The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-28
CANNON SCORES STRONGLY.

|
of events in Utah is that which appears
IN the March number of Everybody S
| Magazine. The Tribune yesterday
morning printed the salient points of
this portion of the narrative.
Two important roactionary acts arc
there set forth in detail The first was
the return to polygamy in spite of the
manifesto, in thd marriage by Joseph
| r. Smith of Abraham Cannon to Lii.
liam Hamlin; and second, the re-
entrance of the church into politics In
the attempt 10 set aside Frank j, Can
and substitute his father for him as
the Senator.
The first reactionary effort succeeded
through the plea and agency of Pres
ident Smith, The second was warded
of for the time being, but no slip has
since occurred in the church political
programme. The dominance of the
hierarchy in the politics of the State
has been supreme and unquestioncd,
save where the American party has con.
tended against it.
Senator Cannon goes into detail in
such way as TO absolutely satisfy his
readers that he is giving facts through
out. and that where he gives accounts
Of meetings, of what was said at those
meetings, and what were the positions
taken by the several speakers. he is
unqucstionablv true. The incident he
gives where, upon his arrival in the
city from the East upon the death of
his brother Abraham, he went TO the
church Office and was there informed
of the breach of faith that had been
forced upon the church by (thcn)
Apostle Joseph +. Smith, and the plain
language INDUCED in with respect to
it by Apostle George Q. Cannon, is a
most dramatic recital But il was
something impossible TO head off, be
cause it had already occurred, and Jo-
seph r. Smith did not deny the accu
sation against him made in his pres.
ence and hearing, as 10 his plea and
aid in bringing about this breach of
faith, this reputation of pledge, and
his officiating at the marriage
Scarcely less dramatic is his nara
tion of the scene where he was told by
President Woodruff that it was the
will of the Lord that Cannon s ia
ther and not himself should be sent to
the Senate. The arguments that Mr..
Cannon thereupon reports as made
emphatically by himself are of the
most farreaching character, and his
father s sympathy was aroused in the
son s behalf. Nor was President
Woodruff or Joseph f. Smith able to
present anything of value against the
presentation thus made by Frank j.
Cannon. In the course of the argu.
ment it is made clear that the church
was aligning itself with the predatory
financial and commercial interests of
the East, an alliance which was con
summated, and has held good ever since.
cured Smoot his seat in the Senate;
and two years ago caused him 10 write
to President Joseph f. Smith that pro-
hibition must be headed off, since the
liquor interests, one Of the great forces
with which the church had financially
and politically allied itself, made this
requirement, claiming that church good
faith required it. SO emphatically was
this recited in the letter, that President
Smith never dared to let it be printed,
though challenged to do so; but its con
tents were given out on recollection
by those who had read it. And since
publication of the letter itself is re-
fused, it is quite fair to accept the
recollection of persons who have read
it, as to what it contained.
These articles Of Senator Cannon are
Of the most vital interest. They give
TO the public for the first time the in
side Of many events, occurrences, and
rumors. and thus set on a solid basis
the facts Of the case. 1t is noteworthy
that no one has undertaken in any
way to question the accuracy of Scna-
tor Cannon S presentations in these
successive sections Of his story as pub
lished We do not believe that any
such attempt will be made, although
it is quite possible that other ver-
sions might be given from other stand
points. And vet we do not believe
that the essential accuracy of Senator
Cannon s statements will be or can be