The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-27
THE AMERICAN PURPOSE.

Having run its string of worthless
trash on "Why the American Party?'
the Smoot "Mouthn has apparently
begun another serial. F'Why Not the
American Party?'' In bald msstute-
mcnt of fact, in utter disregard of the
true situation here, this second plea for
Republican Americans to come 70 tho
support of the Federal bunch is oven
rauker than the first series.
For instance, it says that ''the whole
fundamental scheme OF the American
party is 10 draw the dividing line be
tween two classes of our Utah citizen
ship. Precisely the reverse is the
case. The American party found that
line drawn hard and fast by the HE
rarehy Of the Mormon church; it found
that hierarchy in possession Of polit-
ical power which no theocracy can,
without danger possess in rcpub'
lican. form Of government. The aim
of the American party is TO wipe ont
that dividing line, and il is going TO
wipe it out, and to free the Mormon
people from any obligation whatever
to obey the dictates of self assumed
divine mouthpieces in politics, business,
and civil affairs.
Further on the "Mouth" claims that
"the American party is first, last and
all the time an agency for the pro-
mitigation of hatred against the Nor
mons Here is another utterly base
less and willfully malignant falsehood
The American party numbers among
its ranks very many good members of
the Mormon church. IT has no feeling
whatever against Mormons or against
the Mormon church. 1t invites all
Mormons to break the political bands
which bind them TO church oligarchy
and to assert their independence and
personal freedom in all political, civil
and secular affairs, 1t welcomes Nor
mons TO IFS ranks. and has always been
extremely careful to avoid all secta
riau or religious strife. It's declara
tions have uniformly been such as any
Mormon could emphatically approve
who is not hide bound adherent to
the idea that he is bound to obey &c
clesiastical "counsei' in his temporal
and political actions. 1t is not only
highly absurd TO charge the American
party with any auimus against the
Mormons or against the Mormon church,
in view of the fact that the Ameri
can party expects to win its battle
for freedom in Utah very largely by
Mormon votes, but n peculiarly braZep
piece of mendacity. 1T would not only
be the height Of folly, but a suicidal
act, to engage in any such hostility or
warfare as the Smoot Mouth"
charges against the American party.
1t is possible that some persons may
be misled by such Misrepresentation
into some sort of prejudice against the
American party. But if those who
are so misled are men and women of
candid, open minds, they will at once,
on looking through the record and dec
larations of the American party. see
the absolute falsity Of any and all such
charges made against that party, from
whatever source they come.
1t is impossible but that such arti-
cles as these printed in the Mouth -
must react against the cause for which
the "Mouth' uses such lying, pcrverse,
and misleading arguments. - There
is not one word of truth in any of
these charges, intimations, suggestions,
or implications, put forward by the
Smoot "Mouth' in its feverish and
frenzied plea for Republican Ameri-
cans to come to the support of the
"Federal bunch' in its oncoming fight
with the prohibition forces of the Nor
mon church There are those who pro
test in a way that the bargain closed
with the liquor interests for the cleo
tion last fall goes no further than
that campaign. If that is true, then
Joseph T. Smith will be free Though
we doubt his Willingness to do it, to
turn in and help the prohibition wing
of his church at the coming election
in this State. And should this occur
there will be nothing but mincemeat
left of the "Fedcral bunch' after the