The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-04
CONFERENCE QUESTIONS.

The general conference OF thu Nor
mon church, beginning Sunday, prom
ises 10 be one # the most interestine
gatherings in the history Of the church
and one Of the best attended. The
church is prosperous. its members have
had theb fun share of the general we'll
being which has blessed this whole re-
gion. and there is every reason for the
thanksgiving which attends a large
gathering under such conditions
After the immediate affairs of the
church itself. the most interesting sub
ject Of discussion is expected to be the
agitation for prohibition or reform In
the liquor business. As is known. the
church adopted resolutions on this sub
ject last fall which were ultimately in
terpveted az a declaration for state
wide prohibition And IS is equally
well known. the effort to secure prohi-
bition was baked, if not defeated. sole
~ by the alliance Of the Republican
party leaders and the liquor interests.
It has been charged repeatedly that
the church, or its leaders, understood
the compact Of politicians and liquor in
terests during the campaign, and tacit-
ly permitted its contamination at the
polls. The Herald does not believe that
the church authorities as body, OF any
large part Of its chief officials knew be
ferehand Of the deal which was carried
out in the legislature. The history OF
tie church itself accounts adequately
FOR the predominant sentiment among
lis members in favor of temperance
and the larse body Of its membership
is temperate in practice as well as ir
belief Undoubtedly the church au-
thorities made possible the success al
the polls OF the machine that made the
deal with the liquor mon. there was M
concealment of the fact. and the att
tude of men like Nephi I. Morris botf
before the election and after the Iegis.
lative iasco. made the situation clear
AR Morris and the other high official.
who aided him al carrying the election
for the Smoot machine thought tn,
safety of their church organiza ton an,
the protection of its higher officials la,
in the election of the Republican ticket
They were deluded. Of course, and the!
We're misIed'by the very men who after
ward flouted their demand for liquo
legislation and ridicuIed their effort L
secure respectful hearing on the ques
ton. Whatever may be thought O
their judgment Of their use OF eccIesi
astical power FOR political ends the.
used that power openly and made M
effort TO conceal their purpose as tn
machine advised them to do
Now Mr.. Morris and Apostle Gran
and the very large number Of churcI
people who advocated prohibition dc
clare she campaign has only begun. \
a moral question. they say it is a Iesiti
mate subject FOR action by the churel
in conference. just as it was last Octo
her II the subject is brought NJ a
this gathering. and if the discussion i
As frank as il has been heretofore. /
ought to furnish most interesting mat
ter. not only for the church peouIe an,
the politicians, but also for the liouo
dealers. who supposed they had bough
Immunity from interference with thei
business when they purchased the con
trolling element In Republican politics
The machine politicians have prom
ised their friends that The conference
will DO nothing rash" and t.st tn
muffler" win be put on the rsdical
who may want to speak their minds OF
the liquor question. Under the circum
stances. we venture to guess that IN
politicians viii be soreIy disappointed
and that there VIII be such outspoke
enunoiation OF the church's attitude OF
the subject as will leave no doubt as Z
its position or as to the ultimate fat
Of the politicians who declared thei
ability TO control its deliberations il
this particular