Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-21
CHURCH INTERFERENCE.

We have paid some attention. as i'm
| partial Spectators, TO the political tlctiv-
| ity nf Methodist bishops against Speak
| or Cannon OF the House Of Represents
| tatiYes These bishops have not hes
| itated in using their influence us &C.
| clesiastical officials in this matter,
but, plirabIe dictu! the local bowling
| dervishes have entirely forgotten TO
include the Methodist hierarchy" in
| their program Of franHiod denuncia-
| lions. We notice this fact as proof
positive that they are actuated by NAL
Ice. This Is not true of their deluded
followers, but it is true of the leading
demagogues. These are full of venom
and hypocricS.
we notice that the legislative COM
mittee of the Methodist temperance So
ciety now comes out with a direct APP
peal 10 Methodist voters. This Is a
clear mixture of religion and politics,
duly labeled. 1t is an appeal to a re-
iigious class for Il political purpose.
The appeal says in part:
We specifically urge. in addition to
the contest in Speaker Cannon's own
district, that every Republican canul-
date for Congress be publicly asked
whether he favors the recollection OF
L.r, Cannon as Sneaker, and his reply
published In the newspapers of his dis
trict. We submit that a vote for Mr.
Taft to carry out the Roosevelt policies
and for Il Congressman who will help
Mr.. Cannon nbstruct them Is q cont. a.
dictory ballot which largely defeats
itself and that party loyalty cannot be
legitirnately stretched to require sup
port OF a man whose course inlperils
party success.
I'VE advise in all cases that our peo-
pie vote for the congressional candidate
who most completely combines salts
factory records and attitude with prob
ability of election; and recommend that
When neither the Republican nor DEM
ocratic candidates are acceptable. the
Prohibition candidate for Congress be
supported as II protest and n demon
stration Of growing independent tenn
perance sentiment. We believe that
material incrcase in tho n Prohibition
votes in localities where both Demo-
are unresponsiye to enlightened public
sentiment will have a. wholesome eff
feet"
Z
suggests the abandonment of party
lines In the interest of the cause 1t
represents, And yet we hear Of no
church interference in politics.
The Northwestern Christian Advo-
cate prints anti-Cannon resolutions
adopted by Methodist conferences, The
Southern Ilionois conference expressed
the following sentiment;
I'VE most heartily concur i'm tho po-
sition of the Temperance Society of
our Church in reference to Speaker
Cannon, and the recent utterances OF
our bishops in regard to his attitude
to the bill before the last session of
Congress commonly known as the Lit
tlefield bill; and we believe that the,
defeat of Speaker Cannon has become
essential to securing necessary legis-#
latian to make the enforcement of local
laws successful. Therefore. be 1t re-
solved. that we will not support any.
man Tor Congress who is not pledged
to the removal of this obstrutlonist
as Speaker of the House of the United
States Congress-.
The Michigan conference has this to
say:
"The attitude OF Speaker Cannon,
whether it prevented action on the
Littlefield bill or not. was friendly to
the liquor interests, and We therefore
indnrse the sincere and able opposit ion
or the Northwestern Christian Advo-
cate to his return to Congress and con-
tinuance in the position OF Speaker of
that great body
Let the reader try TO realize that
these resolutions were not adopted at
political conventions but nj religious
conferences.
And the Methodists are not the only
religious body entering the political
field. Ata meeting of the Swedish,
Lutheren ministerial association OF
Chicago the following. resolution was
adopted recently
Resolved, That We, the Swedish
Lutheran Ministerial Association OF
Chicago and vicinity. in melting assem-
hled. representing fifty congregations
avowed disappPoyal of MI. Cannon in
fuvcrng the liquor interests of the
country. and urge upon the Scandina-
Wan people as n unit to use all lawful
and honorable means for preventing
his reelection to CongsDss and TO
support only such candidates for office
as pledge themselves to the cause Of
temperance and other neadud reforms
Since the division on party lines in
Utah there has been less Interference
by the Church here in politics, than
this interference by the Mettodlsts.
and Lutherans. aud yet the dema-
gogues here who. by the way, see no
objection to the Interference nf saloon
and brothel keepers in politics, are
Il,