The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-07

acter aud require such distinct orders of
! ability and activities that no man pos
| sesses power to discharge their duties
either with credit to himself or to the
advantage of his church or his state.
| No one Will argue that Reed Smoot holds
such a commanding position of intellect
! or character that ne ought to be thus
more than doubly honored in state and
| church.
| g. Respecting Reed Smoot as an apostle
of the church, 1 have nothing to say, as
| to his fitness for the office or his abil-
| ties to discharge the duties of that call
| ing. My observation leads me to the
! conclusion that God accOmplisheS his
purpose at times as well through weak
| instrumentalitieS as through strong ones:
and as | must needs believe that this
gentleman was called to his place in the
| apOstolate by inspiration of God. it re-
moves him in that capacity beyond my
| criticism. With reference to his abili-
/ ties as a senator, I feel entirely free to
| criticise his fitness as a senator. the
/ principles he eSpouSeS and the manner in
which he supports them; but it is not
/ my intention here to discuss that phase
| of the subject. / merely desire to point
| out the fact that whatever order of abil-
| tiles may be claimed for him, there is
/ no one who will seriously undertake to
! say he is qualified to meet the respon-
| sibilities of both offices, and those who
urge the two positions upon him are
merely making him a candidate for rid
spur to a humiliating failure.
Public Reasons Against Him.
1 enumerate the public reasons which
! in my judgment should operate against
his election to succeed himself as United
States senator from the state of Utah.
l. There is no occasion for his election
on the score of his tranScendent abilities.
or that there are no others worthy or ca
pable to fill the place since within his
party alone there are at least 800 men
! in the state, any one of whom would dis
charge the duties of the office in an
equally acceptable manner. ana some OF
them both with greater credit and ad-
vantage TO the state, and without per-
petuating the old antagonism and exclt-
ing new ones.
2. His election will mean a renewal OF
the contest at Washington. for il is not
to be supposed that the millions of sec
tartan bigots who petitioned the senate
and opposed his occupancy of the seat IN
that august body will accept defeat OF
their plans without further effort. we
may be assured that the fight against
Reed Smoot will be renewed, with very
great probability of a repetition OF an m
vestigation of leading officials of the
church, with much disadvantage to some
of them over the first investigation. 1t
will be urged, and with some
show of reason, that the question was
not settled by the action of the senate
on the merits of the case as presented oy
l.the complainants. but on political party
grounds, and eXpediency.
3. His reelection, as his first was, VIII
be in violation of the American sentiment,
that high church officials should not seek,
nor hold. political positions. sentiment
to which we, have done justice in Utah,
since we hold that it is only in our own
case that such Srejudices are active. IL
we would be entirely candid, however,
we would admit the sentiment to be real
and as ready to be invoked against other
churches as well as our own. For eX-
ample: If Cardinal Gibbons were elected
by the Catholics OF Maryland 10 the
United States senate, if Archbishop Ire
land were elected by the Catholic votes of
New York to the same position, we would
see aroused in the United states an OPP
position against those men to which the
opposition against Reed SmoOt would be
as summer breeze to cyclone, and
urged upon the same ground, namely, that
they are high churchmen, with allegiance
primarily given to the Catholic church,
and dominated by influences not Ameri-
can and not political. 1t goes without
saying that both these gentlemen are of
high moral character. of approved abili-
ties but no one would see these elected
to the United States senate without re-
gret. WhyI
4. If Reed SmOot becomes a candidate
to succeed himself it will perpetuate the
bitterness of spirit in our local politics.
keep alive the cry of the domination Of
our politics by church influence. IL Will
ALLEVIATE the loyalty to the Mormon church
and it's priesthood of many of the young
people and will furnish excuses for
perpetuation of the American" party and
it's unworthy efforts in our state
Utah Soon to Be n-Mormon.
). Candidacy of Reed Smoot and all
other political issues should be regarded
in the light of absolute certainty that
Utah is destined to become a non-Mor-
mon state. If the present ratio of in
crease as between Mormon and Gentle
e-1-.o Nfv,rrn
1t is only a matter of ten years before
Utah will be a prOnouncedly nOn-Mormon
state. 1t is for those who are directing
the policy of our church TO consider
whether they will have II anu-Mornoh
as we'll as nom Mormon
If we persist In some of the methods
now In vogue. it will unavoidably be anti
Mormon, and | venture the prediction
that if we continue to disregard our
pledges to eliminate the exercise of &C.
clesiastical authority and influences in
political affairs, the time will come when
the Mormon population OF the state Will
be helpless in the influence OF the des-
TIMES of the state politically, as they
now are helpless in the municipal affairs
of Salt Lake City. i believe the true
policy of the church would be to take
this attitude: Responding to the we'll
settled sentiment of the American people
against ehurchmen seeking political pref
erment, we shall hereafter request the
general officers of the church, namely,
first presidency, quorum of the twelve.
council of the seventies and presiding
bishOpric. TO abstain from seeking pol
iticaI positions or becoming prominently
identified in party politics.
I told YOU in the beginning that | could
only refer TO this subject in headlines
and within very narrow limits. Each
paragraph is capable of elaboration, and
the reasons for Mr.. Smoot giving up the
ambition to succeed himself could be null
tiplied indefinitely.
Trusting. however that this outline will
in part express the views / entertain on
this subject, L am,
Most truly yours.
B. H. ROBERTS.
RRNaAI rstEtn AAAki