| OCR Text |
Show GIVE COMMON SENSE A CHANCE I The following Is an address issued by Chairman Cunningham of the Democratic county committee. It's a strong, well-written political document docu-ment and maintains Mr. Cunningham's Cunning-ham's well-established reputation as a clear thinker and a forceful writer. , It reads as follows: To the Citizens of Salt Lake County: You are confronted by conditions that are a disgrace to the community. commu-nity. Neighbor Is arrayed against neighbor In bitterness of heart. Bigotry, Big-otry, hate, cupidity and distorted ambition am-bition are tho forces that govern tho actions of men. Public offices are debauched de-bauched In a wretched scramble for ldvantage. Public business la prostituted prosti-tuted to pnrtlsan ends. Private citizens citi-zens are made tho victims of vicious crusades. Reason and the teachings of Christianity are banished from consideration. con-sideration. Violence is prevented only by tho fear of punishment. These conditions are traceable directly di-rectly to tho blunders and tho misdeeds mis-deeds of the Republican party In Utah. In support of this statement let us review a scrap of history: Six years ago, as a result of a deal with Reed Smoot and the men In his confidence, Thomas Kearns was elected elect-ed to a scat In tho United States senate. sen-ate. Entrenched In his position through tho grace of tho Republican party, then In complete control of tho state, Mr. Kearns set up a dictatorship dictator-ship such as is rarely seen In a republic. repub-lic. No ruler was ever more absolute. He repudiated the men who raised him to office. Arrogance governed his every action.-The action.-The day of reckoning came and Thomas Kearns was hurled from pow- I er. His place on the throne- was lm- I mediately taken by Reed Smoot, an I apt scholar. His highest ambition In I politics Is to out-Herod Herod, and I up to this tlmo success has crowned his efforts. I This disgraceful feud between I Thomas Kearns and Reed Smoot led I to nn open rupluro In tho Republican I party, and slnco then there has been I little for tho citizens of tho commu- I nlty but sorrow and shame. Every I legitimate interest in the stato has I been impaired by theso wretched war- I ring ambitions; throughout tho land from ocean to ocean Utah has become l a hissing and a by-word; and on all sides reasonable men nro praying for I some avenuo of escape. H Two Republican Factions. ' The Republican party is rent Into 'I two bitter factions as tho direct result W of tho personal quarrel between 'I Thomas Kearns and Reed Smoot. Ono ifl faction is known as "tho Smoot ma- I chine," tho other as "the American I party." Tho heart and center of "tho I Smoot machine" in this county Is I mndo up of federal, stato and county officials. It Is notorious that many of I these officials are prostituting their I positions and neglecting the duties for which they draw pay from all tho I peoplo in a vicious and senseless on- fl dcavor, not to advance tho public In- I tercsts, but, at tho expense of the I public, to entrench themselves and I their parasites more firmly in their I positions, and in this way advance I their own selfish ends. Corruption In I some of the departments of tho coun- I ty government nnd gross lncompot- I I p ency in other departments nro tho in- Li evltablo results .of this system. I j An essentinl and very Important 81 factor In "tho Smoot machlno" Is that BN contemptlblo biped who goes about, $f trying by hints, winks, nods and In- fcj nuendo to convoy tho Idea that It Is yfk the wish of tho head of tho Church of m Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that f members of that church voto a cer tain ticket. i Tho other Republican faction, "the Jk American party," is now entrenched ' f In every department of tho city gov- U, ernment of Salt Lake City. This Is jHl tho direct result of tho blind folly of Reed Smoot and his political para- f, sites. One year ago, Just on tho evo d' of the city election, Mr. Smoot camo lo Salt I.ako City from his homo In J Provo. Ho camo to dlctato to tho citizens of this community how they should voto In a local election. Ho brought with him Republican National Nation-al Committeeman C. E. Looso with unlimited un-limited boodio to Influence voters by betting on brokers' row and elsewhere. else-where. As tho direct result of tho resentment aroused by this Invasion many Democrats and Republicans broke ranks to defeat tho Smoot scheme. William J. Lynch, tho Ro-I