The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-25
SENATOR CANNoN's EXPOSURES

Hon. Frank j. Cannon's exposures
in Every body IS Magazine for May of
the recrudescence Of plural marriages,
and the establishment of the hier'
archy S ''autocracy in worldly affairs
in the name of Cod is most in
teTesting section of his sensational
revelations concerning the inner work
ings of the plot whereby the compact
through which Statehood was obtained
was absolutely annullcd, 1t shows
the resumption of polygamy, traces the
source from which that resumption
originated. shows how the church lead
crs resumed their political sway, not
only in Utah but in surrounding COM
monwealths, and all this Gin the
name of the Lord 1t traces, also,
Apostle Smoot S Senatorial ambition,
the church support of the same,
and the contest made against IT. 1t
shows how the church put It's thumb
screws on business, how 1t entered into
partnership with the sugar trust and
other monopolistic interests, details
the dlsmay which followed the shock
ing revelations Of President Joseph
T. Smith in his testimony in the Smoot
hearing, and explains the clinching of
the doctrine that the duty of the
Saints is obedience. and that above all
else 1T shows, also, the sensational in
reference of the church in Judicial af-
fairs, where the high council of the
Sewer stake, sustained by the first
presidency Of the church on appeal,
interfered in a land case, and drove
{ he woman who owned the land into
insanity by reason Of the injustice per
petrated upon her.
All these things are set forth in Sen
ator Cannon S article with details, cir
cumstance, and personal connection.
He shows who it was that did the
various things that were done. An in
teresting incident in the course of the
narrative is the account of the visit
to him by Apostle Matthias f. Cowley,
on church political business. In this
visit Apostle Cowley set forth en-
phatically and candidly the resumption
of political control by the church lead
ers. Smoot was to 90 to the Sen
ate, not by reason of any popular
choice, but because former President
Lorenzo Snow had promised him that
he should go, and this promise had
been indorsed by President Joseph +.
Smith. II became the duty of the
brethren and sisters, therefore, without
distinction Of party, to see that Reed
Smoot was sent to the Senate. The
visit of Apostle Cowley was for the
purpose of showing TO Mr. Cannon the
right of the church officials to do this,
that in SO doing they were simply exer-
cising their prerogatives as Ameri-
can citizens. and that Statehood meant
! this to them. The controversy which
and, Mr., Cannon is most interesting
reading. On each side the points at
issue are clearly brought forth and
plainly stated. Naturally they did not
agree, because Mr.. Cannon was speak
ing for the free American voter and
Apostle Cowley was speaking for the
right of the church leaders TO control
the vote of their followers.
It is interesting to note that al.
though Senator Cannon has been en-
tirely frank and courageous In his
revelations as TO the doings of the
inner circle of the church leaders dur
ing the critical time of which he
writes, and although he has given
names. dates. and circumstances with
unreserved detail. there has been no
denial of the accuracy of his reports
1t is kruc that Lillian Hamlin has de-