The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-10-02
ITS soU1RM1NG DISHONESTY.

hc1cfCioS dGdln W INC 'd''o'i"' "
| President Joseph f. Smith IN the I'm
provement Era and the explanatory
lintervicw Of that editorial in the Des-
eret News. we note that the church or
gan last evening, after some days to
catch its breath, returned to its Whit
fling evasions. 1t copied last night a
few lines from The Tribune editorial
which noted that the disclaimer of the
Deseret News Of any intent to influence
votes by the Smith editorial was meant
for outside effect and not for home
consumption. since everybody here
knows that the intent OF the Smith
editorial referred to was for the pur-
pose of influencing votes, and that the
disclaimer of the News was dishonest,
and said,
This is from a weak Tribune editorial
which is offered as Il reply TO what The
News on Saturday had TO say Oh the
Improvement Era article on the election
Needless 10 point OUT Ihe lrlpune IN IN
this excerpt is, as usually, resortlhS to
faIsehcod and displaying Its old-time mall
Ice Unable to refute The News IL barks
and snarls, but that does not make its
case any stronger. The News article was
er" meant for outside effect. 1t was an
open. frank, and true statement Of the
position OF Church members on political
differences.
a statement, since the facts speak for
themselves. We have had heated cam
paigns in the past and personal feelings
have sometimes been very much wrought
up. but never has there been any at
tempt at coercion by Church authori-
ties Men in high positions today hold
different political views, as do Church
members, and all enjoy the freedom OF
The trouble with The Tribune Is that
| IL always makes itself an echo of any
voice that seems to have an anti-Church
ring Whenever it hears something
against the Church leaders IL repeats il
with the greatest satisfaction. II never
| endeavors to pour oil on troubled waters.
If II discovers any sign OF sentiment
| Of anlmoslty 10 the Church and Church
leaders. il helps II along. 1t does not
consider how easy 1t would be TO retail
late by following similar course against
its own church, and other denominations
which merely shows its utter lack OF sin
cerity s well as principle.
Since it appears that the church or,
gan has no means Of replying to any.
thing else that was in The Tribune
editorial, we assume that it confesses
judgment on everything but the point
/ that its disclaimer was meant for out
side effect and not for home consump.
! tlon. But the News position in this
is so evidently fraud and subterfuge
that its dishonesty is clear.
As to our inability 10 refute the
News, there was absolutely nothing in
the News TO refute, All that the News
had WIS foolish sort Of evasion on
the point Of denying that the Smith edi
toral was meant to influence votes
OF course, everybody knows that il
was meant 10 influence votes. and tho
effort Of the News to disclam was
mere nonsense. 1t would be impossi
bic for the News TO put forth anything
positive in this matter, since nothing
positive could appear in the mere eva
sivc, lodging sort of semi editorial
scmi-intervicw, that appeared in it,
columns.
We agree with The News that the
facts speak for themselves. President
Smith, without any apparent melting
cause. sprung on this community q
signed editorial in the official organ
of the priesthood in favor Of the cleo
tion Of President Taft, and so framed
IT as TO make it AT The same time dis
tinct censurc upon Colonel Roosevelt
We objected to this injection Of priest
~ counsel in politics. The News hac
a sort Of halfway denial from Presi
dent Smith that he meant that as
direction TO his followers in their vot
ing. And now the News complain
that we did not rcfute this FOOLS!
denial. apparently losing sight of tb'
fact that that sort of evasion is it,
own rcfutation.
The News finally comes down 10 IL
old snarl at The Tribune as a hostil
force against the church But If, 81
5 the News says, the Smith editorial ha,
: nothing 10 do with the church and i
= not TO he taken as church direction
we ask where does the church COM
) int We hayc not dealt with the churcl
ut all save as President Smith is tn