Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1908-06-04
NONE so BLIND, ETC.

No one Is so bind. ACCORDING " o.
old maxim, as is he who will not See a
This is illustrated. in part, Dy inS
attitude of the Crawford organs WIN
regard to the question whether the
great Mormon church, through us
hierarchy, is lending encouragement
to the candidacy of Mr.. Crawford LOT
the United States senate.
AS this paper has heretofore sug.
gested, the case rests substantially
upon probabilities. 1t Is known LOT
& certainty that certain OF the MORMON
elders. now in South Dakota, have at
various times criticised Senator XIII
redge for his opposition concerning
the Smoot matter. That these elders
sought to influence the public ad.
versely to the political interests OF
Mr.. kittredge is SO we'll attested as 10
require no additional proof: AT worth
ing, for instance, two OF the Mormon
elders were given to understand Dy
their auditors that no further REFER
ence by them to Mr.. Kittredge's atti-
tuoa regarding Smoot would be toier-
ated.
The real point-the real meat-of
the whole Mormon question, SO lar as
II relates to Kittredge, is contained
in the vital issue that Mr.. kittredge
has raised with respect to Shoots
seat in the United States senate. NO
has so succinctly stated the basis
for reasonable opposition to the seat
ing of Mormon apostles in either
branch of congress as has Senator
Kittredge in his explanation OF his
vote against the seating OF Smoot..
Senator Kittredge has raised an Is
sue that bids fair to become national
in character. He contends that SO
long as the Mormon hierarchy coun-
tenances polygamy, as the evidence In
the Snoot case clearly shows, and
until the federal government shall
have been clothed with constitutional
power to deal directly with polygamy,
there is but one mode OF punishment
FOR Utah's violation of the compact
mode is through Withholding OF the
right from Mormon apostles to par
ticipate in national legislation.
The Mormon hierarchy undoubtedly
realizes the force of this position.
Senator Kittredge has become a man
of national reputation. His reason
for denying Smoot the right to sit in
the senate strikes the country with
even greater force because Mr.. Kilt
redges opposition to Smoot cannot be
ascribed to religious "fanaticism,
which is urged by Mormons against
the church people who have taken
such radical position against Smoot.
Kittredge's contention is SO logical as
to preclude any Mormon defense that
otherwise might be set up.
There is still another basis for Nor
mon opposition to Kittredge. He
stands committed to the adoption of
a constitutional amendment comforting
upon congress the right to deal direct
ly with polygamy and with pOlygamists
thus circumventing such states as
Utah in their evident determination
to ignore polygamy and to protect
polygamists from punishment.
In view of these facts the prObablli-
ties assuredly point to Mormon effort
to encompass Kittredge's defeat. 1t
does not require the brains of eminent
logicians to understand why Mormon
breasts rankle with hatred for Kilt
redge.
When it Is understood that the head
of the Mormon church has two million
dollars, annually to expend as the
| apostolic board may direct, without
being under the necessity of account
| ing for the funds, the probabilities
mentioned in the preceding paragraph
| are at once strengthened.
In this connection it may not be out
| of place to cali attention to the evil
dence of Mr.. w. S. Bowen, formerly
editor Of the Sioux Falls Press, now
| associated with former Senator Dyi-
| bois in the editorship of the Scimitar.
published at Boise Iraho. Mr. Bowen
| cannot be accused of special friend
ship for Mr.. Kittredge, and yet it is
manifest from what he says in his
paper that he believes that the Nor
mon hierarchy is secretly lending as
sistance to the effort to defeat the
senator. Commenting on a paragraph
Advocate, Mr.. Bowen said in the
Scimitar of Nav 16 1908.
And South Dakota is getting "a
touch of the power of the hierarchy
too. Senator Kittredge is a republic
| an of the most regular order. He APP
proves of the Roosevelt policies gen.
orally. In one instance he asserted
his independent preference, in conse-
quence OF which he has brought down
on his head the concentrated opposition,
and, as the Advocate states, money
to defeat Senator Kittredge. This was
when he cast his vote in the senate OF
the United States, as one of the two
| representatives of a sovereign state
against a representative and defender
of polygamy retaining his seat in that
body.
Idaho extends cordial greeting to
| South Dakota We have touch here
| of the power of this menacing sect,
parading arrogantly before the peo-
pie as a church. There you have but
| the campaign of the agents OF the
church with which to contend. Here
we have the votes of 10000 of their
devotees, ruled by the spirit Of reve-
| lation from the polygamous head of
the organization, direct from Salt
Lake.
Here they all profess to be repub-
licans, while there they are engaged
| in q fractional fight within the repub-
lican party, against a senator because
he voted as his patriotic conscience
| bade him vote.
"All this in the name of the church,
| and under the guise of religion"
-
| Secretary Of State Wipf, after a