Newspaper Page Text
I ANTI-KNOCKERS' EDITION. J
Special Edition No. 7 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, MAY 31, 1905. Prick 5 Cents Ml
I President Smith's Interview
The time is rapidly passing, if It has
not already passed, when a few scala
wags of which this state has had more
than its quota, can scourgo a whole
people. In Utah for many years, wo
have been afllicted with rlimbers of
those scalawags, who for selfish and
mercenary reasons, wilfully wickedly
and with malice aforethought have
maligned, misrepresented, slandered
ami lied about Utah and her people,
particularly the Mormon portion of the
people. They have taken advantage of
the prejudice which exists against the
;jormon3 to paint them blacker than
any Miree black crows. There aro those
destitute of honor or common decency
who practiced extortion, a species of
blackmail on the peoplo of Utah. Somo
wanted money, others wanted political
preferment. When denied either or
both, they raised a hue-and-cry east,
west, north and south against the Mor
mons told all kinds of false and das
tardly stories about them to the out
side world, and because of the pre
judice against the Mormons those tra
diicers obtained credence and were
accorded sympathy and financial
1 assistance, the latter being e3
' peclally to their liking. The Mormons
being comparatively few in numbers
ami under a dark cloud were in no po
sition to gain a hearing, they could
neither effectually refute tho slanders
and abuses heaped upon them or as
sert their just rights in a way which
counted for anything. The Mormons
have been In tho position of tho under
dog in an unequal fight. Tho ministers
of tho gospel, tho gamblers, tho graf
' tors, tho dispensers of liquid damna
tion, the disappointed politicians all
combined and made common causo
against tho Mormons. They wore and
aro considered legitimate prey, be
cause they aro weak and discredited.
The ministers make money, fat and
easy livings, by decrying the Mormons.
Tho politicians and the place hunters,
when their schemes, however wicked
and nefarious, go aglee, vent their
spleen against tho Mormons. That's
what tho Tribune triumvirate, Kearns,
Cannon and Llppman are doing now.
They tell In their papers and privately
the blackest lies about the Mormons,
because the Mormons would not keep
Kearns and Cannon United States
senators and Llppman "chief cook and
bottle washer." To satisfy their thirst
for vengeance they Injure tho whole
state and tho wholo peoplo, Mormon
and Gentllo alike. Thoy formed a
band of knockers which they lead
through filth, mire and corruption.
Thoy misrepresent the state, Its busi
ness, Its social, moral and religious
conditions, they wilfully and malicious
ly Ho about It and defame It In their
newspaper organs, and in every other
way they can. A more corrupt, a more
foul gang does not exist anywhere
than the knocking triumvirate, Kearns,
Cannon and Llppman. Their actions
public and private, smell to heaven,
and with this gang somo of tho preach
ers join hands and help spread the
poison which has blighted tho fair land
of Utah. Their time, however, is
short, their days aro numbered tho
hand writing Is on tho wall In large
letters. Utah Is rising triumphant
above them all and her defames arc
sinking into tho hades they havo pro
pared for themselves.
A statement made by tho head of
tho Mormon church recently to Henry
Hall, an accredited representative of
tho Pittsburg, Pa. Times, and published
In that paper gives a clear and truthful
statement of tho business and polltlco
rellglous conditions as they exist hore.
It has not been reproduced in any of
tho dally papers here for reasons that
aro obvious. It contradicts all they
havo been publishing. It Is a lengthy
article, but is good and Interesting
reading and true to tho facts. It reads
as follows:
"The Church of Jesus Christ oi
Latter-day Saints does not direct, nor
attempt to direct, who shall or shall
not bo elected to any ofllcG, high or
low. In tho Stato of Utah. With re
gard to tho charge, continually and
persistently made, that Apostio Heed
Smoot was tho Church candidate, and
that by Church dictation and through
Church domination in politics, ho was
elected to the United States Senate,
I want b, say to you, In tho presenco
of these three gentlemen, who had full
knowledge of all tho circumstances,
that I had no more to do with his elec
tion, nor had thoy, than you, living
In Pennsylvania, had, except that at
the polls I may havo voted for mem
bers of tho Legislature who In turn
supported him In tho joint lcgislaT-lvo
convention for that office."
This positive, unequivocal state
ment wns made to The Times corres
pondent by President Joseph F. Smith,
of tho Mormon Church. Tho thrco
men whom ho called as witnesses were
Presidents John It. Winder and An
thon II. Lund, his colleagues In tho
highest ofllco of tho Church and
Apostio Charles W. Penrose, ono of
'tho Twelve," nnd editor of the "Dose
ret News," the ofllclal organ of Mor
mondom. "And If you ordered us to vote for
Reed Smoot," said President Winder,
vlth a broad smllo, "there fuo two of
us hore who flatly disobeyed you, for
Brother Penrose and I aro Democrats,
and I certainly didn't vote for Repub
lican candidates for tho Legislature
who voted for Smcot for Senntor."
