The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-17
IN TIE INTEREST OF sMooT.

IN THE INTEREST OF SMooT.
Truth is mighty and in the long run
is sure to prevail Ever since the ad-
vent of Reed Smoot in politics it has
been frequently and vehemently
charged that the dominant church was
being used to further the interests of
the Republican party in general and
the Provo man in particular. This
charge has been denied with great
warmth as often as made. Now the
Republican party is rent in twain over
the prohibition question, and it is
frankly acknowledged that church in
fiuence was used to force Democrats to
vote the Republican ticket
Mr.. Holman, in mis- speech in favor
of recommittng the Cannon bill,
charged that the dominant church was
endeavoring to force prohibition upon
the state and here is what Mr.. Ashton,
a good Mormon and honorable citizen,
said i'm reply:
One of the gentlemen Of the house made
q vigorous protest against the reading of
petitions from religious organizations, for
he feared that church influence might
away with the liquor tfaffic. I heard no
protest from this man-you heard none
when the Sunday schools and churches of
this county came to the rescue of the
party.
Some Democrats have offered their ser
vices in this battle against the saloon,
and he cry has gone up in this house that
we who favor prohibition are following
the leadership of Democrats.
Shame on such hypocrisy, after the
manner you pleaded with Democrats to
help you fight your battle last fall.
Shame on such hypocrisy, when you broke
down every political barrier and en-
croached upon their sacred territory to
fight common foe! Shame on such by
pocrisy. after YOU secured their votes, to
say that they cannot now petition you on
a question tina. so vitality concerns their
welfare and OuTsi The gentleman tells
US, sir, that We have no time to listen to
appeals from the church. 1 could wish,
gentlemen, that this had always been our
attitude. The men who have shaped our
political policy in this state have truckled
TO this thing so much when no moral
problem was involved that now. when
the church exercises its influence in q le-
ultimate field for the moral uplift, and
not for any political party or for any
man, OF for any group Of men, our oppo-
neats, with US the benefiCiaries of its in
fluenee. now become startled.
I cannot describe the trial it was to
my feelings TO learn that men in my
party were using religious prejudices to
cannot describe how my nature revolted
at the puerile fears that were encour-
aged from the rostrum of our party to
induce Democrats to part with their con-
vfctions and vote with u.s. as If there
were no constitutional limitations beyond
which silly threats could not be carried
I cannot express the contempt I feel for
the narrowness that forbids listening to q
Democratic suggestion
Does that reach the seat of intel
Iigence of the people of Utah2 Is any
further proof needed that the Demo-
Gratis who owe allegiance to the domi-
nant church have been cajoled into
voting against their political principles
under the mistaken notion that the
church was being attacked in the per
son of Reed Smoot? Does any sane
man, Mormon, Jew or Gentle, have the
effrontery to say that Smoot could
have been elected without such in
fiuence?
At this point II is proper TO remark
that the first presidency has disclaimed
responsibility for the actions Of the
whispering Jimmies" of the federal
oflce holders, most of whom belong to
the church. Colo. is gwen to such dis
cIaimer when the action of the bunch
ers" last fall is taken into consideTa-
ton. The Republican party was sold to
the brewers and liquor dealers, but no
one believes the first presidency was a
party to the deal or even cognizant of
it at the time. Yet the thing was done
openly and in the sight of all men. In
the debate on reconsideration Mr.. Hol-
man charged the supporters OF the pro-
bibition bill with treachery in not liv-
ing I'D to the contract made with the
brewers. On that point Mr.. Ashton
said:
outsiders have charged that We and our
narfv organ are obligated to the saloon
interests and insiders have insinuated
chat a vote for prohibition is against the
nartv- These charges and this insinua-
lion p,it every senator and every repre-
sentstive in a dilemma that no one of us
would invite.
was there a contract. and old you and
90 before the Christian, sober people in
this community asking for their patron
eye knowing in our hearts that after
election we would be bound to the riff
raffs VINO made this deal. that for the
first time is called TO our attention, that
minds us to the brewer, the saloon man
And IL no one here made it. and you now
discover that some one has made It. are
YOU going TO forsake the respectable
Christian people who are appealing to you