The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-25
TAFT AS ANTI-AMERICAN.

Smoot scheme, ostensibly in behalf OF
Taft but really vastly detrimental TO
his interests, is thus explained in yes
terday mornings "Moutb -:
There is only one way 10 vote for Taft
and only one way TO help to Kill this
party organized In hate and existing Tor
the sole purpose OF persecution Ihat
way is To stop at the name Of William
Howard Taft at the top OF the ballot or
OF. the machine and vote the straight Re
publican ticket.
The Taft management in this State.
therefore, distinctly and emphatically
arrays itself on National lines
against the American party and makes
its hostility to Americauism part
of its Taft campaign. So that no
American Republican is either expected
or wanted to vote for Mr.. Taft. On
the contrary. vote for Taft is vote
designed and hoped by the Smoot
schemers to "help kill this party or
ganized in hate and existing Tor the
sole purpose of persecution.
OF course the American party was
not organized in hate. 1t does not exist
''for the sole purpose of persecution,
or for persecution at all All it asks
of anybody is that all shall come within
the law and that the church eccleslasts
shall keep their hands off the politics
and temporal affairs of the people, con
fuing themselves to their religion and
their religious offices. OF course II
would be impossible for the Smoot
" Mouth" TO give a straightforward,
candid definition of the American
party's origin and purpose, lust as 1T
would be impossible for 1T to state
fairly and squarely what the American
party has done for salt Lake and the
marvellous way in which IL is loosening
the church grip from the politics and
temporal affairs of the people all over
the State. By reason of the American
party there is already q liberty of opiu-
ION and frankueSs of expression that
was quite impossible prior TO the or
ganization of that party. This IS gen
eral throughout the State. In this
center of Independent opinion IN Salt
Lake City. and to a lesser degree the
county. there has been an equally as
tonishing change III the way or liberty
of opinion and OF criticism. This IS
natural and proper; because the leading
church ecclesiasts getting down into the
political arena simply make themselves
cheap politicians, and II Is entirely
proper TO treat them as such. The fake
pretension that they carry the sacred
ness of their ecclesiastical office down
with them into the political muck is
one that can no longer be maintained
The people everywhere see the incon-
pruity of political workers and lawless
offenders claiming any particular sacred
ness for themselves by reason of their
especial ecclesiastical callings and fuuc-
tions. And so instead of enthralling
the people more completely, as the HE.
rarchs supposed they were doing IN IN
.vadiuc the political field with their
church pretensions and claims, they have
simply torn away the veil of sacred
ness from their church callings and are
disclosed before the people of this State
in their capacity Of plotting politicians
and tricky partisan workers. Joseph +.
Smith, as ecclesiastical leader OF this
people, taking mp the Republican cause
in the late conference and practically
counseing the people to sustain the
Republican Congressional delegation,
abdicated, in fact. his ecclesiastical Of
fee and put on the dirty robe of the
politician as he trails through the po-
litical mire.
1t has frequently been the ejaculation
of patriotic and pious men, 'Thank
God for the American party" And
truly the people of Utah, but more
especially the average membership Of
the Mormon church. has greater reason
than any other class of the population
10 thank God for the American party,
1t is the right and duty of the Nor
mon people to do this, because the
American party is their shield and their
refuge from ecclesiastical assumptions
and usurpatious.
And now we are told that the Ameri-
can party, which has done such splendid
work for Salt Lake City and such emi-
nent service TO the people of the State
at large. is TO be antagonized by the
Taft managers, under the control of
APOSTLE Smoot. This, however, is only
carrying the warfare against the Ameri-
can party little further than the step
taken when the Taft electors were with
drawn from the American Republican
ticket. The hostility proclaimed, as
above. by the Taft managers in this
State against the American party draws
the issue clear aud straight. No Taft
votes are wanted from the American
party by the Smoot managers. On the
contrary, the Taft campaign here con
templates an especial and emphatic OPP
position 20 the American party as such
and to American voters, simply because
they wish to bring liberty and peace
20 Utah
This is another stroke In the suicidal
policy which the Taft managers in this
State have undertaken and pursued. The
warning that 10 support Taft is to be
in antagonism 20 the American party
emphasizes the fact that Republicanism
in this State is Smootism. and it is
another indication added TO the many