The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-07
RIGHT VIEW OF A SOCIALIST.

The Tribune is graufied to receive
the following letter from q pronounced
! Socialist In this city, giving his view
upon the crux of the political situation
bore at this time:
Salt Lake City, Utah. Nov. 4.
Editor Tribune:-Permit me to con-
| gratulate you on the manly stand you
took today In your paper as regards the
lost election, l am a Socialist, Marxist
clear cut and uncompromising, but as
IL seems that In the near future we shall
not have the cooperative commonwealth.
and the Mormon hierarchy demands our
Immediate attention. FOR one shall mere
after, as did yesterday for the hrst time,
vote straight for the American party. until
this insolent pseudo church Is put In It's
proper place.
Your tight against this practically foreign
government Is not appreciated at present,
but the future historian when writing
OF the present epoch Will certainly not
underestimate your efforts In this re-
spect, u.
We consider that view TO be not only
emipently sound and applicable, but to
bo in reality the only practical view
TO take of the situation here. There
has never been a time in the history of
the world when the free thought of the
people did not have to first break down
whatever ecclesiastical bonds bound
them before they could give full cx~
preston TO their ideas and take thoir
full part in the community life, and
especially In governmental activities.
These ecclesiastical bonds, whethor
Catholic or Protestant as during the
Middle Ages; atheistic as in the time OF
the French Revolution; or Mormon, as
in the present day here In Utah. all
have to be swept away before human
ity cap have it's full life, growth, and
vicor. This. it seems to us, is the
pith of the whole situation in Utah.
and we do not see why all of the in
fluences here that make for free
thought and independent community
life should not act together for the
purpose Of freeing the civil and polit-
ical control from the blight of occlesias.
tical usurpation aud dominance,
It is true, of course, that we hear
constant denial from the interested
church side of the case Of any inter
ference or usurpatiou by the church
or its officials as sunh. in politics, civil
affairs. the public schools, and in othor
activities extraueous from church gov
ernment. But those of us familiar with
the situation here know that these do
malls are mere pretenses, aud that the
interference of the church and its of.
ficials is constantly aud effectively cx
ercised. In The recent election there
was no disguise-the church power was
exercised openly. without reserve, We
all know that the need of the time is
that what is merely pretended shall pc
made the real thing in this matter
And, as we see 1t, IT behooves every in
dependent mind, in or out of the Nor
mon church, in this whole region, to
unite together to eliminate ecclesiastical
control and usurpatiop in politics. civil !
affairs, and in the schools. Until this |
is done. and done effectually, radically, |
and for good, we have nothing to ex-
all time to come.
Our Socialist friend is entirely right |
His vote was right and tho pity is that |
all of those who think with him on the |
matter of Socialism arc not prepared |
TO drop the comparatively narrow and |
untimelY fight in which thev are on.
gagged here, and join the ranks of those
who unite 10 obtain victory on the gen.
eral and greater problem involved: q
problem which must be settled first of /
all before either peace. right, or per
sopal liberty can prevail in Utah