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Show THE POLITICAL JUMBLE. The present political situation in this city is interesting. There is a struggle of the Kearns faction to place the city in a condition favorable to their -chief next year, when recruitng stations and convenient recruiting officers will be convenient. con-venient. Moreover, the prestige of a victory this year would be worth something. On the other hand it seems that the high ec-B ec-B clesiastlcal officers of tho Mormon church can- not keep out of politics. Then we all know that when they are in pol-B pol-B itics all striving for a certain purpose, they are I there because a certain political programme has B been marked out at church headquarters. The II Telegram is sure there is a direct interference, a H preconcerted arrangement to vote the whole rank I and file a certain way, and shouts daily for som-I som-I thing to come to the rescue. The Tribune takes I the ground that the News took fifteen years ago, and will not be convinced without the case is directly proven. Then we have Apostle John I Henry Smith stating his preference for a cer-I cer-I tain man. for Mayor, and in the same breath I that the old plan of having the men to be voted I for named in the Tabernacle, without the incon- I venience and expense of primaries and conven-I conven-I tipns, suited him, and evidently he wishes the I old way could be reinaugurated. Then President I Angus Cannon, honest fanatic that he is, declares I that he came to Utah with soul thirsting for I vengeance. Of course, his wrath was at the gov-I gov-I eminent and people of the United States. With 1 all these lights turned on the voters are invited I to make their choice. Some important positions I are to be filed by the election this year. As a 1 rule the city councils of this city have been howl- ing farces ever since the village of fifteen years ago grew into a city. The council should be made up of the clearest-brained business minds B of the city; men who understand the city's needs B and who have the capacity to handle the city's B business. B The Legislature last winter was asked to give B the city the machinery which would insure an B efficient government, but it declined the request B and formulated some changes of the existing H law, the purpose of which the people will by and H by understand better than they now do. The people should ''ad the amended law before be-fore they vote, and tyQ ?rasp its full scope. Personally the c Jiar named for Mayor are all y".t ty0f?o men, men whom any man would ' -ust his private business to. The qiibu , s will not be as to the personnel of v. ' is, but rather what they represent. The Telegram is daily shouting that Mr. James is the church candidate because of the purported talk of John Henry Smith. That talk looks to us as the greatest lift that Mr. Odell has sp far received in the campaign, for the apostle must have known when speaking that there could be nothing else that would shake tile faith of Gentiles in Mr. James so much as his endorsement, endorse-ment, and that every Gentile on the impulse of the moment would exclaim: "If we are going to have a Mormon we would rather have it straight and would prefer Mr. Odell." The truth is this: From- tne very first Mr. James has fought everything unlawful and un-American un-American in the Mormon system and practice, and has not in the least changed his mind. If Apostle John Henry Smith really favors him which we gravely doubt it is for two reasons. rea-sons. One is because ho knows that Mr. James can be trusted with perfect confidence to handle such of the city's business as comes under the Mayor's control, and the other is that with him some other candidate may be beaten. The News declares thSt neither , the church nor the high officers of the church are in politics, pol-itics, and demands proof to the contrary. It is an old habit of the News to demand direct proof when it knows that it is impossible, even as was its- wont in the old days, to insist on proof of endowment-house sealings. Its declaration carries no force, We can only judgo by the circumstances of any given case. We believe the church leaders are in politics for the purpose of either helping straight Gentiles to defeat a combine, or to so generally demoralize and divide Gentiles that the candidates whom the church really wants can have a walkover. Great stress is put upon John Henry's words describing how in the old days it was a habit for a few to meet and select candidates without the formalities of primaries and conventions. Of course, that was a peculiarly theocratic method of whipping the devil around the stump to save some of the forms of free government. Every time it was done it was a slap in the face of free representative government. But that was not a bit more un-Aniorican than it is for a bull-dozing boss with two or three or half a dozen satellites to meet in a back room somewhere and select the candidates which the outside stikers are to whoop up and get nominated. nom-inated. Now, decent people here do not want a Tammany Tam-many reign inaugurated in this city, they do not want this state to be debauched as Montana has been and still is until men who once were self-respecting self-respecting are not above receiving bribes, and where even the judges of the highest courts rest perpetually under the suspicion that they have been corrupted or desire to be. This is what is already threatened here and should be stamped out at once. Tho trouble is aggravated by the fact that there is not an Amer- lean daily newspaper in the state. Every one' . iJBB ! is bound to one Fetish Qtvanother, and is either rt gB under church or boss control, and all have ceased ," ''fH ' to be honest guides of the people. H ' It is clear that if there ever was a time when iJflB' voters should think hard, it is right now. 'ifflifl ' Finally, we ask voters to keep in mind that H ' all their thoughts should not be about who to ' ,aBi elect Mayor. The Mayor has limited powers H' at best; the most serious matter is the election . HiH of Councilmen. With the record of the present flB ! Council fresh in memory, the most earnest strug- njBh' gle should be to elect some high-minded, inde- HB pendent-souled, capable Councilmen. JB Returning to the Mayoralty we desire to say JSB1 to Gentiles we believe that they can count certain- ' j fB ly upon this: Tho Tribune means to continue a 'lH regular Republican organ, but hopes for the nomi- B ' nation of Mr. Odell, with John Henry Smith, Gov- B ernor Wells, Bishop Clauson, Col. Trumbo and all H that push working to the same end. Tho Telegram jB wants Mr. Odell or Mr. Knox nominated. Both " ' 'ifB alike are in the interest of Senator Kearns. 'B In the convention noses will be counted. If I H Mr. Knox has more followers than Mr. Odell, Mr. hiJB Odell will withdraw in his favor and vice versa. fl If either is nominated it will be a Kearns tri- H umph. "B The question of beating the Kearns combine B rests upon whether Mr. James can or cannot be i M nominated. j I jB |