The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-10-08

At the closing session of the Mormon
church conference, President Smith
said, when he rose to pronounce the
benediction:
I thank God that this state of Utah is.
and has been. represented I'm the halls Of
congress by honest men, men after Gods
own heart, men who love their own peo-
pie, and who are just and impartial and
true 10 all the citizens of our state. I
thank God that we are blessed with the
privilege of representing ourselves, rather
than being misrepresented by our en-
emieS IN the halls of congress and, in the
name of common sense, | deplore the
thought that any Latter-day Saint should
regret that good men and true have been
chosen, not by the church, but by their
own followers and by their own political
parties. TO represent the state Of Utah in
the halls of congress. / thank God for ii.
That is my sentiment, and hope / shall
not see the day soon when we shall have
the misfortune again of being misrepre-
scented or Of failing to be properly repre-
sentc- in the halls Of congress.
That was as strong commentator as
the Utah delegation could desire from
one so influential. but ii is not surpris-
ing to those who know the president
of the church and the circumstances
surrounding his administration. He
has always been a pronounced Re
publican and his convictions have left
him little room for sympathy with men
of the Democratic faith. He has never
hesitated to express his opinion. On
the contrary, it is impossible for a man
o. his temperament to suppress his
views even when it might seem expe-
dent. Subjected to a continuing as
sault on himself and his associates in
authority which would aggravate any
man almost to infuriation. he evidently
reached the point where silence was no
longer possible.
Whether the approval of he delega-
ton was meant as a specific appeal in
their behalf and directed to III voters
of the state is a debatable question.
The language is rather Oracular and
might be construed TO express nothing
but thanksgiving that men of good
character are now representing the
states. Whatever the intention, the
critics of the president will see in his
address one more instance Of church
interference in politics, while his fol-
overs will accept the language as the
individual mood may interpret it.
To the careful observer of conditions
here il seems unlikely that any vote will
be changed by the incident. Indeed,
the alignment of forces, not of parties,
but Of forces massed on one side or the
other. has been so well defined. the line
OF cleavage in voting is so distinct and
complete that the inal result is not
going to be affected materially.
Those who think Senator Shoots
presence in politics is a misfortune for
the church as we'll as for the state. the
open commentator Of his political
record will regret the incident as bear
ing on the continuance Of existing con-
ditions and encouraging the SmoOt ma
chine in ruthless destruction of politi-
cal lines and the substitution of per-
sonaI ACKNOWLEDGEMENT at the expense
of he peace of the state.
AS for the Democrats OF the state,
they will go right along with their or
sanitation and the continuance of
their fight for the restoration Of nor
NAL conditions. Eventually the people
of the state will realize that there can
be no peace here except by the retire
ment from W of Smoot and all the
coterie which surrounds him: and that
the only way to attain this, as well as
the elimination OF the American" fac
ton Of the Republican party. is by the
election of Democrats.