publican candldato for mayor of tho ' 'p city, received but 4,970 votes out of if a total of 21,719 cast for all tho can didates. This was less than one-fourth one-fourth of tho totnl voto. Of tho fifty-' three voting districts In tho city William Wil-liam J. Lynch carried but one. Smoot Helps "Americans." As another direct result of this interference, in-terference, of Reed Smoot in local nf-1 fairs, Salt Lake City is delivered over to the mercy of that faction of Ropub- J llcanism which parades under tho namo of "tho American party." In tho minds of reasonable men the administration ad-ministration of this faction Is held to bo nn Intolerable curso. In Its lead-, ershlp and management "tho Ameri- can party" is tho personification of hypocrisy. It Is led by adroit and un-1 scrupulous politicians who appreciate fully tho valuo of religious prejudice , as a political asset. It has played on tho passions of its followers until they j approach tho frenzy of a crusade. It arrogates to Itself all tho purity and all the patriotism of tho community, J and under this cover It gives freo rein ' I to vlco and licentiousness. Taxes nro raised to tho highest point In tho history his-tory of tho city. Public money Is squandered right and left as pay for party service. Favored contractors aro given tho keys to tho public treasury. treas-ury. Public work is dono only by special spe-cial favor. Yet despito tho fact that tho city administration is a stench In tho nostrils nos-trils of all men, tho Republican faction fac-tion known as "tho American party" Is now reaching out for control of tho county government. Denouncing church influence In tho ranks of Its opponents, it is Itself on its own sldo resorting to tho lowest and basest mothods over employed by any party in this direction. Arrogating to itself all tho virtues of Christianity, It appeals ap-peals to every ovll passion in tho human hu-man heart to advance Its cause. Pos- Ing as tho special advocato of purity In all things, it is preparing to de-. bauch overy ballot box In tho county. Wrapped in tho flag of our common country and shouting aloud from tho I housetops Its Intense loyalty, it Is re- i sorting to methods that destroy all ! respect for all government. And bo-1 hind It all Is plainly visible tho per sonality, tho influence, tho rovengo and tho ambition of Thomas Koarns. Republican Blunders. I To this extremity has this community commu-nity been brought by tho blunders and blindness of tho Republican paity , in Utah. And oven now, after all tho r sorrow and shamo It has brought upon f tho state and after all tho injury it f has dono to tho Industries of tho state, '' it offers no relief. It was tho Republican party that i sot Thomas Kearns up as a dictator and thus brought misery upon tho state. It was tho Republican party that substituted Reed Smbot for Thomas Kearns as tho supremo die-. die-. tator in public affairs. I Bosslsm Is always Intolerable i amdng citizens who aro free. And I bosslsm is none tho less intolprable because it happens to bo coupled with eccloslastical power and Influence. A priestly lobo will never hide from the , eyes of llberty-lovlng freemen the cloven hoof of tho political boss behind be-hind the robo. Tho transfer of the , dictatorship in Utnh politics from i Thomas Kearns to Reed Smoot did not euro tho ovll that was gnawing . at tho vitals of tho state. Tho onlj certain euro is tho rooting out of boss i Ism of all breeds. A victory for i Thomas Kearns, backed as ho Is b , that Republican faction styled "thf l American party," would not brinp peace. Tho success of cither means nothing but continued sorrow, shame and confusion to this community. Remedy Pointed Out. Then what Is tho remedy? Tho answer Is plain give common senso a chance. I Whatever is said abovo In tho way of criticism or censure is Intended fot tho lenders and tho management o' tho parties and factions nnd not foi tho rank and file. Tho rank and 111' of ono party Is Just as honest, just a Intelligent and just as patriotic ns th rnnk and file of tho other parties Honest men In all parties are actu ntod by tho same motives. They dr slro peaco; thoy desire good official? they deslro wlso laws. This is nat ural because va good man in ofllco is r benefit to the wholo community, n' matter by what pnrty elected; and r bad law bonrs down upon all alike no matter by whom enacted. This being true, men who thin1 nllko on public questions should ac tocether. Those men In this count: who