The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-08
THE CONDITIONS OF PEACE.

| mere IN the same relation tnat tnt
sFpcacc cc,at-any.price" men did toward
the war for the preservation of the
Union; it may be as we'll to say n few
timely things.
First, the American party is not ask
ing anything which is not elsewhere con.
ceded freely, and as matter OF course
IL asks that the grip of the Mormon
church leaders be withdrawn from poli.
tics and civil affairs. 1t asks for the
cessation of lawless living in the name
or religion or otherwise. It is con.
V'nced that the ecclesiasts of that
church arc actively in collusion with
those who are defying the manifesto
and entering into polygamous mar
F9ages, and that the number Of these
new Polygamous, plural, or celestial
marriages is so large that il would
astoun1 the community to know the
extent of the revival of this bestiaI
and blrbarous practice. The American
party also asks that the commercial and
INDUS :rlal monopolies maintained by the
church authority and prestige shall be
broken up, so that the people NAV have
a far field in honest business competi-
tion.
The recent election affords 8 perfect
example Of the interference of the
church IN politics. The stake presidents
OF this city and county, following the
lead OF President Joseph T. Smith in
the October conference. met and deter
mined that the votes of their follow.
ers should be cast for the Republican
candidates. In this meeting there was
complete assumption that the vote
would be cast as those stake presidents
directed. This was publicly reported
by Nephi l.. Morris, one of those stake
presidents; and at the same public
church meeting where he made this
report he denounced any Democrat who
might refuse to vote the Republican
ticket as directed, rs n "traitor to his
church, We all know what il means
for member OF the Mormon church TO
fall under the censuro of the eccle.
siasts, and TO be considered a traitor
to the church. Social ostracism. busi.
ness boycott, personal aunoyances of
all kinds, and unbearable oppression.
are his portion, No voter dare face
the terrible prosecutions that would be
visited upon him as ga traitor 10 the
church. - The result was u clean swcep
of the Mormon Democratic vote into
the Republican party, on the local can
didates.
Now, the most important mission OF
The American party is TO absolutely do
away with all possibility of ANYTHING
of this kind. And the American party
work will not be fully done until this
reform is completely Effected
The leading candidates of The Re.
publican party were selected by the
through the Federal Office
holders ring, long before the conven-
5ion to put them in nomination was
held. This is another illustration of
The thing that ought not to be in a
'rcc, popular government, and that
must not be in Utah. The American
party VIII free the people from this sort
IF boSsism; it insists that it is the
light OF the people to control in their
political affairs; and that it is a shame
.ul abuse Of popular institutions for
l priest directed set of political ring.
'ters to thus set themselves I'D as die
-ators, and impose their will upon the
people.
The State government is at the ser
wee Of the priesthood; the Legislature
1t Its sessions is under the direction
IL a steering committee which speaks
he dominating word as to what shall
n shall not be enacted. The guberna.
iorlaI Office is church agency, a sort
If addendum to its clerkships; the L. S.
are disposed of by the
church presidency, that must be asked
,or the places. The judicial depart.
nent OF the State government is para
yzed so far as prosecution for DO
Ygamy or unlawful cohabitation (the !
iving in poiygamy) are concerned. !
very Judge, every district attorney.
very county attorney, we'll knowing
hat TO become active in the euforce-
nent Of the law in such cases would |
A4N"H u oOSSObb py luc CuuTgl bosses, |
whose control of the votes of their |
hurch members is absolute, as so lately !
and who would end at |
| stroke the public career of any .Eper- |
ecutor" who might be guilty of the OBJ
loxious offense of enforcing the law,
The American party stands for the |
'eople, for the law, for the right, and |
or tue full, the actual recognition in
Utah Of American institutions. thought. /
md practice, as these exist in other Dor. |
ions of the Republic. Il is not enough |
hat there be mere empty declara.
Ion of conformity to American insti- !
utions; there must be real conform. !
ty. q practical as we'll as theoretical
md formal acceptance of the principles |
involved. There must be the actual |
separation Of church and state.
There must be freeing of the public
chools from the intrusion of '.rclipion |
;lasses' and the imposture involved
n the use Of the public school houses.
he school furniture, the school lights.