Show RELIGION AND POLITICS 11 v Judge Tells Why American Party Is j Strong May Ia 25 26 i 1906 Hon George Sutherland United States Senator Washington D DC DC Dc C Dear Senator Friends of W D Liv Livingston LivIngston LivIngston ingston have asked me to write write you in regard to his candidacy for the office of or United Unite l 1 States district attorney They base his claim for recognition on the following grounds First that he is an anable anable anable able lawyer well qualified for the of office flee fice Is and always alwa s has been a consistent I and loyal Republican and one who has never bolted his party and second that he sacrificed himself and suffered humiliating humilIating humiliating defeat when a candidate for the theoffice theoffice theoffice office of district judge solely in the Inter Interest Interest interest est of those who now have at their dis disposal disposal the federal fed ral patronage of this state including the office in question and that there ther was an Implied if not express un understanding understanding Understanding between Mr r Livingston and those with whom he formed the alliance which resulted In his political defeat and downfall that he would be taken care of His Ills friends insist that according to fo every principle of justice and fair deal dealing dealing dealIng ing to say sa nothing of the tion promises mentioned he Is entitled not only to party part recognition but to special consideration at the hands of the tho mem bers hers of the Utah congressional delegation and to have his application for the office favorably considered by them Rejected Because Be of Religion It Is reported that you have haye gone gone on record as being opposed to the appoint appointment appointment ment mont of Mr air Livingston to the office men mentioned mentioned mentioned because he is a Mormon that there must be an equal division of the federal offices in Utah between the Mor Mormons Mormons mons mona and Gentiles and that according to the division decided upon by bj yourself and nd colleagues the office of United States district attorney must go to a Gentile See enclosed clipping Salt Lake Herald May ray 24 t IDOO 1900 In regard to the second ground upon which the friends of Mr Livingston base his claims for recognition in this matter namely nameh the alliance he be made prior to the last state election with certain gentlemen which his friends claim proved his un doing politically in this state to sa say noth ing fn of the ruinous effect his defeat had on his business and his standing as an at I have nothing to say Hlf If however Mr Livingston who is in every respect well qualified for forthe forthe forthe the office is to be turned down be because because because cause he is a Mormon I not only de desire desire I Isire sire to protest prote t against this uncalled for discrimination but as a Republican 11 1 lican and as an American citizen 7 who is as deeply interested in the future welfare and of this state as any ny person within its t ders or elsewhere I denounce it as I and contrary to the ba basic basic basic sic principles upon which the gov government government government itself is founded and upon the perpetuity of which depends its continued grandeur if not its very existence exist nce Not only is the test or policy which is thus adopted by the Utah congressional delegation in determining ing the fitness and qualification tion of men for public office opposed to every principle upon which our political system is founded but is in direct A and flagrant violation of section 4 fC article 1 I of the constitution of this state s ate which so far as material to top p this question provides No religious test shall be required as a qualification tion for any office of public trust and again There snail be no union of church and state Violation of Oath Now senator I am unable to conceive how boa it is possible without violating both the spirit and the letter of ot the foregoing provisions of the state constitution for you OU to say to one set or class cass of ot citi citizens citizens citizens zens of this state that they the arc ard ar ble to hold certain public offices because they are ere not members of ot the Mormon church that is the Mormon religion is isan Isan isan an indispensable qualification for those offices and on the other hand a ay to another class of citizens that because they happen to fo be members of the Mormon church they are necessarily disqualified I from holding other offices es of public trust You may ma answer that the federal con constitution constitution constitution and statutes define and fix the qualifications of federal office holders and that thal the provisions of the state con constitution constitution referred to do not control I concede this but nevertheless if this ob obnoxious obnoxIous obnoxious noxious rule is to control In the appoint appointments appointments ments to federal office in this state it must of necessity govern in the tion of candidates for state offices The rank and file of the Mormon peo pee people people pie with possibly a n few exceptions are bitterly and unalterably opposed to their church being continually ally made a factor if in politics but If the rule that appears to have been adopted by bj those in con of the Republican organization of this state is to be followed it will place I the Mormon church in the attitude of being an important if It not a controlling factor in the politics of this common commonwealth commonwealth commonwealth wealth This is nothing more nor less than the union of church and state And this union of at church and state in Utah is the only justification the American Americal party has for its existence i and by thus making Mormonism an anI r I I indispensable qualifications for one set of officers and a disqualification A I for another set you furnish that party the possible argument argument argument ment that can be urged why it should continue to exist and ulti ultimately ultimately ultimately triumph in this state A large majority of the Republicans of Utah in fact all persons who have any regard for the peace and future prosperity of the state insist that in determining whether or not a per person person person son when he aspires to public office shall be successful the test must re relate relate late only to his politics his claim for party recognition his character and general fitness for the position he seeks The fact that he is a Mormon Mor Mormon Mormon mon or cannot be con considered considered considered Religion Should Be Ignored Now senator I am neither advocating nor opposing the appointment of Mr Liv Livingston Livingston Livingston ingston My position is this Mr Ir Liv Lh qualifications and general fit fitness ness fleas for the office being conceded if it his claims calms to party part recognition are superior to those of the other candidates for the same position he Is entitled to the first consideration m and the fact that he Is a Mormon ought not be used against him lilt Hit It does not require a prophetic mind to see and understand that just so long as designing politicians be bethey bethey bethey they Gentiles es or Mormons persist in dragging the Mormon church into and making it a fact in the politics of this thi state the bitterness and dis dissensions which have so long made of Utah a storm center like ghost will not down but will con continue continue continue to be he a disturbing element and will vex us until those who represent the state in i our national legislature shall prove themselves to be big enough broad enough in their views with a sufficient amount of patriot patriotism ism individuality l and i rid d of thought th a to ignore and trample under un und rf r foot o when dealing d aling with matters which pertain to the state and the nation n such petty con I sider r ti ns s as to whether h ther an applicant applicant cant for f r office belongs b logs to this or that church to that fraternal or order order der or this th i or that so called faction within the party Of course I do not wish to be bc under understood understood understood stood as Intimating that you yoli and your colleagues do not possess inthe in tile the fullest measure these theE characteristics but I do d wish to be understood as insisting that ou bj b your works be equal to occasion and prove that the confidence of the Re Republican e publican of this state and of the people in general genera has not been misplaced and that the I statesmanship hip of their na national national national representatives has not been over oer overestimated estimated e Respectfully yours you rs W Y M MCARTY CARTY |