The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-22
MORRIS'S GIVE-AWAY.

President Ncphi L. Morris. in his talk
10 the Democrats and Citizens in the
seventeenth Ward amusement hall, We'd.
ncsday night, took pains TO falsify tue
political situation here scaudaluUslY so
far ms tho American party is concerned.
He claimed that the American party
had been "tyranuical, dcspotic, and de.
fiaut in the administration OF the af-
fairs of this city, and that the Amcri-
can party is ga party founded abso'
lutcly upon religious prejudice, and
upheld by graft and pluudcr. Mr..
Morris. of course. knows better than
this. lie was simply undertaking TO
persuade the people in his hearing that
a thing is true which he. himself, knows
to he untrue. lie knows that there is
nothing tyrannical, dcspotic or defiant
about the American party or its ad-
minstration of this city, unless TO re-
iect pricstlv control is so. He knows
that ii is not founded upon religious
prejudice. and that it is the freest
of graft and plunder of any party that
He knows that tho American party
has done a tremendous amount Of pub
lie improvement, and he knows that
those improvements have been well
made. and at an average lower price,
counting in everything, than the i'm
provemeuts of any other city in the
United States lie knows that the i'm
provcmcnts have been put in well. and
that competent visitors have praised
them as something far superior 10 what
they have been used 10 in their own
cities
MIR. Morris knows that the American
party diSclaims, and has diSclaimed
from tho first. all intention TO inter
fere with any religious organizations,
or desire to mcddc with anyone S rcig-
ious opinions or anyone 5 religious acts,
The only possible justification for Mr..
Morris 5 statement TO the contrary
could bc found in the dominant church
idea that the pricstly leaders have
the right TO rule in political and civil
affairs by virtue OF their ecclcslastica!
position Whoever believes that the
priesthood has that right would natu-
rally assume that those who deny such
right are attacking their religion. II
is only on that assumption, and on the
corresponding fact that the American
party orroses church rule in politics and
civil affairs. that there could be the
least shadow OF justification for Presi-
dent Morris's denunciation of the Amer.
lean party on this point. President
Morris evidently believes that The
church leaders have the right, by rea-
son of their church leadership. To lead
also in politics and civil affairs. So
believing. he naturally holds that one
who disputes that civil and political
dominance for tho priesthood, is attack
i'm, his religion And that is the only
possible Justification for his assertion.
But that justification completely admits
the American position on this conten-
ton. II admits that the church rulers
claim the right. and exercise it, 20 rule
in politics and civil affairs hy reason
Of their church positions. precisely as
the American party claims and shows,
and President Morris, therefore. in max
ing mis- assault on this point, completely
gives away his own case. He can no
longer DENY church interference in and
dominance of civil affairs and politics
where il can enforce that dominance.