The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-28
DEMOCRATS RESENT OPENLY.

DEmOChATS hESENI OFbNb1.
Tho world do move II is not ID
the least new thing for the Mormon
church in its political capacity, and
through its high eccclesiasts, TO compel
Democrats To vote the Republican
ticket. 1t is not the first time, nor the
second time, nor even the third time,
but about the tenth time, that the
church ecelesiasts have depleted toe
Democratic ranks 10 make recruits for
the Republican ranks. THIS has been
proceeding right along, with the few ex-
ceptions where the Democrats received
toe church favor in municipal elections
n this city and in other cities as oc
casiou might serve. Still, the unmis.
taxable drift OF the church in politics
has been towards the support OF the
Republican party and against the
Democratic party; and 1t was distinctly
the church that gave the bumptious and
pin-head boilers the control Of the ERe.
publican party that now outlaws it.
And so far the Democratic party has
suffered in silence; its leaders, IFS ora
tors, its nominees, have simply "taken
their medicine. and griuned and borne
IL without u murmur.
This year. however. il is different.
To be sure, the church is more open
and blatant in support Of the ''Rcpub'
licanH ticket this year than ever be-
fore. There is not the slightest oppor-
tunity for the defenders of the church
10 say that it is not III politics this year.
President Joseph T. Smith openly
placed the church IN politics in his clos
ing address at the October conference,
and ever since there have been abun-
dant evidences that his underliug ecclc
sasts OF the church are using their
church positions and the pretcpslons Of
divine authority 10 sway their followers
from the Democratic ranks to the Re
publican ranks. This has aroused an
opposition among the leaders Of the
Democratic party that is as new as it
is refreshing. We actually find them
lighting back. We actually see Demo~
cratic orators denouncing Republican
eeclesiasts for interference IN politics.
We note that great Democratic leader,
in rousing speech in the Salt Lake
Theater. claimed perfect equality with
any ecclesiast who would get onto the
political platform with him. His idea.
forcibly expressed, was that while Apos.
Tie Smoot and Joseph +. Smith might be
supreme IN their authority IN their
church, when they left their church DO
sIt1npc nd $50 ~
arena, then he was just as good man
there ard Just as much entitled to pub
lie consideration, respect, and conf.
dence, as the best Of their prophets.
seers, and revelators. And when the
church organ will say, as it did say Oh
Monday evening. that in order to meet
the demagogues In politics the church
ecclesiasts had 10 be demagogues. why
then the confession is complete.
II is an entirely proper change in the
political atmosphere OF Utah TO see
church eccclesiasts treated as mere
ward heelers, ordinary politicians or
demagogues. when they leave the sacred
precincts oY their church reservations
and get out into the open as politicians.
demagogues, and ward heelers. When
the president of Il stake makes himself
busy as ward hecler in politics why
tnen In politics he is simply a ward
oeeler and nothing else, and there is no
reason why the mau should claim to
throw around himself the sacredpess of
his ecclesiastical Office who is enoaoed
IN MS work as a ward hecler. In tbe
same way. when President ,Josepb f
Smith becomes political dema pooue |
and partisan boss, as he did in his al.
dress IN the October conference Il ;e
entirely proper TO treat him as q donna. |
goguc and as political ward boss
1t is good TO see that the Democratic
leaders and speakers arc recooni-;n,
tn's distinction, which heretofore thnT,
nave tailed to see. And when tbe wboIo
people of the State come to a tbororo.t
'ealizatlon of the ordinary, common.
sense fact, that when a prophet soor
and revelator, gets down and ro,Is ~
the political mud, the political mnd az
'acning 10 him is no more sacred .i,,n
the political mud that attaches r., 49,
meanest political ward heeler in tbe
state, the State and the peonle !, 20
"'i be much better off and will have