The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-13
HOW ABOUT IT IN UTAH?

The Smoot organ breaks forth into a
scare head shrek about "An Unholy
Alliance Between Wall Street and Tam
many Hall to Rob the People, But
we do not need to go from Utah to
know all about unholy alliances to rob
and deceive the people
What about the unholy alliance en-
eineered by the Federal bunch two
years ago, between the liquor interests
of this State and the Mormon church
politicians to defeat the (then) evident
wish Of the people for legislation on the
liquor question?
How about the unholy alliance that
is kept up right along between the Fed.
cral bunch and the church hierarchy
in order to rob and deceive the people
at every cIection7
President Joseph F, Smith lodged the
prohibition question during the legis-
lative session of 1909, sncaking of to
the Sandwich Islands until the storm
blew over, When he returned he gave
cut belated and ineffective declaration
seemingly. but not in fact, in favor OF
prohibition His alliance with the Fed
cral bunch would not permit that. Pres.
idcnt Joseph +. Smith has always been
in favor Of the liquor traffic but always
his idea has been that saloons ought to
be closed so as TO give the whole liquor
traffic Of the State to the Il. c. Nj. !.
drug store which is reputed to be by
far the heaviest liquor dealer in this
state.
A good many people during and right
after the legislative session Of 1909 be.
licved or pretended to believe that the
church was in favor of prohibition The
Tribune never believed it. The course
of the church this year in counting an
alliance with tho liquor interest under
the renewed influence Of the Federal
bunch is doing no moro than The Trib-
une expected il to do all along.
The liquor interests here contributed
some $4,000 two years ago for the
church Republican campaign; this to
ward off prohibition or any hostile IL
quor legislation. The contract was duly
made that the contribution of this mon.
ey should have that effect It did have
that effect, There was no reason what
ever to expect that the church would
ever take different position on the
liquor question than that which il had
occupied all along, 1T has always IA
vored the liquor traffic when the profit
Of that traffic could be reaped by the
church or by the elders In carly .days
in Utah there were upwards of thirty
dlstilleries in the State all running not
only without rebukc, but with the ap-
proval Of the church authorities. The
church position on this question has
been uniform. 1t has always been for
liquor. AS Joseph f.. Smith said in
his tabernacle address frequently quoted
in these columns, it WAS necessary for
the u. G. M. /. drug store TO sell liquor
or the saints would go elsewhere to do
their trading. And so with this uu.
broken pro-liquor record there is no rea.
son to suppose, and never has been any
sincere, or that Joseph +. Smith was
sincere, in any pretended declaration in
favor of prohibition.
1t is all the more obvious, in view
of this alliance between the Federal
bunch, the liquor interests, and the Nor
mon hierarchy, that there is no reason
" hatcver TO go to New York to find
evidence of unholy alliances for politi-