Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-12
THE VICTORY in UTAH.

i followed with Intense interest by Saints
and Elders all over the world. and by
others acquainted with the conditions
4 in Utah. Recognizing this fact. the
i President Of the European Mission, FL
der Churles w. Penrose, III the Mil
I lennial Star, gives very clear and
| concise account Of the situation Ia
| this City. The readers Of the News"
will be Interested in what President
Penrose, who for SO many, years con-
Quoted the editorial department of this
/ paper, with recognized ability, has to
i say about the victory in Utah" and
for that reason We take the liberty
of copying his leading editorial in the
| star OF Nov. IS, in full
1.-The announcement was made
| through the Miliennial Star last week,
/ TINT the Republican ticket had been
elected iii utHn by Il very large ma
Jorlty and that this included SALT Lake
County, IN Wnlch every office, without
exception, was secured to that party,
| thus deteatlng completely inc anti
Mormon organization. tLnd that the
| latterrcsult Was brought ABOUT through
| II united effort on the part OF Demo-
1 Gratis and Republicans. rhe brief an
4 nouncement lnen made requires soma
| further explanation so that the event
may be UNDERSTOOD BY readers of the
\ star in this part Of the world.
''Thero are in America, as In Eng
| land, two great national parties. While
| there are utner political organizations.
| tho majority OF inc citizens of the
| United states beions either to the Re-
publican party or the Democratic party.
Tho Republicans were largely In the
| majority throughout the United States
| in the vote that was cast for President
| and Vice President on Tuesday, No
Yember 3rd Utah was in harmony In
that respect With the rest of the ma
ton.
There Is nothing peculiar about this,
but in Salt Lake City and County, and
u rev other places, there Is an organ
izatton calling itself the American
party, which is, in reality, distinctly
un-Anerlcan because 1t has for Its
main object the destruction of a re-
llgious body. IT Is through and through,
from top to bottom, in its Whole Dur-
pose and spirit anti-Mormon,' and
openly t.vows Its Intention, II placed in
power, to force into prison orzexile that
which it denoininates the .herarchy.'
by this term, it denotes the leading
authorities of the Church OF Jesus
Christ OF Latter-day Saints. The name
Is as Inappropriate as the title OF the
faction that employs 1t. There Is no
hierarchy In the Mormon Church, nor
can there be in the nature Of things. Its
leading authorities are all upheld Wy
the vote, confidence and fellowship OF
the body of the Church, and their
names are presented twice u year to
the members of the Church in confer
ence assembled for their acceptance or
rejection. They exercise no despotic
power, but have to act in conformity
to the rules and discipline established
in the Church. and arc subject to its
courts in case OF transgression. The
combination Of the enemies of the
Church in political organization has
in view the deprivation Of all the rights
and privileges Of citizenship of the
Mormon Church authorities and the
domination of the State OF Utah. to
the exclusion OF the ecclesiasts here re-
ferred to, and indeed, OF all leading
men III the Church.
This is un-American, because the
very spirit and genius of American
government tend to secure to all It's
citizens equal rights. privileges and i'm
mlmitles before the law. The Consti
tuition of the United States forbids the
passage by Congress of any law re-
specting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise there
of, and announces that no religious
test shall ever be applied as Il quail
fication for office in the United States.
Under that instrument, religion is free,
and all people have right to wor-
ship as they please, or to abstain from
worshiping at all, and each citizen,
endowed with the franchise. may exer-
else political rights and privileges with
out hin1rance, so long as he is obedtent
to the laws. Therefore, an organiza-
ton for the purpose of discriminating
politically against any citizen, or body
Of citizens, because of their religious
principles or affiliations. is entirely
hostile to real Amerlcanistn.
THE faction lniscalling itself the
American party has supported q
clique which attempts to regulate the
political movements of it's members,
and through a daily newspaper, which
is engaged perpetually in publishing
scandalous libols against the Church of
Jesus Christ or I,atter-day Saints and
its leading authorities, has assailed
some Of tho best people in the COM
munitI in the grussest and vilest man
ner. growing In effrontery with the
years during which it has been LETT
free to pour forth without hindrance
its foul falschood until it has boldly
announced its purpose and determine
ton, and this, at length, caused menu
bers of the two regular political par
ties, composed of both 'Mormons and
Gentles.' to come together in Salt Lake
County, where the un-American or
Sanlzation was concentrating It's ef-
forts, and the result we have already
announced
The anti-'Mormon' faction succeeded
some time ago in bringing together per-
sons of different religious organiza-
tons and political parties under the
seductive name of the American
party, 50 as to gain control of the Salt
Lake municipality, and for three years
the city has been under it's domination.
The taxes have been raised, the public.
debt has been increased, vice has flour
ishcd, capital has been deferred from
investing In necdful Industries, bitter.
spirit of antagonism has been engen-
dercd until the better portions of the
community have determined that these
conditions shall be ended
The step taken in Salt Lake County
is q sign of what may be accomplished
in the future. The next municipal cleo
| ton Will take place III November. 1909
| II the same spirit Of unity which has
| brought about theatriumph of right in
Salt Lake County shall prevail In Salt
Lake City. the un-American party will
| he brought to its finish. The only thing
| that has given 1t power has been the
| division OF the better portion OF the
| citizens into rival political parties. 1t
| is quite proper that men and women
| shall be free to exercise their political
| rights III the support Of those prnci-i
| pies. and measures. and candidates
|