The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-12
Staunch Women of Ladies' Cir
Gle Successfully Block Nor
mon Church Game.
LOT SMITH ORGANIZATION
FALLS WITHOUT THE WORKS
Crafty Conspirators FOiled, at
Least for Time, in Treach-
erous Attempt.

patriotic organizations of tho country
the Mormon church tried to break into
the Ladies of the Grand Army or the
Republic Saturday afternoon. 1t was
craftily arranged and tho execution
was laid on clever and cunning lines
but it so happened that there were
enough really patriotic women in the
circles to block the latest game.
The attempt was made to get the now
notorious Lot Smith band into the
Ladies of the G. A. r., but the attempt
failed and the Mormons We're beaten.
They VIII come TO the fore again. how
ever, strengthened in their trickery
and enforced in their dupliclty.
When the spring conference Of the
Mormon church was held here in April,
one OF the stunts was the organization
Of the Lot Smith circle of the Ladies of
the Grand Army Of the Republic. The
Mormon church had long been trying to
break INTO the Grand Army. but it had
met with small success, Smarting under
the sting of successive defeats, the Nor
mon hcelers decided that it would be
easy TO hoodwink the women, even if
they could not pull the wool over the
eyes OF the men
Fixing the President.
Therefore, when the Grand Army ma
tional encampment was held in Salt
Lake last August, tho Mormon women
took good care that Mrs. Della r. Henry
of Kansas City, then elected national
president of the ladies, should be royal
ly entertained, Mrs. Henry was made
much of. She was taken for automo-
bile rides without number, and din
nerS were her portion until she herself
could bear no more Of the hospitality
CT her new Mormon friends.
But the leaven had worked well. Mrs
Henry never forgot her great good
friends In Utah, those splendid ladies
who had treated her like a queen. So
when the Lot Smith circle was organ
lied that circle stood ace high with the
national president.
Then the time came for the organi-
Zation of the state department Of the
Ladies of the Grand Army Of tho Re
public. That was Saturday 1t takes
five circles TO organize a department.
There were six circles In Utah. lnclud-
ing the Lot Smith circle. That would
have been ample and to spare, had
all went along smoothly. rs the indi~
cations were. But when the ladies came
to the convention hall, two of the cir.
cles. the REYNOLDS of Salt Lake and
the j. c. Rice of Ogden, each with
membership of thirty eipht. and strong
circle-these two circles refused to go
into the assembly with the Lot Smith
organization.
The result was that there were only
four circles, including the Lot Smith,
and four wasn't enough.
Contention of Opposition.
The opposition TO the Lot Smith circle
based its refusal TO entertain the Lot
Smith circle as n constituent part Of
the ladies on the ground that the Lot
Smith company had never been mus
tered out, and that it had never been
honorably discharged or discharged of,
ficially In any other way. The opposi- |
ton maintained that the Lot Smith com
pany of 1862 WAS organized by Brig |
ham Young for the sole and stated pur,
pose Of protecting the mail trains: that |
IL was an emergency organization, COM
posed Of emergency men, and in no. |
wise regular volunteers.
Moreover, the opposition pointed out |
the members of this company had never
been recognized as being entitled to |
pensions until special act of congress
was passed twenty-five years after their |
three months of service. The Lot Smith |
men OF 1852, il was contenced, had no |
moro TO do with the war of the states |
than fishing schooner has 10 do with |
the navy of the United States.
So holding the Reynolds circle and |!
the Rice circle could not consistently |
accept the Lot Smith women az their
comrades In the Ladies of the Grand |
Army, and they would not, and in the |
end they did not.
Pressure on VanSant-
Some time ago q communication was
addressed to s. r. VanSant. the com
mander-ln.chief of the Grand Army OF
Inc Republic, asking him for q decision |
respecting the eligibility of the Lot |
Smith company. Commander YanSant |
replied that the members of the com
pany. were not eligible. Then pressure
vas brought TO bear, pressure especial
ly strong from the headquarters of the
national president of the Ladies of the
Grand Army, it is said, and Saturday |
telegram came from Commander Van.
Snnt, SAYING, in effect: .'Lot Smith |
circle eligible: Let them in pending
further investigation
That was trusty weapon in the |
nahas OF Inc Lot Smith crowd and they |
prepared to use it to the fullest extent |
Mrs Henry flashed the telegram in the
convention hall, and asked in a tri, |
umphant sort of way, at is reported, |
wnag they were going to do about it
we III show you what re going
70 do about it, said steadfast dele
gaze from the opposition. "Wc lust |
ct"hu iOI lHC- Lou Smith cIrplp |
coming in; that IS all Wen Qult first. -
President Henry's Compromise.
Then President Henry saw that she
was up against 1T. She had not been
IuIiy prepared TO meet the sturdy op.
position Her Mormon friends, Won see
had overlooked Il big bet. President
Henry, seeing the force of the ssorm.
took reef in her canvas and poured .
skinfuIl Of oil on the troubled waters,
by making the proposition TO form the
department, leaving the Lot smith cir
Gle outside the brenstworks. This pron.
osition, however. is tagged with tie
string that it shall be only for thirty
days This will give the women of the
other circlcs-the circles in opposition
time to produce their proof that the Lot
Smith men arc not genuine, bIown.in
the-bottle veterans Of the Civil war. In
the event that they can muster this
proof, it is likely that the Lot Smith
circle VIII remain on the outside until |
some new scheme can be concocted III |