The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-24
MORMON CHURCH
MAY SWITCH VOTE
llicrarch Is Likely TO Order
All Saints TO Vote for
Bryan.
BAND or TWENTY-SIN
ON THE ANXIOUS SEAT
Waiting TO See Which Way the
Political Cat Is Going
TO Jump.

The New York Herald prints q spe-
cial dispatch from its Denver CORE.
spoudent containing an interview with
former Governor Osborne Of Wyoming,
who is in charge of Western head
quarters of tho Democratic national
committee. Saws the Herald dispatch:
II Is entirely within the bounds Of pos
sibllity that the presidency in 1905 may be
settled by the Mormon church. Should
tho. election be close there is little doubt
but that the nine electoral votes Of Idaho.
Wyoming and Utah. which are controlled
by the Mormons. viii be the determining
factor.
Al the beginning OF tho national cam
paign the Democratic managers estab-
lishcd branch headquarters OF their ma
tlonal committee in Denver and placed
Wyoming. In charge. Mr.. Osborne has
fully equipped machine at work under
full pressure. and Is now confidently lay
ing claim 10 eleven OF the twenty electoral
votes for which lie is hghting.
May Switch Over.
These are the 1--WE OF Colorado and three
each OF Nevada and Montana. He frank
~ AYERS that the nine other electoral
Notes.-The three each OF Utah, Idaho and
Wyomlng-are absolutely In the keeping
City, and that unless William j. Bryan
can show beyond doubt between now and
the last week In October that he has the
presidency won he cannot hope TO obtain
u vote in either OF the three states named.
SUould IL be made TO appear reasonably
certain. however. TO Joseph +. Smith and
other rulers OF the Mormon church. ac-
cording 10 Ex-Governor Osborne. that Mr.
Bryan has winning strength a week be-
fore the ballots are cast the Mormon
church can be depended upon TO throw
the determining weight OF its powerful
influence TO him.
1T would be silly for me to beat about
the bush In this matter" said Atr. Os-
borne. I,Everybody IN this part or the
country knows that the Mormon church
controls Ctah, Idaho and Wyoming as
comPletell as either Of the great parties
any OF their states. Likewise is every
body In this part Of the country aware OF
the hard and fast deal made with the
Mormon church In 1900 through which
piuralites by which Bryan carried the
versed almost over night and their cleo
toral votes were given TO Mckinley.
Must Show the Goods.
II have no false notions about this
thing. and indulge In no diplomatic Ian
guagc in discussing 1t. The Mormon
church gives it's vote to the party that
shows winning qualities. and SO l say II
within the next week the heads OF the
church become convinced that Bryan Is
going to win: we shall sweep the platter
tlN"i' III ANF S'dttS plaLtu ull-
der my Jurisdiction and gain one United
states scnatorshlp by defeating Reed
Smoot In Utah.
Idaho was very strongly for Bryan in
1856. giving him a plurality OF l0S6s
Again In 1900 Bryan carried Il, but by
the greatly reduced plurality OF 2il7. Tho
combination made in that year In Utah
did not reach into Idaho, because tho
Mormons were not so strongly en-
trenched In the state az now.
Wyoming was carried by Mckinley In
1895 by 6S3 plurality. and again in 1900 by
43lS. The Mormons are much stronger
there than Is generally supposed and the
large plurality for Mckinley In 1900 was
due 10 the support OF the church being
given 10 the Republican candidates. Utah
gave Bryan 5l,033 plurality In 1896, but
when the deal was made between the
Mormons and the Republican national
committee In 1900 It gave the electors OF
the state 10 Mckinley by 2133."