of tn,
eternal wransle it produces. All %
them would welcome A return To nor
NAL political conditions. Very. very
few of them have any desire to wreal
vengeance on the Mormon church OF
-its leaders, but they have enlisted 70
the retirement of Smoot. and they viii
not change their alignment until he il
out Of high Office i'm the state.
Why was the suggestion Of Jess
Knights name welcomed so enthusiast
ticaIy by men Of all parties and al
faiths? He is a Mormon; he come
from Shoots city; he has been allie
with him in business. and if the objec
ton to Smoot had been solely on re
ligious grounds surely it would hav
applied to Knight who is one of tn
most faithful of the church's followers
The reason for knights spontaneou
acclaim lay in the fact that his electio
meant the defeat of Smoot and all tina
his machine represents in this state.
meant the beginning Of an era c
peace, the restoration OF politics 10
decent plane. the eventual settlement
Of the states great question and tn
elimination OF fractional disturbers bot
90 the Smoot persuasion and of III
American" kind.
These very facts disprove the clair