The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-12
THOMAS WEIR
IELLG WHY II
AM AN AMERICAN

u,am'a G"u'yS - ana Gcntlemcn-As there arc 50
no,,, onns 90 'akc part this evening il be-
ael,nG ao,gS Us AZ to be. very brief am
nSS|d 20 taik for q few moments on The
SnhJcrt. why I Am an American '''f
suppose tlIat means. Why am an hncri
an ParlN man good many of ms have
pSch reared in other communities NC
H@Nc come here 10 do the hnst "a. ,,
! hn"N that was my lot Where NO have
nccn reared We have all been accustomed
10 snow S<legiance TO some political nar,,,
was LED TO AFFILIATE with inc RenuHIj,,Sr XII ~,
pHrtE. and | came To Utah with Inc idc9
irSt {mSt me me Republican, party in Utah was
anywbnro STTS he same G as the Republican party
my "lFTe' ana have met lots of peo0ls
here who thought the Democratic nsrt,.
IN I ian was just the same as the Demo
sta,ic s,a, party auywhere in the United
1LaISS. III LOOK me great whilc-I JIJ
not learn the lesson as quickly as some
OF my friends. that when you crossed .hG
nnc INTO Utah there was no Republican
party, and there was no Democratic
party. But there was some more Un
pieasantness about il. 1t was not easy
70 =! break away from she old affiliations po-
HticaIN; but there were other things ;iInf
were Still more disasfceablc
When the American party was organ
wed, and for some years after. We could
not present Il single subject or DO a sin
Gle thing in th" American party Wjtb<
oi't antagonizlns some OF our best friends
our Mormon friends could not understand
us. US because they thought that We were
trying 10 attack their religion. Our Re
publican friends could not understand
because they thought VIC were irving 70
break down thclr party. Our Dcnlocratic
friends could not understand MS. because
they thought thai We were fixing up some
scheme tc set tie best of them In some
way.
But the events OF the last six months
have taken away all that embarrassment
We do not have TO explain To anyone why
we are American party men, The two
they have accused each other OF so much
more than We ever accused them os that
there Is nothing lcfr for Us TO explain III
all. That is one reason why | am On
American party man--morc now than 1
was before. We DO not have 10 assail
They have ,oid us all that we want 10
party man because have seen more
progress i'm the last three or -four wears in
this city than there seemed TO he cvi-
doncc OF in The previous fifty years, aua
tlIat iS another reason,
! see. as Mr.. Haloyau remarked. The
town hlling M with good people. aua
means prosperity ] believe it means
reform And here is lho most dangerous
rock before us. The question Is. have NC
got the courage 10 attack each reform us
We OUGHT To? II VIC do not attack re-
form right we are not worthy O. rule
this city, There has been a great deaf
Of prcie3sc at reform. ] have lived here
Just fifteen wears and il seems there has
been n great deal OF pret"nscmost Of il
was mere sham, ] hope the American
party viii never start tu on some little
simple vote getting scheme having moth
ing behind it, The future Is before us
We have chance To mako this city the
most beautiful city. the best city in all
this country. Everything is I'm our ia
vor We have the climate. the scenery.
The plan for great city. aud all the
surrounding conditions. with our resorts
and everything else We ought Ia mako
this one Of the most desirable places IN
the United States
| am in favor of the American party
for another reason, The American pariy
does not have 10 ask any church or any
institution IN this state for permission
10 90 ahylnne. VIC p'hHVc IN lhe people
in this state. had any doubt that nc citi-
zcn$ Of Utah were absolutely competent
10 pass any Ian. any leGisla tion, devise
any means. financial or otherwise that
we need in this community. and 1 never
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