The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-13
No CHURCH SHALL
RULE POLITICALLY
STATEMENT OF SEN. r. J. CAN
NON, FIRST u. s. SENATOR
FROM UTAH, 70 FORUM REP
REsENTATlvE-sAYs MORMON
CHURCH HAS BROKEN vows.

SHGHGT HAS bhNNEN N1WSs
mo church shall rule or dominate
politically" said Sen. Frank ]. Cannon
now of Denver but formerly OF Utah,
from which state ne was first United
States senator and where he was the
organizer Of the republican party, TO a
Forum representative late yesterday
afternoon at the waldorf hotel.
THE people OF this nation are not
going to allow any church to rule po-
htically any one state or the United
States" he continued. such a con-
dition is in direct violation Of the pro-
visions OF the constitution and OF a
republican form of government and
places a restriction on peoples rights
which Is contrary to the purpose of
the founding OF this country. 1t is the
duty Of every patriotic citizen to guard
the peoples rights and to prevent the
encroachment of any force that may
develop into a power in that direction
and curb our liberty.
my work is definite and I have no
fault to find whatever with the theol-
ogy of the Mormon church. My fight
is against the persistent and boastful
violation Of the vows made by the
Mormon church to the United States
at the time of Utah's admission to
statehood. AS a delegate to congress
prior to our admission as a state and
one who helped frame the pact be-
tween the Mormon church and the ma
tion, I have endeavored always to see
that the people Of Utah kept faithful
those vows in refusing to allow the
church to domineer in any way the
politics Of the state or reflect dlscred-
it upon the nation.
when Utah was admitted to state
hood it was specifically stipulated in
the enabling act signed by President
Cleveland that polygamy should cease
and clauses compelling the cessation
of that practice were set forth In our
state constitution which was approved
by the people and by congress, as that
body would not consent to our admis-
sion without that guarantee. Has the
Mormon church not openly violated the
laws of the state and federal constitu-
tons and the pact made between the
United States and itself when Its pres
ident, Joseph Smith, boastfully lives
with fiv polygainous wives and is in
strumental in enforcing the election OF
a Mormon representative to the Unit
ed States senate as it has lone in the
case Of Reed Smoot?
The pact between the nation and
the church which / personally assist
ed in bringing about and the faith OF
the people of Utah has been broken
and now are openly and utterly disre-
garded. Plural wives are INDUCED In
to an even more degrading extent thar
before 1890, when at least there was
some responsibility attached to the so.
cial standing of plural marriages
Now plural marriages are INDUCED II
surreptitiously and the statutes do no
: give any position to polygamous wives
my attack on the Mormon church
does not antedate 1890 as the nation
took over the people Of Utah just al
they were and condoned all plura
marriages prior to that period. If tn,
nations generosity can be SO great 81
to recognize polygamous wives anC
r give those a legal status who entereS
that relationship before 1890, surely NJ
one ought to find fault with condition
before then. 1t is since that time
} when the Mormon church solemnly
: promised congress and the Unite,
States that such practices should b
entirely abolished and they have still
been persisted in, secretly at first am
now openly, that the nation shoul
find base for attack.
The Mormon church has grown in
to a mighty power, whose influence 4
! far more widely reaching than on
conceives. 1t is IN organization tina
does things gradually and only whel
the prope time arrives. But wheI
that time does come, you may rest as
sured that every avenue has bee
properly paved for any movement +
: roll right along without the slightes
i impeachment after ii Is launched. TIL
i Mormon church makes a NOV
without careful consideration on ever
4 point before action is taken"
Senator cannon,s Personality.
2 Senator Cannon has a most pleas
2 ing personality and 1t is indeed
? privilege to meet him. He has all tn
2 generally accepted heartfelt cordialit
of the newspaper man, for he has bee
a Journalist by profession for man
: years. At present he is the manag
ing editor Of The Rocky Mountai
News, the great Denver daily owne
and operated by Sen. Thomas Patter
!" son, former United States senate
from Colorado.
The senator is an interesting an
2 versatile talker. His career has bee
spent in the interests of his people I
! the state he loved so we'll but which h
: left three years ago when he felt tn
9 vows between the Mormons and til
nation, which he had helped to fran
2 had been f1agrantly broken by III
election OF Senator Smoot. Senate
! Cannon is now on a years leave Of at
sence and is making a lecture tour on
err the entire country, following til
publication Of his famous magazine al
! ticles which have been such a wonder
full expose Of. and given such a graph
I ic insight into, the political maneuveI
4 Of the Mormon church and the pow,
it is attaining.
Ell han Asainst His Father.
2 AT the time Of his election to ii
Z United States s~enatorship it ma
probably be remembered that a cal
didate opposing him for the toga W;
g Senator Cannon's father, who va
one Of the apostles Of the Morms
church. The Forum r-eprasentativ
! eager to hear the details of such an ii
y teresting political contiict, asked "A
senator about that election.
ITO many who do not understa1
Y conditions in Utah ii la dinicuIt TO o.
: plain that situation 50 that q clear III