The Washington times., 1920-07-16
By ). 4. FEHR-

Psrley Il. Christensen the oait LAM
City attorney, who heads the Farmer
Labor party as the Presidential
nopninee, was born In little place
called Newton, in Cache county
Utah. OF Mormon parents. He wa'
chri listened after, Perley y. Pratt. one
OF the early Mormon apostles and
martyrs.
After receiving his early education
In the public schools OF Cache county
he went to Logan, the county seat
where he went TO high school. and
from there he went to Salt Lake city
to attend the university.
WAS ONCE REPUBLICAN.
Law attracted him as a young man,
and so, upon leaving the State insti-
tuition, he went to Ann Arbor. Mich-
where he won signal honors. Re-
turning to Utah he settled down In
Salt Lake City to practice.
Christensen frst came into promi-
nence politically at the time Utah
became a state during the constitu-
tional convention OF 1S95-96, OF which
he was selected. when still mere
youth, as secretary. Since then he
has been more or less identined with
lnC PoiitiCai VI WAN - ."
young man, and until 1912, Chris
tensen was Republican. In 1901 he
was elected Salt Rake county attor-
ney on the Republican ticket. Then
he became ambitious to run for Con-
sress. and tried several times to
wrest the Republican nomination
from the late Congressman Joseph
Howell but never succeeded.
1t was this series of defeats that
6nally made him discontented, and in
1912 he-ieft the Republican party and
Joined the Roosevelt banner, charg
Ing that the Republican party in Utah
was IN, the hands OF party bosses.
headed by Senator Smoot, who con-
trolled the machinery of the State
conventions. He was also angered
because the legislature never Needed
his wishes to bring about a State pri-
mary law.
ELECTED AS DEMoCRAT.
Christensen's leadership OF the
Utah Bull Moose organization was
short-lived The Bull Moosers of Utah
in 1914 Joined the Democratic party
in an effort to defeat Senator Smooth
Tor reelection. 1t was in this wise
that Christensen was elected to the
tower house OF the State legislature
as a Democrat, being defeated in his
effort to win the speakership by
David Morris. Of southern Utah.
The career of the Third party's
Presiden ntial nominee has been one Of
gradual progress toward radicalism.
Upon AMERICAS entrance, into the War
Salt Lake City became, like Spokane.
west. hotbed for the /. w. W. and
it was Christensen who became their
legal advisor. SO wen did he be-
friend these radicals that he came at
orce into national prominence as a
friend Of industrial labor. 1t was his
attitude toward the l. w. w. that won
for him the applause of the conven-
ton in Chicago and possibly the
nomination.
MORMON ny BIRTH.
Although Mormon by birth
Christensen's affiliations with the
church are not seriously regarded by
sl,ose who know him. He has been
as Independent in his religious activi-
ties as he has in his political trays,
with the exception that he has never
shown any outspoken hostility toward
the church. However. the only thing
that stamps him as a Mormon is the
name he bears Of one of the early
stalwart leaders of the Mormon band
upder Brigham Young.
One of the tenets of the Mormon
Faith is to refrain from affiliating
with secret orders and secret clubs.
Christensen early disobeyed this pre-
monition by becoming a member OF
the Salt Lake Order OF Elks. He has
several times been the exalted ruler
Of the Utah order. He has no iothcr
club connections of any prominence.
Although considered by many of his
Utah aequaintances as wild" Chris
eensen is well liked. principally on
account of his pleasing personality
and courage of conviction. He is a
large man of dark complexion and
black hair inclined to be curly. He is
4 forceful and pleasing speaker. but
has never enjoyed the same reputa-
tion for oratorical eloauence as Sena-
tor William II. King, i. II. Roberts,
former Senator, George Sutherland
and other prominent state politicians
Utah has never. taken Perley p. Chris
tensen quite seriously. enough to suit
him. and he has never forgiven the
state for. it's lack of confidence in
him.
RATED AS GOOD LAWYER
AS lawyer CHRISTENSEN rdt'S oh''
ls an average practitioner. There are
scores Of attorneys throughout the
state Of Utah who far excel Christen-
sen in forensic ability. learning of tn"
law, and in pleading. He has, how
ever. always been able to make
living at the law without getting
rich. , =
Success in politics has at last come
to Christensen because OF his atti-
tude toward labor He has always ap-
preached the people as being one of
themselves. and his friends attribute
his success in Chicago. "wednesday, TO
his unassumins- and pleasing ways
with the proletariat. 4 't
g.. WAS NEVER MARRIED.
Just what effect Christenscn's nomi.
nation for the Presidency by the
Farmer-Labor party will have upon