The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-14
AMERICAN PARTY SPIRIT.

Inc american Iy hIS"'AS
the hall of the 3. B. order IN the Auer-
bach block, on Thursday evening, was
an enthusiastic and confident one.
There was not, among all those pres
ent, one faint heart. Every ono was
strong in the cause, every man ana
every woman responded instantly aud
with emphasis to tho proposition that
the fight must go on until the victory
for liberty, progress, aud Individual
freedom is won.
The treacbery of the church leaders
in the recent political campaign, their
open advocacy of the Republican
party cansc, their dragooning of their
Democratic members into the support OF
the Republican local ticket, their open
avowal of conference OF the SIX preSl-
deuts of stakes of this city and county,
these presidents comforting together on
the confident assumption that they
could control the votes of their people
either way, their dcuunciatiop of those
Democrats who refused To vote the Ne
publican ticket st the command OF their
church officials os E'traitorS TO their
church all this unmasked the false
rretenscs of the hierarchs, 80 that here
after it viii no longer be possible for
the ahjcct apologistS of tho ecclesiastl'
cal dominance 20 deny tho exercise or
political power in the control OF the
votes of its members.
Every speaker was emphatic on the
proposition that there was nothing to
do as free, self respecting Americans, ez-
cent TO continue this fight until the
victory is won. The idea was concisely
aud neatly expressed by one of the
speakers, who said the alternatives here
were easily defined; there Uas an op-
ton of but three things TO do, to fight.
10 emigrate, or TO Join the church. One
of the speakers went into details on
the pripciples involved aud upon the
facts developed during the recent cam
paign. showing the astonishing vitality
of the American principles as demon
strated in the sturdy vote that was cast,
and called upon the audience to respond
by rising vote as 10 whether they were
IN full determination to continue the
instant and of the most gratifying char
octcr, Other speakers pushed to- the
front the idea of making fighc at the
coming school election, and po;nted out
how absurd it was for the reactiopary
element here, the clement that opposes
progress, that knows the least about cdu-
cation aud cares the least about it, TO
be in charge of the public school system
of this city.
The meeting was most harmonious
one So far from being disheartcncd,
every one appeared to be stimulated by
the result of the recent election, which
has made plain that the American party
has within lis ranks the absolute ma.
joritv Of all the voters in this city. 1t
is plain that there are from fourteen
To fifteen thousand American votes in
Salt Lake. These votes will sweep
the city next fall, and the year sfLer
they will undoubtedly be so increased
IN numbers that the majority in this
city will be sufficient to overcome Che
adverse majority in the county outside,
The pretense that the church was at
tackled was fully exploded in this meet
ing, aud it was made plain. as the fact
is, that this was q mere silly pretonse
OF no validity or standing, and that the
real terror which brought the church TO.
getber was the dread Of exposure of the
mismauagemcnt, the graft, the malad-
ministration, aud misappropriation Of
county funds. The terror with the op.
position was lest the light be turned on
in county affairs and the people be made
aware Of what has been and is going on.
1t was not desire 10 protect the
church, but desire TO protect the graft
ing incompctcnts that the Republican
party had put into office aud main.
tainod there that caused the church TO
Solidify it's vote. The pTnteuse for that
consolidation was q mere sham. aud
everybody knew IL TO be so all the time.
The real reason for the consolidation,
the real thing that forced that consoli"
dation, was the absolute necessity for
the church, from q political standpoint,
of covering up the jobs, steals, and the
gratis in county affairs, and protecting
those Of its incumbents who were guilty
OF the malappropriatiou and OF the mis-
use of the public money contributed by
the taxpayers of this county. That was
the real reason for the consolidation of
the church vote. Nothing else will
stand examination for one moment.
1t was q consolidation of grafters,
by graftnrs, and for grafters, for
mutual protection and to cover up
their mi isdeedS. And that is the sum
and substance Of the whole matter.
The American vote held up remark
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