Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-12-30
THE MORMONS AND THE REPUBLI.
CAN PARTY.
YELM, Wash, Dec. 90.

YELM, Wash, Dec. 90.
ED. STANDARD:
1t may surprise some of the read
ers of your paper to know that both
Teddy Roosevelt and President Taft
toadied to the Mormon for his pat
ronage, but it is nevertheless fact.
And the Mormon church with its
375, 900 cOmmunicants, WELD u great
err power than million gentiles, for
they are unit. There are only two
rulers on Earth more despotic than
Joseph F. Smith, leader of the Nor
mon hierarchy. His word is law.
To disobey is to call down upon
themselves eternal banishment from
the realms of bliss and absolute Os.
tracism from the church. When
Smith says vote Republican, they
obey. When he says vote Democrat
ic, they do it without murmur or
protest. Why? Because they be-
lieve Smith is in direct communica-
tion with God and they still practice
pOlygamy. Smith has five wives,
and most of the leaders OF church af-
fairs have plural wives, as can be cas-
lily proved But what l wanted to
impress upon your readers is the
fact that both Roosevelt and Taft
curried favor with those fanatics for
their votes. l quote from Richard
Barry, a writer OF great celebrity
who spent much time investigating
Mormonism: The Republican party
and the Mormons were natural ene-
miles," Ever since 1860 they heart
lily hated each other. Nearly all the
Antimormon legislation in Congress
was born in the Republican party.
Besides the Mormons are normally
Democrats; they believe in self gov
ernment and States-rights. But the
party in national power was Repub-
lican. So the leaders of the church,
after ratifying their agreement for
Statehood. which was long contested.
but finally conceded on payment by
the church of 100000, passed the
word to the priesthood; the priest.
hood passed it to the brethren and
sisters. Presto! A great majority
OF the Mormon voters suddenly dis
covered they had been Republicans
all their lives without knowing it.
The election for constitutional con-
vention resulted in an overwhelming
Republican victory, and the trap
that was set for Congress was baited
with an anti-polygamy constitut ton,
two Republican Senators. Republi-
can Congressman and three Republi-
can votes in the electoral college.
The hungry politicians saw only the
attractive bait and walked into the
trap. And then. just to show what
they could do and to serve timely no.
tice on all traders who wished to sit
in the national games, the Mormons,
within a year threw the State over
whelmiugly to the other party.
In 1896, Utah went Democratic by
81 600. They afterwards apologized
to Senator Hanna, the chairman of
the Republican National Campaign
rommittee. Three days before elec-
ton, Joe Cannon, then first COUNSEL
or Of the President and the ablest
and most influential man in the
church at that time, sent telegram
to the various bishops throughout
the country, saying. Swing the
brethren to our friends, the Republi.
cans" In 1900 Hanna made his
promises and received his contribu-
tions in full time. That year Utah
went Republican. Then Mckinley
died and Hanna died and Roosevelt
was at the helm. There is no doubt
but Roosevelt hesitated a long time
before he consented to become a
party to deal between the Mormon
church and the Republican organiza-
ton. The church sent a representa-
tive to him, in the early summer of
1904, and he refused to bargain.
But as the fall of 1904 arrived, the
pressure of events became too fierce
tor Roosevelt to stand. Along in
Sept. 1904 the leaders became pan
icy and none more so than Roose-
velt. 1t looked to them as If Parker
might be elected. The air was thick
with Democratic gains. Teddy
thought he needed every ounce of
strength he could command. He
feared the election might turn on
snall handful of electoral votes. In
that crisis he did as any one knev he
would in the thick of a fight, use the
first weapon in reach and fight in
any way to win. One of the first po-
litical agents he sought was a repre-
sentative of the Mormon church.
He knew that by a suitable bargain,
or compromise. he could get nine
electoral votes, three each from
Utah, Wyoming and Idaho, and he
was afraid that nine votes in the
electoral college would spell the diff
ference between victory and defeat.
1t was under these conditions of po-
litical stress, of wire-pulling and
fence-building, that Teddy himself
made the bargain with the Mormon