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

! Revelation Startlcs All.
Before | reached Utah, my friends.
Ben Rich and James Dcvinc, met me.
ON the train The news OF President
| Woodruff's revelation" had percolated
| through the whole community
The Gentil"s were alarmed for them
| selves. MN friends were anxious for me.
An the old enmItes that had so long
| divided Utah were arranging themselves
| for n new conflict And Rich and De-
| vine had come To urge me 10 remember
! promise given tn my supporters that
! would hold TO my candidacy no mat
| ter who should appear In the field agains,
me-.
OF my fathers stand in the crisis.
| Rich could give me only one lndlca-
| ton: after conference In the offices
| az the presidency. Rich had said to
| may as well close up Franlss rooms at
| the Templeton"-the hotel in which my
friends had opened political headquar-
ters for me-and my father. accompany
Ing him To an antcroom. had hintcd sig
nificantly: '1 think YOU should not close
Franks rooms just yet. He may need
them"
Rich brought me word too. that the
church authorities were expecting TO see
me. and as soon as I arrived in Salt
Lake City | fastened 70 the little plas-
tered house in which the presidency had
President Woodruff my father and
Joseph +. Smith were there in the large
room OF their official apartments. We
the small retiring room in which ! had
consulted with Brother Joseph Mack
when he was on the underground--iu
lSsS-and had consulted with President
Scene at Conference.
President Woodruff sat at shc head
Of bare walnut table in a chair so large
that IL rather dwarfed him: and he sank
down in IL, TO an attitude Of nervous
reluctance TO speak. occupied with his
hands. Smith took his place at the op
po.itc end of the board with dropped
(as | soon saw unusually alert and at
tentive. My father assumed his inevit-
able composure-fIrmly and almost un-
knowingly seated-and looked al me
sGuarely with not unkind premonition
Of smile.
President Woodruff continued silent.
Ordinarily. anything that came from the
Lord was quite convincing to him and
needed no argument On his mind) to
make II convincing TO others. ] could
not suppose that the look OF determina-
ton on nv face troubled him. II was
more likely that something unusual In
the mental attitudes OF his councillors
was the cause OF his hcsitation; and
with this suspicion to arouse me. I be,
watChfulnesses upon me.
''well?" I said What was it you
wanted of me?"
Smith Betrays Interest.
Smith looked up at the president. And
Smith had always. hitherto, seemed so
unseeing OF consequences. and therefore
unapprcciatlve OF means. that his be-
trayal Of interest was indicative OF pur-
pose. / thought 7 could detect in the
communication which his manner made,
the plan Of my fathers ecclesiastical
rivals TO remove him from the scene of
his supreme influence over the presi-
dent, and the plan Of ambitious church
politicians to remove me from their path
tnn Of ,n1' rd Mt
ing father to the senate.
Frank. the president announced,
1T is the will Of the Lord that your
father. should 30 to the senate from
AS he hestatsd. I said: well. Presi
He added, with less decision: "And we
want you to tell us how to bring II
about"
1t was evident that getting the revela-
tton was easv TO his splrltualized mind. |
but that fulfilling 1t was difficult to his
President Woodruff" / replied. you
have received the revelation on the
wrong point. You do not need voice
my father is worthy 10 go TO the senate |
but you will need a revelation TO tell
how he is to get there"
President Disconnected.
He seemed to raise himself to the In
spira ton OF divine authority. The only |
difficulty that we have encountered" he
said. is the fact that the legislators are
pledged TO you. VIII you not release
them from their promises and tell them
10 vote for your father"
No | said ''And my father would |
not permit me to do IT. even II could. |
He knows that I gave my word OF honor
10 my supporters TO stand as a candi- |
date. no matter who might enter against |
me. He knows that he and have given |
our pledges at Washington that political
dictation by the heads OF teh Mormon
church shall cease. or all men In Utah |
we cannot be amenable TO such dicta-
from me-very well. I shall have no
personal regrets. But YOU cannot get me |
away from my supporters"
This inclusion OF my father in my re-
fusal evidently disconnected President |
Woodruff; and, as evidently. it had It's |
significance TO Joseph f. Smith
| went on: Before ! was elected to |
the house OF representatives | asked my |
father II he intended 10 be candidate |
for the senate. I knew that some promi- |
nent Gentle. desiring 10 curry favor at |
church headquarters. had solicited his
~ had been told that General Clark
son and others had assured him by letter |
that his election would be accepted at
Washington. and elsewhere He agreed |
with me that his election would be a !
violation OF the understanding with the |
country; and he declared that no did not |
care TO become again tho storm center |
that he could honorably break our cove
nant 10 the country.
Cannon Defines Position.
With this clear understanding between
u.s. made my pledges TO men who, in |
supporting me, cast aside equally ad-
vantagcous relations which they might |
have established with another, I can't
withdraw now without dlshonor"
My father said: Don't let us have
any misunderstanding. AS President
Woodruff stated the matter to me 7 un-
derstood that II would be pleasing to the |
Lord IL the people desired my election |
TO the senate and II wouldn't antagonlze
the country"
"Yes, yes the president put In
"Thats what | mean"
Smith said, rather sourly: "The people
arc always willing to do what the Lord |
desires-if no one gives them bad coun-
sell"
Both he and my father emphasized the
fact that the business interests of the
east were making strong representations
TO the presidency in support of my faith
eTs election: and ! suspected (What I |
nfterward found to be the case) that both |
Joseph F. Smith and Apostle John Henry |
Smith were. by this time in close COM
munication with Republican politicians