The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-10
LESSON OF THE ELECTION.

LESSON OF THE ELECTION.
The lesson of the election which has
Just been held on the proposition 10
amend the constitution SO as TO make
possible the erection of a capitol build
ing should not be lost on the Federal
y bunch in this city That "bunch' -
can sec in the result Of the election
its finish. it brings home TO that
I"bunch.n as nothing else could, the
resentment of the people at the base
and selfish methods practiccd by them.
It teaches them the rage of the people
at the "bunch s. Matchmaking pol
itics, especially manifested through the
acts of their organ, and the indignation
of this State at finding the church
yoked up by this Federal bunch "
with the liquor interests for political
purposes.
The Mouth organ last year loudly
made an apparently earnest, deter
mined, and prolonged effort in behalf
of prohibition, 1t run big-typed boxes
on its first page, advocating prohib-
ton for Utah, 1t turned out later
! that this was merely a blackmaiIing
! scheme. whereby it was hoped by prohi-
b;tion threats TO bring the liquor inter
ests 10 time. and make them put up a
sum of money for the support OF the
! % Mouth and the advancement of
the campaign interests of the so-called
Republican, party. The game sue
came down. handsomely, paving up
wards Of $4,000, most OF which was
absorbed by the "Mouth,H as report
has it.
When the Legislature met, the mem
bers from the outside counties supposed
that the war for prohibition was still
on and they took it for granted that
the president of the church was at the
back Of the scheme which had been so
loudly and SO long presented TO the pub.
| lie by the Smoot Mouth Accord
ingly. the lower house of the Lcgisla
ture passed with practical unanimity,
perhaps the most drastic prohibition
bill ever proposed in any State. This
was hung up in the Senate until the
members of the lower house could be
reasoned with and shown that the
whole prohibition farce was simply a
political dodge. and meant nothing eI-I
cept 10 solidify the Liquor interests in
support Of the church The Senate
was easily brought TO support this view
of The question. but the House was more
mo,Il 4
until positive proof was brought that
Joseph T.. Smith was opposed to pro
hibition. that he knew and approved
of the deal with the liquor interests.
Then the House sided with the Senate
and its majority for prohibition melted
away
In the meantime, however, the most
indignant possible feeling had been
aroused against the "Federal bunch. -
The people at large met in a huge
80 Republican prohibition convention
in Salt Lake, and denounced the infam |
Gus bargain that had been made in the
blaekmailing Of the liquor interests to
the deceit Of the people, and passed
resolutions in favor Of the prohibition
movement. and expressing Indignation
AT the action OF the - Federal bunch. .
whereby, as the convention claimed, |
the people had been betrayed Dire
threats Of vengeance were openly |
made against the Federal bunch TO
be put into effect as soon as the first |
opportunity offered. The first opportu-
nifty offered was in the capitol elec.
ton, the result showing that those |
threats are still held over the 'Fcd- !
eral BUNCH and that the wrath |
caused by the Infamous politics Of The
bunch is still hot.
1t is quite ,true, as explained by |
some members of the "Federal bunch. =
that Ogden took advantage of the op
portunity TO air its hatred OF Salt Lake,
and that 10 some extent this feeling
against Salt Lake had its effect in
other places. But, beyond any question,
the great and controlling feature that |
influenced the people TO vote against the |
capitol proposition was antipathy to
and dctcstation of the ''Fedcral |
bunch It's tricks. lis corruption, its
selfshnoss, its unscrupulousness, and |
] It's dcpraviiy. Whenever there is a !