"Neither did I," declared Apostle
Penrose. "I voted for the Democratic
candidates."
"There, you see how Mormons aro
divided politically," said President
Smith. "Hero aro four of us together,
and two are Democrats, ono my coun
selor and nssocinto In tho first presi
dency, and the other nn Apostio of tho
Church. That ought to show how llttlo
there Is in tho chargo that Mormons
vote as thoy aro told to voto by tho
Church offlclals."
"Mormons aro llko other citizens of
tho United States," said President
Lund. "Tlicy aro divided politically.
I think tho division Is about an equal
ono, and those who aro Democrats
voted against Apostio Smoot."
"I will say further," continued
President Smith, "Hint Itced smoot no
more represents tho First Presidency,
tho apostolato, nor tho Church, In tho
United States Senate than does his col
league, Oeorgo Sutherland, who Is not
of our faith and Church.
"Let mo say further than that,"
said President Smith, growing moro
and moro emphatic, "to you and to
tho country, that Thomas Kearns, for
mer Senator from Utah, and now actlv0
In this crusado against tho church,
has como to mo to mo my Influence
with Senator Smoot to got him to re
sign his seat In tho Senate, and that
I havo Invariably told him that I had
nothing whatever to do with Smoot's
election. I did not help to put him In
the senate, I am not In politics, and I
will not bo led nor driven info politics. ', lv.i
The Republican party of Utah elected !H
Heed Smoot to tho Senate, and Is jj? HI
responsible for his being there. I if Wm
am not, nor Is tho Church. I will also jjfffli 5
add that, whilo pleading with mo to JKs
get Hood Smoot (o resign, Mr. Kcnrns i Jjfffl'l
also pleaded with mo to help him to bo ' wi5l
elected to succeed himself, nnd that to 'Mill
both plcas I made tho same nnswor, I . I
'I am not In politics, and will not be nidi f
led Into politics.'" 'Kwil
This Ik the answer, made by the ffl
highest olllcor of tho "Mormon" ' tlpl I
Church, to tho chargo that Heed ' 'lijBg 1
Smoot, ono of tho Twelve Apostles, MMM i'
was elected to the United States Sen- , &SJ J
ato by and through their lullucnco nnd ' Islli'i
dictation. HHIlX
"And let mo say something on that aPSa! 1
point," volutcored Apostio George A. iSmPmI
Smith, son of Apostio John Henry aPsM I
Smith, a prominent man In the Church jwJBl 1
father and son being both members "Pvi
of tho apostolato who had entered H f
tho room while tho foregoing state- Hi I
monts were being mnde. "When Heed Horl I
Smoot was a candldnlo for tho Son- y&PI
ato, tho Kcnrns people right horo in wjm
our convention In Salt Lnko county, Hi
united with the Smoot forces to noml- fflM i
nato candidates for tho Legislature H
against tho Sutherland forces. It was . HP u
a "Mormon" Gentllo combination R9 h
against another "Mormon"-Gunlllo tBa
combination, for tho Republicans wcro 9S
divided between tho two candidates JllfTS 1
without regard to church affiliations. fflw ' i
I am a Republican nnd havo been slnco Sfitl 1
boyhood, and I nm a Federal office- Hjg 1
holder, appointed by President Mc- Bfl'
Klnloy. I have stumped ovory cor- iBlf
nor of Utnh for tho Republican cause, JE
and no ofllclal In tho Church hns over Jjf
hinted to mo, let nlono dictated, what K
should bo my political course not jffj:
oven my own fathor.' jjRi '.
"It should bo said, In this conncc- l Igg
tion," romarked President Smith, fit
"that this stumping wns dono by " mjA 1
Rrothcr Smith before ho becamo an IWfl
Apostle. Ho was only recently np- 'flK 1
pointed to that ofllco." ' j0 1
"Whllo Rood Smoot Is an Apostio," 'liS? 1
said Apostio Penroso, "there Is noth- i otJ
lng in that fact incompatible with his , , WB M
holding any civil office. Nor, while I jSHN
Micro has been as much ground for It ' 1kWJ
as there Is In his caso, has tho ob- ilfivfl
jeetion mado to him over been raised 1 1 fVWjfl
before. Ho Is not tho first Apostio ilUnflR
elected to Congress. George Q. Can- uBH
non, who wns an Apostle and counsel- fl
or to Presidents Taylor, Woodruff and ilflH
Snow, served several terms In Con- ShhI
"'in
s$4m.
