The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-27

- N.>,.,.-- ~
znY~
that was to give congress the power 10
| Interfere In the domestic affairs Of the
Mormon people But II the. church de-
MED its support 70 the Republican party,
the constitutional amendment would be
| carried. and the Mormous. in their mar
| rlage relations. would be returned TO the
! federal Jurisdiction from which they had
| escaped when the territory was admitted
! to statehood,
Reformers Fight Mornonos.
The sentiment OF the country was
known 10 be in favor OF giving congress
such power. a strong BODY of reformers
was urging the amendment, and the
| church leaders had sent Apostle John
/ Henry Smith and Bishop II. b. Clawson
I to Washington to lobby against It. After
consulting with my father. ! had written
| TO President Snow. pointing out the dam
! ger OF having lobby opposing such an
poygamy after 1896. President Snow
replied tc me (in q message Of guarded
prudence) that. although the church in
| hibited plural marriage. and did not in
| tend to allow the practice. he was ot-
posed 20 the interference Of congress in
the domestic concerns OF the other states
OF the union,
Deal Is Consummated
He made his deal with Perry Heath.
church messengers were sent out secretly
10 the Mormons in Idaho, Wyoming.
Colorado Nevada. Montana, Washington.
oregon. California. and the territories.
with the whispered announcement that
it was ''the win OF the Lord" that the
Republicans should ne aided Utah went
Republican: the Mormons in the sur
rounding states either openly supported
or secretly voted for Mckinley: and
the constitutional amendment side
tracked and forgotten.
Utah elected n Republican legislature.
Apostle Reed SmOot applied 10 President
Snow for permission To become Candl-
, date for tho United States senatorship.
| and obtained Il promise that IL he stood
aside. FOR the time, he should receive
his reward later. President Snow had
decided that Thomas Kearns already
an active candidate was the man whom
the church would support-since Mr..
Kearns's ability. his wealth and his bust
ness connections promised greater ad-
ming manipulation by the priests) greater
advantages for the church than the cleo
ton OF any other candidate And all this
may be said without assuming that there
was any definite arrangement between
the church and any friends OF Mr..
kcarns.
Plan of Church Leaders.
Kearns was associated with Senator
Clark OF Montana ard r. c.. Kerens OF
| 81. Louis In building railroad from
church owned some fifteen miles OF track
that had been laid from Salt Lake City
as the beginning OF a Los Angeles line.
Ii was apparently assumed by President
Snow that kcans's election 10 the SEN
ate would facilitate the sale OF this
church railroad 10 the Clark kearns syn
dicate. The church had direct interest
In numerous iron and coal properties In
southern Utah. and many members OF the
church also had private properties there,
which the Los Angeles line would de-
velop. Some Of kearnss friends were
negotiating for the purchase of church
properties. and ono Of his partners was
proposing to buy (and subsequently
boughD the churchs s'Ar.clia Palace.
useless and expensive property which
Brigham Young had built for his favorite
wife. and which the church had long
My father had been in I'll health for
some months and he w2s away from
Utah a large part OF the time. Presi
dent Snow took counsel Of his second
councillor Joseph +. Smith, and OF Apos-
tie John Henry Smith: and TO the Smiths
he indicated Thomas Kearns as the one
whose election TO the United States SEN
ate might do most 10 advance SHOWS
concealed purpose But the Smiths had
other plans, which were equally advan-
tageous TO the church and more advan- |
taSeous to the Smiths they rebelled
against President Shows dictation and |
he ordered them both away on tempor
AIRY missions"
Smith in a Rage.
As Joseph f. Smith leaving the
Presidents offices in rage, he met an
wrltng) is n member of congress from |
Utah, and was then member OF the |
Utah legislature. He told Smith that
President Snow had sent for him: and |
Smith. controlling himself. said affection
ately: Brother Howell, l want you TO |
make a promise TO me on your honor as an |
elder In Israel / want you TO pledge |
yourself never to vote In this legislature |
for Thomas kearns as senator. l ask II |
as your friend. and a prophet to the
people
Howell gave his promise. and proceeded |
TO his Interview with President Snow
II was "the will of the Lord" that he
should vote for kearns and he had 10 re-
ply that he had already received an in
spIred instruction. on this point from a
prophet OF the Lord. and had given his
pledge.
The incident become one of the jokes
Of the campaign. for Howell held TO his
promise TO Smith (and was subsequently,
rewarded by Smith with a seat In
grcss).
Kearns Elected Senator.
Kearns was elected. But he had had a
powerful political machine OF his own.
and he had been supported by strong
Gentle vote He Immediately showed his
independence by refusing 10 take orders
from the political church leaders. He de-
clined. further for himself and his finan-
in business affairs Many charges were
made that he was breaking his agree
ment Of cooperation with the authorities,
but there never has been produced any
do not believe Qrom my knowledge of
senator i<cains) that the agreement was
ever made
The railroad into southern Utah was
later built by the Hartman interests In
combination with Clark and kearDs; but
there. too. Snow was disappointed. The
expected development OF the church prop y