The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-27


| the later ones, two or three apostles
came into the room; and among them
was Apostle Brigham Young. son of the
| Prophet Brigham who had led tho Nor
mons 10 the Salt Lake valley. When he
] understood my refusal To abandon my
CANDIDACY, he said angriiy:
This is n serious fllia disrcspect. 7
| know my father never would have
brooked such treatment from me-
And | retorted: II don't know who in
vitcd you into this conference. but | de-
! ny your right To instruct me In my filal
| duty. II my father doesn't understand
! that the senntorship has lost it's value
whole lifetime Of devotion IN him has
| been in vain"
Father Sustains Him.
! My father rose and put his arm around
my. shoulders. This boy" he said. lis
acting honorably. ! want him to know
4 and YOU TO know-that | respect the
position he has taken. If he is elected
| he shall have my blessing"
That was the only understanding I
| had with him-bu, it' was enough
could know that I was not TO lose his
| trust and affection by holding to our OBJ
legations Of honor: and-an assurance al
most as precious-I could know that he
would not consciously permit legislators
10 be crushed by the vengeance of the
church II they refused TO yield to its
Among the Legislators pledged to me
were Mormon bishops and other ccclcs-
asts who had promised their constitu-
ents TO vote for me and who now stood
between a betrayal Of their people and
rebellion against the power OF the HER
archy- I released one Of them from his
pledge because Of his pathetic fear that
he would be etcrnally damned IL he did
not obey 1.-THE VIII Of the Lord"
The others went to the presidency to
admit that IL they betrayed their people
they would have to confess what pres
sure mad been put upon them TO force
them TO the betrayal. | went TO notify
my father tas ] had notified the repre-
sentauves of every other candidate). that
we were going TO call a caucus Of the
Republican majority OF the legislature.
and later ] was advised that President
Woodruff and his councillors had ap-
pointed a committee to investigate and
report to them how many members could
be counted upon to support my fathers
candidacy. The committee composed OF
my uncle Angus. my brother Abraham
and Apostle John Henry SMITH brought
BACK word that, even among the men
who had profcssed a Willingness to vote
Tor my father. there was great reluctance
and apprehension, and that In all prob
ability his election could not be carried
Named by Acclamation
With President Woodrufrs consent. my
father then announced that he was not
a candidate. l was nominated by accla-
nation.
In the course OF the various discussions
and conferences upon the senatorship, ]
learned that the inspiration of the whole
attempted betrayal had come from certain
Colonel Isaac Trumbo) who claimed to
represent a political combination OF bust
ness interests In Washington. Joseph F.
smith admitted as much TO me in more
these interests by opposing n monetary
and tariff bill during my service as
delegate IN congress- matter which
have still to recount) They had chosen
my father and Colonel Trumbo as Utahs
two senators.
made IL my particular business to see
TrnIn h.f m,
toned in the caucus The man selected
as the other senator was Arthur Brown
prominent Gentle lawyer who was
Known as "A "jack- Mormon" (meanlng
a Gentle adherent TO church power). al
though l then believed and do now. that
Judge Charles c. Goodwin was the Gentle
most entitled to the place
The arrival OF ttah's two representa-
tives In the senate Ganuary 27, 1880
gave the bimetalltsts majority. and
when The bondiss bill came before us
coinage OF silver Fcbruary -. few
days later. the finance committee turned |
the tariff bill into a free coinage bill also
Read Out Of Party.
On both measures. five Republican SEN
ators voted against their party-Henry |
Idaho. Thomas Ii. Carter OF Montana, Lee |
Mantle OF Montana. and myself We were |
subsequently Joined by Richard r. Petit |
grew, OF South Dakota.
Within two weeks OF my taking the oath
IN the senate, we were read out OF the |
party by Republican leaders and Repub- !
lican organs. J
All this happened so swiftly that there |
was no time for any remonstrances 10 |
come 10 me from Salt Lake City. even ir |
The church authorities had wished TO re- |
Inonstrate The fact was that the people |
of Utah were with us In our insurgency |
and when the financial interests subse- |
qnetly appealed TO the hierarchy they |
found the church powcrless to aid them
SliDDOrt Pnf
obtained that aid, at last. in support OF |
a tariff that was as unjust to the people |
as II was favorable to the trusts. and my
a revolt against church interference.
The thread OF connection that ran !
through these incidents Is clear enough |
TO me now; they were all incidents in the |
progress OF partnership between the i
church and the predatory business inter-
ests that have since so successfully ex-
plotted the country. But at the time. I
saw no such connection clearly I sup
posed that the partnership was merely
a political friendship between the Smith
iaGt,on lo,i, In the church and the Republican
poiiticians who wished 10 use the church:
and had sufficient contempt for the po-
litical abilities OF the Smiths to regard
their conspiracy rather lightly
Restores Church Property
Believing still in the good faith of the
Mormon people and their real leaders In
authority. ! introduced a Joint resolution
In the senate restoring 10 the church It's
escheated real estate, which was still In
the hands OF a receiver. although its per-
sonal property had been already restored.
In conference with Senators Hoar and
the committee to which the
resolution was referred-I urged an un- |
restoration OF the property,
arguing that TO place conditions upon the
restoratio would be to insult the people
who had given so many proofs of their
Willingness TO obey the law and keep
their pledges.
The property was restored without con-
ditions by joint resolution that passed
the senate on March is. 1926, passed the
house week later. and was approved by
the President on March 26 The church
was now free OF the last measure of pro-
scription It's people were in the enjoy
ment OF every political liberty of Ameri-
can citizenship; and Joined in the prcsI-
Dental campaign OF 1896 with no thought
OF any danger threatening us that was
not common TO the other communities /
of the country.
Relates Private Incident.
Before ] continue farther with these
political events. ! must relate a private
incident in the secret betrayal of Utah
an incident that must be related II this
narrative is TO remain true TO the ideals