aro convinced that tho commu nlty Is cursed by this never-endlns warfare between "tho Smoot machlno" ma-chlno" and "tho American party" should seek a common ground. Reasonable Rea-sonable men In all parties who deslr' pei co should get together. Tho permanent scttlempnt of th' difficulty is offered at this tlmo b tho Democratic party. This party If in no degree responsible for tho pros ent disgraceful conditions. It offerr common ground. Neither "tho Amer lean party" faction nor "tho Smoo machlno" faction will long survive de feat. Certainly tho community woul bo fortunato to bo rid of both. II would seem to bo tho first duty of nl good citizens to assist In eradlcatlnr them. Democratic Position. On tho ono point that is tho chio' cause of trouble just now, tho Dem ocratlc party holds no equivocal po sitlon. This has reference to "churcr Influence" or "church Interference.' Tho Democratic party in Utah has al ways stood for tho complete nnd ab soluto sopnration of church nnd state That was tho position of tho Demo cratlc party when "Nuqgets o Truth," a Republican campaign docu ment, was circulated from tho meet Ing houses of tho state to further th' candidacy for congress of tho Hon Frank J. Cannon, now tho mouthplec of tho reform "American" party. Thi position was enunciated clearly anr' for all tlmo by tho reconvened Democratic Dem-ocratic convention of 1895. Tho Dem ocratlc party holds now, as it haf over held, that no church that nr man In any church has tho right, or can over secure tho right, to dictate to any man or woman so long ns r freo flag floats over a freo people And this prlnclplo applies to one church with just ns ;nuch force as tc another. Some good Democrats havo been drawn Into this factional warfare be- ween "tho Smoot machine" and "the Vmorlcan party." This Is because heir hatred of the opposition faction vas stionger at the tlmo than their llegiance to their own party. To all uch wo say, como home. If you aro Incero In your fight, you will accorn-dish accorn-dish more in the way of eradicating ho evils of which you complain by ightlng shoulder to shoulder with our brother Democrats in tho party han you will accomplish camping vith either wing of tho enemy, or by onductlng n guerrilla warfare be-ween be-ween the lines. Defeat Both Factions. There are many good Republicans n both factions of tho party who are leartlly sick of the disgraceful wran-ling wran-ling that has cursed tho community or years. They havo .remained in the "anks up to this time because with hem party prejudice has been stronger strong-er than the sense of public duty To Ml such wo say: If It is your nmbi-tlon nmbi-tlon to smash "the Smoot machine" vo aro prepared to help you smash it If it is your desire on tho other hand 'o down "tho American party," wo are ready to help you down it. To every nan, In whatsoever party, who desires )caco with honor, who favors clean, honest and economical government, vo extend tho right hand of fellowship. fellow-ship. As a final word at the opening of 'ho campaign, wo appeal to all Demo-rats Demo-rats in Salt Lake county nnd to all ther good citizens disposed to co-iperato co-iperato with Democrats in this fight o organize now. "The Smoot ma-hlno" ma-hlno" Is entrenched behind tho fed-ral, fed-ral, state, county and local offices. It vlll lack neither for campaign funds nor campaign workers. Many of tho vorkors 'nro paid out of tho public 'reasury. "Tho American party" is -"ntrenched behind tho offices of Salt r.ako City. It Is levying systematically systematical-ly campa'jn assessments against tho Tien and women employed. It will havo paid workers In all parts of tho county, workers paid by tho taxpayers 'n many cases. In nddition to all this 't will havo unlimited funds contributed contrib-uted by Thomas Kearns and his satellites. satel-lites. In opposition to all this tho appeal of Democrats and those who stand with them In this fight must bo made direct to tho patriotism and common sense of tho Individual voter. Attend your primaries. Canvass tho situation with your neighbors. Organize your new voting districts. See to it that tho very best men aro nominated for nil offices to be filled. Then voto. Do this as a patriotic duty you owe the community in which you live. Do it as a duty you owe your homo and family. fam-ily. Do it as a duty you owe your own conscience as a man. Get in lino nnd keep step in tho march to victory. M. F. CUNNINGHAM, Chairman Democratic General City and County Committee. |
