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Show i - "THE MORMON MENACE." The opposition press r-eoms to bo very much, chagrined by reason of tho showing that we, have made of the benefits of American rule in this city. The Snioot "Mouth," yesterday morning, morn-ing, had a two-column editorial objecting ob-jecting to the American party, through whose ascendancy this tremendous advantage ad-vantage for Salt Lake City has been brought about. Its pica, however, wns moro political than business, and was u sort of begging to Americans who arc Republicans on National lines to come back into the church party. As a bait it. says: "Tf all Ihc good Republicans in the American party were to work heartily within the Republican Re-publican organization, city, county. State, and Nation, the Mormon menace which ho seems lo fear -vyoulil be help- less to injure him. and unable lo on-trol on-trol the activities of the city administration." adminis-tration." This is a distinct recognition of that "Mormon menace." But it forgets thai this "Mormon menace." which it confesses to be Ihe troublesome factor, is not alone a threat to the Republican Republi-can party, but to the community at large. This "Mormon menace" which the "Month" presents as the chief trouble in the case, is well illustrated by tho incident which we have quoted heretofore in this discussion, where, in the Republican administration of .1901 to lOO.'l. four "Republican" Council-men Council-men united wilh four "Democratic" Councilmen, forming the "solid eight" which blocked progress aud thwarted all efforts of the administration to do anything for the benefit of the city. If it were a question simply of the control of tho Republican party, then the reasoning of the "Mouth" might have some force. Tn fact, that sort of reasoning has been heard before here in the past, and it was effective iu holding both tho Republican aud the Democratic party men iu line in their parties for a number of years in this State after the more discerning of each parly had scon tho futility of Telyiug upon that means for relief. In Ihc case rofcrred to Mr. Thompson was elected as Republican Mayor of this cily. Along with him wore elected eleven supposed members of the Republican Repub-lican party to the Council. Everything Every-thing indicated, from party standpoint, that Ihc Republicans would have control con-trol of the city for the ensuing term of two years. Immediately upon the incoming in-coming of tho new administration, however, four "Republican" Council-men Council-men deserted their party and joined with four "Democratic" Councilmen,! blocking all propositions of the administration, ad-ministration, stopping progress, and utterly belying all pretensions of any real division on party lines. The four "Republicans" and the four "Democrats" forming this "solid eight" were all Mormons. Their junction junc-tion was undoubtedly "counseled" 1)3' the dominant priesthood, and it was held together by ecclesiastical pressure. That is a fact in the history of tho eit.y, and it is a fact which answers all such pleas as that made by the "Mouth." It is idle to talk' about political fcalt3- and about controlling one party or the other iu spite of the "Mormon menace." It is the Mormon solidit', under the counsel and sway of the priesthood, that is tho real menace and that sweeps all party lines awa3 at will. When one party is not subservient, the other is used, or a joinder of portions of each, as in the case cited, which is by no means alone. Another instance of the effectiveness of that "Mormon menace" in invading and breaking up party lines, was last fall, where the priesthood openly, ac-tivch', ac-tivch', blatantly, defiantly, not ouly counseled, but practically commanded the men and women of the Mormon church to vote the "Republican" local ticket, under penalty of being denounced de-nounced as "traitors to their church." At that time the "Mouth" enjoyed and gloried in this "Mormon menace"-which menace"-which it now confesses I o be so formidable formi-dable an obstacle to the union of good men on political lines and iu the furtherance of party interests. But any one who realizes this "Mormon menace," so freeJy admitted by the "Mouth," must know that it is just as dangerous to accept help from that source as it is to be betrayed and defeated de-feated In that same menace. Wherever one party receives the benefit of that "Mormon menace" the other party is betrayed, and outraged by that act. And the party so receiving and globing glob-ing in the advantage so conferred, betrays its own interest and helps lo fasten on the community an intolerable, outrageous state of affairs, merely for a temporary advantage which can in a moment be turned against itself. The only true rule is to frown upon that "Mormon menace" in politics all the time, to denounce it, to rofusc lo receive re-ceive benefit from it, just as much as to denounce it indignantly when it is in xippositiou. It is because of the futility of reding red-ing upon the division on party lines as genuine, because of the impossibility impossi-bility of political lenders depcuding upon the party vote when ihc priesthood priest-hood interfere to divert that vote iu the priestly interest without reference to partisanship, that the free Americans of Utah, both Democrat aud Republican, Republi-can, saw the need of organizing a distinctive part' to oppose tho priestly domination and political interference. And as long as the "Mormon menace," which the "Mouth" admits exists, is held over the political field in Utah it is idle to talk about any party cooperation, co-operation, any party action, or auy party consistency or reliability iii this State. In the mass of tho Mormon vote here, which is so tremendously overwhelming, the priesthood always finds sufficient votes at its disposal to turn ihe scale ono way or tho other, according to its own desires or interests, inter-ests, and without regard to or concern for party claims or party ties or party principles. And so party fealty is an idle, cry and party loyalty a sham. All such political arguments as tho "Mouth" advanced have been threshed out time after time in Utah. There is nothing new iu them, there is nothing vital in thoin, there is nothing in them, in fact, worth the least attention. |