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Show THE CAMPAIGN IX UTAH. Tho political campaign m L":uh Is so far about the qiiN'tntl that wr havo over had in a Presidential year. The bogus Republican bossos aro evidently relying upon the church support and influence to carry their ticket, through, and so thoy arc makiug but little open 'fight for it. Much is going on under 'cover, and the church organisation ap-I ap-I pears lo bo in use as hcietoforo as the political organization of tho machine. This is evident from two facts that aro notorious; first, the lack of effort on tho part of political organs, committees, com-mittees, and speakers iu behalf of the machine Ropublicuu ticket; and soeoinl, because of tho active intorpositkm of the church authorities-, first in President Pres-ident Smith's signed editorial iu the Improvement Urn, and second, in tho devotion of tho recent conference, especially es-pecially in the speaking of tho last day, to "whooping it up" for the Kopnblic-an Kopnblic-an party and for adherence to the church guidance in voting for thai, party. The Ifooscvclt campaign opened in this State iu an iminoti.se hun-nli. with wide cJinnis and with t roinendons enthusiasm. enthu-siasm. This enthusiasm appears lo have "polorod out," and IToosovcliUni) in Utah is in the trough of the political noa. So far as the Kooscvelt movement is concernod, The Tribune rejoices to sno this waniug: but so far as tho local cause of tho Progressive movement ia concornod, Tho Tribune would be glad to sec that movement gather and gain so as to put tho old machine out of business. Mr. Nephi Morris, the Progressive Pro-gressive candidate, has boen doing good work on tho stump, but wo fear that tho machine slronglh. with the church reinforcement, will bo too much for him. Still, his candidacy ought to develop de-velop a good deal of strongth, and the pooplo of Utah will be keenly interested interest-ed in noting what oir'oct a candidacy such as Morris's will have at tho polls in opposition to the forces that rule. Tho Doraocracy also bogan tho present pres-ent campaign with high hopes and gTcat claims; but those claims wcro to a considerable exlont wilted by tho frosts of early October already referred to. The Democratic local nominations (and wo can say tho same of the Progressive Pro-gressive local nominations) havo been of a meritorious order, and tho Stato would lose nothing by the cloction of tho candidates of oither of thoso parties. par-ties. Still, tho tide sot in motion by tho president of tho church, sustained and reinforced by the Couierenoo addresses, ad-dresses, is liable to bo conclusive of the result as against both tho Progressive and tho Democratic candidates. can-didates. If oither of these two wins, it will bo by a narrow majority and after af-ter a dospcrnto tight. But so far as a great portion of tho voters are concornod, con-cornod, and of the working spirits in both of theso parties, tho heart is largely taken out of thorn by the apparent determination de-termination of their church leaders to take part against them politically. -There aro those, to bo sure, who claim that tho open action of the chnrch leaders and tho Conference do-livorics do-livorics wcro merely for public effect, and that tho church leaders reserve to themselves tho right to remodel and chango according to circumstances. This may bo true, of course, and there is no doubt but 'the supposition is entirety en-tirety feasible. Tho upshot of tho whole matter at this tlmo is that tho election js at sea, without any particular indications a3 to the final result, savo only that the influonce of tho church leaders appears to be honestly and devotedly in favor of President Taft, this at tho behest of Apostle Smoot, who 6tands for tho church political' in the National field, and doubtless the apostolic quorum feels obliged to sustain him, and the "First Presidency also to bo in harmony with that quorum. Tho whole jumble, however, is an offense to an upright, independent American citizenship, and the right thinking voters of Utah are both tired and disgustod at tho abuor-mal abuor-mal conditions -which are thus projected into tho political campaigns of thii Stato by an ecclesiastical power which has no business to figure in these campaign's cam-paign's at all. |