The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-29
NJ. E. Wilson, Orator of the
Evening, Given Close Atten!
ton by His Hearers.
PLACES LYING EDITORS
IN ANANlAS COLUMN
Talks of Deseret News and Its
lllegitimate Brother; Inter-
csting Programme.

An American rally, the ike Of which
has not been held during the present
campaign for marked enthusiasm, at
tendance and patriotism, was held
Wednesday evening at the residence OF
Mrs Lewis Martin. l24 3 street.
The pretty home Vas handsomely
decorated for the occasion with Jsps.
nese lanterns, bunting and the Ame-i-
can flag. Every available inch. of space
in tho lower Tooms was occupied By
those eager TO hear the speakers of the
evening, especially NJ. T. Wilson, candi
date for county attorney. From the
moment the chairman Of the evening,
Mrs. Lima Wilkinson, opened the e1er-
cises until the close the most marked
attention was given the speakers, and
greater interest was never manifested
at a political gathering in the annals
of Utah campaign.
After selection by the American
quartette, Prof George B. Swea5y was
introduced. His address was short, but
TO the point. Among other things, ne
said that the fight being waged by the
Mormon people or their religion, but
against some of the Mormon teachings.
! He declared that the Republican party
! has no monopoly on divine guidance,
| as the Mormon leaders declare, and NJ
| believed that some of the American
party speakers had revealed more to
! the good people OF this city than was
ever revealed 10 Joseph +. Smith.
| What the Americans were endeavoring
TO do was to teach the young Mormons
these things. and how to become ideal
American citizens.
Utter Foolishness.
The claim made by the MormoIs
/ that they would be driven from their
/ homes if the American party was sue
cessful in gaining power, be classed as
utter foolishness, but he admitted that
ne would like TO see Joseph T. Smith
driven from at least four of his homes
in this city,
''It must be strange TO them to sec
how the ungodly have prospered here
| during the past four years. he sand.
The speaker questioned the source OF
the divine wisdom claimed by Joseph
F. Smith and the Jnyermountain Renub-
| hcau. off 1 was told by the Almighty
that ] was to vote the Republican
ticket I presume should do so, and go
would you. but when these things are
not told to us, we are left to our own
! common sense as to what ticket TO
vote. and no man nor newspaper has
! tho right 10 tell us that the great God
| has revealed these things TO them,
After n delightful violin solo by Mr..
Valentine, j. w. Thompson, candidate
for attorney general, was introduced.
Mr., Thompson devoted his remarks 10
history Of the American party, and
declared it 10 be party or pr1nclple
and progress, He said there could be
no question that there was something
wrong in Utah. and that the Ameri-
can party was on the road to estab-
fishing for the first time peace and har-
mony within the borders of this state.
Col. Matthew Dougherty spoke feel
ingly for a few minutes on the issues
of the campaign, and after another
speaker of the evening was presented.
M E. Wilson'S Speech.
Mr.. Wilson prefaced his remarks by
saving that this is a campaign OF right
and wrong; one side is right, and, the
other wrong, ''and there is no neutral
ground between the right and wrong
he declared. He took for MS subject,
Carpet Baggcrs, and his speech in
full follows;
That term in its political sense had It's
Immediately after the close OF the great
Civil war, our fecdral government entered
upon and completed the task ut the re-
establishment or the Teconstruction o.
Republican forms OF government IN each
OF the eleven rebellious states. by DIVIDING
those states into five military uistFicts
and placing in control there officers ap-
pointed from the northern states. No
period In American history was more dli-
flcult II judged by results, Tor certainly
none IS more heavily laden with mistake.
The appointive officers from the northern
states had no interest In the communities
which they controlled and governed, ano
some OF them so far forgot themselves as
to use their sacred trust for selfish ends
end private gain. Great feeling and great
people against these officers who thus
violated and thus abused their trusts.
good and bad alike, In a spirit OF CON
tempt. was applied the term carpet bag
gers" meaning thereby a northern man
who had moved into a southern state not
for the purpose OF residing there but only
for the purpose OF exercising the func-
tions OF public officer.
at the present time, the people elect their
own officers from among their number.
Il Is difficult 70 understand how the term
carpet baggeT" can he made TO have
any Intelligent application. n tho Ameri-
can party should be defeated In this cam
palgn: II American principles should DC
rejected by the people OF Utah: II the last
vestige, small II Is at the present time.
OF a Republican form OF government
OF the hierarcb should he made absolute
over the people OF this state; and lf for
these reasons II should become necessary
for the federal government 20 once more
take q hand In the domestic affairs oS
Utah and govern this territorial district
by loyal citizens OF the republic appoint
ed from the citizenship OF other states.
.hen perhaps the people OF Utah might
well cry carpet bagger" But not untn
tho AmerisSn gaTty ana md, AmeriSan ,G s;
the federal government take hold, IT u