The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-22

men is qualified to speak disinterested-
ly for the party. they are, because they
represent sentiment unbiased by fed
eral office or personal obligation.
Senator Shoots followers. presum-
ably with his approval. have been un-
willing to admit the strength or the
sincerity of those who believe his po-
litical prominence has been a misfor-
tune to his party and his state. Hon.
estiy or otherwise. they have pictured
the objection to his appearance in the
senate as an attack on his religious
faith. The revolt within his party is
based wholly on the evident truth that
the sole valid objection to him as SEN
ator is his ecclesiastical office, and the
certainty that no peace can be expected
in Utah politics while he retains party
control.
1t is true that a section of the Repub-
lican party has made its fight against
the senator a pretext for vicious as
saults on his church and its leaders:
but it is likewise true that very large
proportion of the people who oppose
him. in and out of his party, have no
sympathy with these assaults or be-
lief in their promoters. Further, the
senator's withdrawal from the sena-
torial race would inevitably be fol-
lowed by the cessation of such assaults
on the church and the dissolution of
the party which fathers them. The
American" party's real strength is in
the men and women who object hon
estly to any apostles election to high
political office-not alone to Apostle
Smoot. but TO any other; and his re-
tirement would be the signal for the
immediate realignment of these men
and women with the national parties
which has always held their allegiance.
Now, as to the position of the Demo-
cratic party. 1t opposed the election of
Mr.. Smoot. not only on party princi-
pie. but because it believed his eleva-
ton TO the senatOrship would be fol-
lowed by just such an internecine war
as has been waged. 1t offered no crit
icism of the mans personal character,
it did not question his right to believe
any creed or occupy any office in his
church to which he might be chosen.
But the Democracy of Utah, following
its established precedents and party
declarations, did oppose the election of
a high church official 10 the senate as a
dangerous intermingling of civil and
ecclesiastical authority-a position en-
dorsed by a large number of Republi-
cans as well as all Democrats.
K X X
The Democracy of Utah has much
more to gain by the continuance of
Senator Smoot in Republican leader
ship than by his retirement. The dis
ruption of the Republican party which
eliminated in the last city election,
the widening breach between his fol-
lowers and their opponents, evidenced
by Thursdays meeting: the discomfort
of the whole people with the broils and
squabbles at home, the SANDER and
defamation of the state abroad-these
things all contribute to the strength of
the Democratic party and point to its
success as the one possible solution of
the whole difficulty, But, for the sake
of the state, for the sake of his own
party, in the interest of such peace as
must come before Utah can reach the
position in the nation to which it is
justly entitled, every citizen will hope
that Senator Smoot Will be big enough
to retire. He has had honor enough to
satisfy most men, he has been vindi-
Gated of the charges against him, he
has won recognition from the national
leaders of his party under difficult con-
ditions. Just one more steD would win
higher praise and gratitude from his
people than anything else he could do
and that would be the sacrifice of his
personal ambition for the welfare of
his state and his people.