The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-09
THE JEFFERSON BANQUET.

The banquet of Utah Democrats at
the Commercial Club on Thursday even
ing in honor of the great Jefferson
anniversary, was a right lively, active
affair At the same time, the old note
Of despair in view of the attitude of
the church in fighting the Democratic
party was manifest in the speeches. The
undertonc of Judge Kings speech was
distinctly despondcnt in view of the
church S hostility. And even Judge
Powers, optimistic as he was, could
not forget that great many supposed
Democrats forgot their Democracy on
election day in Utah.
Judge King defantly said that no
church shall lay its hands upon the
Democratic party; this in grief be-
cause the Mormon church has so often
laid its hands on the Democratic party
TO such disastrous effect. The laying
of hands on the Democratic party by
the Mormon church elders is by no
means beneficial. 1t works Just the
contrary way. By the time a Demo
crat has come out from under the hands
of a Mormon elder or high priest, he
is for the time being as good Repuo-
lican RS anybody. And when Judge
King proceeded further to say that the
Democrats will not try TO placate any
body, that the Democrats will ask no
quarter and will give none, he spoke
like hero: or, perhaps, it would be
more opposite TO say that he was a
modern Ajax defying the lightning. 1t
is to be hoped that the lightning may
not strike him. and that he may not
be boosted up into the Tabernacle pull
pit some fine Sunday and made to
take it all back.
Judge Powers in his talk evidently
considered that the party was in a
pretty bad way; it had been following
after false gods and listening to the
insidious arguments of those who
have only the undermining Of the Dem
ocratic party in mind and their own
perpetuation in office" in view. Judge
Powers strongly deprecated this stray
ing of Democrats from the party fold,
and called loudly for the building up
Of the Democratic party. demanding
that Democrats be faithful; and be
said 'slet US be Democrats who will be
Democrats not only until the last two
or three DAYS before election Right
there the Judge struck the keynote OF
the whole trouble. But what can he
expect when Mormon elder, presl-
dent Of a stake, will carry on a pro-
eramme, as a churchman, calling his
people together openly and avowedly
TO instruct them how to vote, and then
will say to them, as, he said at the cleo
II tion of 1908, that those who refused to
vote the local Republican ticket were
traitors to their church, how can 1T be
expected that a priest-ridden people
will fail 10 obey? What show would
Democrat have in holding on TO his
party and voting his party ticket, when
the President of the stake tells him
that by so doing he will be traitor
TO his church, and he believing all the
time that the voice of the ecclesiast
was the voice of God7 The Judge is
asking tco much from the Mormon side
of the rank and file when he asks them
to disregard Hthe men of God' who
are put above them for admonition. and
TO speak the divine words Of inspiration
in the name of Counsel which is
in fact a positive command, For all
the speakers at that banquet knew just
as well as Judge Powers knew, and a:
he intmated, that the trouble with tho
Democratic party in this State is that
the church raids il on election day
, detaches the voters from it, ano
compels them to vote the Repub
lcan ticket. 1t is ali very we'll tc
use brave words in these speakfcsts
but when it comes to practical poll
: tics, the church is the controlling force
Y all the time.
, When Judge Moyle bcwailed the fac
: that he was not elected Governor, be
s cause by reason of that failure tn,
public land grants were wasted and Civ
o en- into the control Of combinations
I ! he cast = severe and wcll-mertcd re