Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-05
PEACE or WAH7

IT is not our Intention to try the
patience Of our readers by entering
,,pon any unprofitable discussion with
the Salt Lake Tribune, but since that
sheet now seeks to impress upon an
unthinking public that" the result OF
tho election on Tuesday was due TO
interference by the Church, and since
5 ii makes the announcement that the
fight will 20 right on as heretofore,
Ne may be pardoned Tor pointing out
the utter absence Of any rational rea-
son FOR. d threat, which, If the peo-
pie permit 1t to be carried out VIII
only result in injury to the business
interests OF this City.
There Is absolutely no truth IN
the allegation that the Church. or
Church authorities, have exercised
any undue influence upon the voters.
No Church member has been COM
D nlanded'' or forced by any means
5Whateverto vote one ticket or another.
No one can truthfully say that his
standing in the Church has been
menaced IL he refused to abandon
party affiliations. Nor has the Church
organization as a whole, or any part
oft, been used In any effort to furth-
er one party's principles as against
another Neither high tariff, nor trust
prosecution. nor any other political
party doctrine las been announced
from the ulpits of the Church. On
the contrary the perfect freedom of
every citizen to vote as he thinks best,
has repeatedly been recognized by
the Church leaders.
Leading churchmen in Salt Lake,
County 1T is true, havo taken more
interest in the election just held than
they generally do. They have, as Ans 4
erican citizens Interested In the vel
fare of the community in which they
live, tried to make it clear to their
fellow-citizens that their right and
liberties We're mcnaced by a foe to
American institutions and II they
have given any counsel to anybody,
privately or publicly, as to the hest
way of meeting the enemy Of Anl-
#erican government, they have only
done their duty as American citizens
and defenders OF the assalled
Church. They have rot attempt
led any coercion. Those who OF
their own free choice decided to
follow the advice given We're welcome
to do SO: those who could not see their
way clear to do that. were equally free.
SO when the defeated party organ says:
1.-THE officials OF tho Mormon church
made a determined and successful raid
on their followers, compelling such as
were Democrats to desert their party
allegiance" it simply utters one or
those colossal falsehoods for which
there Is not even a shadow Of founda-
tion5in fact.
8I It is true that many Democrats voted
the Republican ticket for this County
but they did so as a. matter of self
protection. II it is proper to talk about
scompulsion in this matter, 1t was the
Tribune that compelled them to vote
as they did, In the same way that the
Persian invading hordes compelled the
Athenians at Marathon to stand to-
gethcr in the defense OF liberty and
home. There was no other, compulsion.
The threat that "thc fight will so
right on should attract the attention-of
business men and all others who are
interested iii the material development
of the City. Would it not be better
for. all concerned now to drop all ani-
mostly, to come together and adjust
differences on an equitable basis, and
then join hands and hearts and work
for the City and the state? Which
shall it be? We look to the conservn-
tive citizens and business men. and not
z to the Tribune, for al answer to this
all important question.