The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-16
Real Reason for Command to
Saints to Support Church
Republican Ticket.
WAS TO SHOW APPRECIATION
OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
His Efforts in Behalf of Apostle
Senator SmOOt Real Cause
for Edict.

Many reasons have been attributed
as to the cause for the dominant church
IN Utah coming right out IN the open
and advocating the election of the
church Republican ticket in the recent
election, - said the Prominent Politician
to The Stroller on Sunday, but the
"Prcsident Nepbi Morris was the
first of the stake presidents TO give
the command to the saints to vote the
church Republican ticket, after the
President of the church had given the
order at the October conference. and the
other stake presidents in salt Lake
county quickly followed the lead OF
President Morris.
GAS / have said, various reasons
have been given for the open course
taken. The real reason, however. was
given ME by a good saint saturday:
This churchman has been close friend
of mine for a number of years; IN fact,
we are associated in several business
ventures. and ! know he. would not de-
ceiye me. He is not resident IN tne
stake over which Morris has Jurlsdlc-
tion, but he has several relatives who
live in that part of the city, and he
told me that il was from one of them
that ne obtained his information.
Why Command Was Issued.
"In our talk he said that when the
vote on the reports of the senate com
mittee on privileges and elections had
been passed upon by the senate, and
Apostle-Senator Smoot was sustained by
the senate as United States senator
from Utah, that a telegram was sent
to Apostle Smoot by the first presi
Gency, congratulating him on being re-
tanned as a senator and expressing
gratitude toward the senators who had
voted to sustain him. and the president
of the United States IN particular. for
the manner in which his administration
had stood by Smoot.
'This telegram, so be sald, was fol-
lowed by letter from the hierarch, in
which he was more fulsome IN his con;
gratulations TO the apostle"seDator and
TO President Roosevelt. The praise ac-
corded Roosevelt for the way he swung
the big stick and compelled one Of the
senators TO repudiate his own (the SEN
ator's) signature to the majority report;
the way in which he had held other
senators in line for Smoot, was accord
ing 10 his informant, unusually full
some, in fact it bordered upon the slop-
over order
"This telegram and the letter were,
according to his informant, taken by
Apostle Smoot to the White House and
were shown to President Roosevelt and
the latter, after reading them turned
to the apostle and said, as the tears
rolled down his cheeks (this is the way
my informant was told); Senator
Smoot, convey my kindest regards 10
that dear, good man who is the presi
dent of your church; thank him for the
complimentary manner III which be re-
fers TO me and TO my administration,
and assure him that | will do all in my
power TO see that he finishes out his
life without being molested in any man
ner,'
This the Real Reason.
F.Tbis is the story that my friend g
informant declares is the real reason
why the church came out in the open
and issued the order for all good saints
to support the church Republican
ticket Nephi Norris, he says, gave
this as the reason for the utterances
of the higher ecclesiasts, who directed
the members Of the church to vote for
the church Republican ticket. the pur-
pose being to show TO Roosevelt that
the church could deliver the goods
whenever it was necessary, and to show
appreciation of the effort that he had
put forth in behalf of the apostolic
senator.
sin other words, it was not due to
anything that was said, or done locally,
that caused the decree, but simply to
show the power Of the church and to
iptimidatc, if possible, any persons from
making another contest against Smoot 8
right 20 seat in the senate when the
coming legislature re-elects him
:" But in this the hierarchy forgot one
thing, and that is that the decree
which they issued TO stake authorities,
ana which the latter promulgated, is
one Of the strongest weapons with
which the opponents of Smoot could
have been presented, for it is an abso-
lutte admission that the church is in poll.
ties and that there is union OF church
and state in Utah.