The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-01
THE AM 2ICAN LovE-FEAsT.

evening was vigorous, splendid attalr
Every sneaker spoke that which WAS in
his mlnd.. without restraint or reserve.
II was a magnificent. distinctive occa-
sion especially in this, that no speaker
felt himself bound to conform to any
one else s ideas, or 10 speak in "A merely
conventional way TO suit some master,
some party boss, or lest hc might hurt
somebody. Nothing OF that kind
bampered the freedom of speech, aud
every one making use Of the liberty
spoke directly to the point and for the
good of the principles for which the
American party stands.
Judge Weber. in his Introductory
speech. reviewed the progress of Amer
of the splendid progress politically,
materially, socially. and morally that
has been made in Salt Lake City since
the advent Of the American party; and
OF the gratifying spread of American
principles throughout the State. If
Americanism had done nothing more for
Utah than TO point out the way TO the
people of the State at large. whereby
they may obtain their freedom from
ecclesiastical bondage in political and
commercial affairs, its existence would
have been more than abundantly JUST
fled There is a spirit of liberty abroad
in the State which was sadly wanting
when the American party was formed.
and that gives every inhabitant of
Utah better hope for himself and for
the State than he could possibly have
had under the former conditions. He
pointed out the hypocrisy of the outcry
from the Federal bunch that II is
wrong for the American party to move
for the consolidation Of its strength on
candidates at the coming municipal
primaries, while at the same time that
bunch is busy in secret arranging for
candidates to be supported by the
speech was Justly called the keynote
of the occasion. and it may fairly be
called the keynote of the beginning of
the camnaign.
Hon. Thomas Weir spoke his mind
frankly and clearly, as we should ex-
pect from the straightforward. Christian
gentleman that he is. He found some
things not 10 his liking, and said so;
and yet he is more firmly an American
now than ever before, recognizing that
the American party stands for the only
vital principle at stake in Utah. His
effort was to seek with the utmost
earnestness to elevate the conduct OF
the officials Of that party to CORE
spond with the noble principles upon
which the party is founded Mr.. Weir
was strongly and Justly commended for
his clcarness and courage in the posi-
tions which he took. He is cmphatically
right in his proposition. that the Ameri.
can party. with higher standards and
more patriotic principles and motives
than the other parties, should viudicate
its higher standards by its more praise
worthy acts.
Mr. Arthur Moreton pointed ont the
fallacy of expecting any real party
division among our opponents. The les
son we have received with respect IL
that is, that large bodies of the votes
Of the opposition can be shifted from
one party to the other at the will ot
the ecclesiastical bosses, and that tc
rely upon party division among thai
controlled vote is idle. He expressed
the opinion, which is undoubtedly {
sound one, that in case the Democrats
should elect the President next year
the controlled vote at the disposal OF
the ecclesiastical bosses would at once
be transferred from the Republican
party, where it has so long been used t'
achieve tho purposes desired by the
bosses, and placed bodily in the Demo
cratic party.
Mr.. Frank R. Christensen, who know!
than almost anyone else there present
defended the American party from tn,
attacks of its enemies, and demon
strated, as the fact is, that the Ameri
can party has accomplished more in th
five years in which it has had contro
Of Salt Lake City than all the othe
parties that have ruled here In fift'
wears II was the American party tina
had driven the dominant church to
declaration and protest against polyp
amy although he did not believe in tn
sincerity of that declaration. The worl
of the American party in the service o
the municipality. and the same influ
ence in the establishment of publ
| schools here, had done marvels i
changing the old reactionary teaching
and spirit.
Councilman Mckinney spoke in hi
vigorous way which always distir
guishes his remarks, contrasting tn
spirit of Americanism with that of ec
clesiasticism, and called for the elet
tion of men to office who held a sacre
regard to the oath that they have taker
He also spoke of things that had bee
done which had better. have been lef
undone, and demanded service frol