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Show HOW PRINCIPLE COUNTS. The 'News, after settling the question of the recalcitrant Republicans in the City Council by demanding the proof that they ever betroyed their party, proceeds to complain that any charge ot Church influence in politics has been made good, and attaches to Its complainings a covert threat as follows: "The persons and papers here that are seeking to drag in the hackneyed phrase "church In- . fluence," and apply It to suit their own designs, would be the very first to endeavor to obtain it, if they thought there was any chance to work it for themselves and their candidates. It may be necessary If the cry is kept up, to publish a few details, which would make interesting reading, read-ing, but would not be very pleasing for a fqw politicians of opposite parties." Now, that is vicious and provincial journalism to a degree. On what authority does the News charge that any person or paper would seek Church influence to carry a point? Has it any proof on which to found such a charge? By all means the News should supply "those detai.s" for until It does all who are to plead for an American Ameri-can government here are under the cloud of suspicion. sus-picion. Surely, the News should give "the details" to the world. Who are the sneaks? Then the News adds the following: "Why not announce principles and policies, put up candidates who are pledged to support them, appeal to the voters to elect them on tenable ten-able grounds, and drop villiflcatlon, false Issues and the stupid and baseless bugaboo of "church Influence" and pursue the contest decently and squarely?" Does not that have a kind of an ice cream look to the average Gentile? Does it not read like a stupendous joke to the average Mormon? When statehood was secured it was agreed all around that such a programme as the News marks out above should be the rule. Now, has the agreement been kept? Will the News explain? Election has not been held this year, but it was last, and wo witnessed the spectacle of seeing men forget all party principles to secure the election of a man to a high office, not because he either by education or training or native gifts was fitted for the place, not because of any services that he had ever rendered ren-dered the state, but because he was a high Church man under a government which is the very opposite oppo-site of free representative government. We saw hundreds of high Church men clamoring like tounders in the primaries and conventions to secure se-cure the men who would in turn vote for this same high Church man for United States Senator be-( be-( ause he was an Apostle and it was the will of the Church Chiefs that he be forced upon the Senate of the United States. Again, further back, there was a struggle to carry an electron and to elect a legislature, one of whose duties it would be to elect a Senator. There were several aspirants for the place. Some of them gentlemen of ability and character, men capable through their character and acquirements to represent the state with honor. The Legislature met and then it developed devel-oped that the coveted honor had been bought with cold cash from the President of this kingdom for a man who by no act of his life had established that ho would give either dignity or honor to the exalted station. Again, four years ago, a man was elected to the, City Council. He conceived a great apparent aversion aver-sion to the then City Engineer and absolutely refused re-fused to second any recommendation made by the Engineer. In his vindictiveness he prevented work necessary to save valuable water rights belonging be-longing to the city. All this was pointed out, but when the election came two years ago he was triumphantly tri-umphantly re-elected becauseahe was "obedient to counsel." No other reason was or could be given for his re-election. Again, two years ago, the fight was made on party grounds and when the returns were counted the Republicans were sure that they had eight of the fifteen Councilmen. When the first test came they found that four of the meji they elected, regardless re-gardless of all party fealty and of their oaths, were merely creatures to carry out the wishes of the power that here since 1847, with only a lapse of two or three years, while statehood was being secured, has asserted its right to govern this city. After that experience is it not the least bit cool for the News to advise the people to announce principles and policies and to pledge candidates and to appeal to voters to elect them on tenable grounds? Our judgment is that any Gentile who undertakes that only helps to carry on a disgraceful disgrace-ful farce and that the Gentile who would believe he could accomplish anything that way would be an idiot and that all there is to do if one would save his self-respect is to vote for true men who have no strings on them, and let the rest go. |