Show TO TO TilE REASONABLE AMERICAN nIC N. N For there arc reasonable members of oC that party There arc are sane and sincere t-incero inc rc men mn and women who tJ tho i American party part before tho Tribune made it th Sheils SheI party patty a and aUd Hl tile they h by 13 no means follow their or organ n Into all Its ILS indefensible positions To Tn them we want to pre prent present nt for a moment the local loca political c. c caw I In the tho hope liopo that the they ma may so correct th the official pronouncement as to retain the the Indorsement ol 01 Tas reason reacon n and arni of ot rl right I t. t ProbAbly thi this I Is a fair statement Tho The present position po po- lUon o of the American party part so far fal as that c can n be learned arnell from tho the Tribune and the tho lending leading spokesmen Is li simply that o of antl anti m The attitude of the American merican party parly I Is one of oC Implacable h hostility It to Mor- Mor It is IM a rallying of oC forces against the Mormon establishment against against Mormonism It Is not a fight against polygamy for that Is no longer lonser a n. factor In the Mormon lormon economy conom it is simply an nn Mormon anti fight without regard to the tho practice of any member of oC that church and amI without regard to the general position of or orthe the people of oC that church on the questions which are of Interest to the rest of or us As A. we understand It th the chief chic objection to Mormonism Mor Mor- monism nl 1 Is th that t adherents of or that faith formerly made pol polygamy gamy a part of or their establishment We e do not understand un un- un- un that citizens of the United States care a n. great deal for the claim that JO Joseph Ih Smith was a prophet an inspired man that he found round certain gold sold plates in tn a certain ln hill or that the people who belong to the church i ho founded believe belle thc they will continue their conscious consciouS' individual I Id existence after death dath Those things would h t. t ty- ty warrant a a. a aane sane ane man or woman devoting lg time lime and effort to nn an antl anti fight S S And yet that is Js all that Is left even cven to the Tribune tho most intolerant of the tho Mormon anti publication Even en the Tribune recedes from Crom the position that polygamy polygamy am amy is a factor to be bo feared It continues to make charges of ot hundreds reds of oC new cases of or polygamy m in Utah but when asked for COl proof when assured that such violations vio yb- lations of oC the thc law certainly will be punished the Tribune co concedes c des that It has no proof Now we wt submit that If Ii there Is a condition here in Utah so perilous to tho peace of or society so contrary to the spirit of the age so of tho rules of all cI 1 as is a a. continued contracting of plural marriages marriages mar mar- there ought to be some evidence of- of it That evidence evi evl- den dence enough e enough ough at least to secure convictions should convictions should I b be tl within the reach of oC all tho the public all alI the time We Yc submit as a matter of ot argument as a matter matter I of f fact ct that If IC there is no evidence the thing thins cannot be existent existent and and so is not dangerous Let Let Lct us state stale that again If It the practice of new polygamous marriage Is existent there should hould be conclusive con con- proof roo of or it f ft I If there is no proof of or the practice there is no peril t to the community If It there Is no perU peril to th the community what is tho ho Tribune nc ne and the other oLIer loaders leaders of or the lie American party n making aling all the fU fuss s about 1 That paper papeL has conceded it has not tho the proof to sustain 1 talt Its Ils mad charge that hundreds of oC new cases are aro o occurring constantly In Utah Ufah Admitting tho the Tribune is making the strongest case that can be he made does dog It no not occur cur to QU u that the case 1 Is not nearly arl strong enough 4 You are in tn a a. party palt whose one motive and Inspiration tion Hort Is 15 antl Now ow if there is no new Is there r reason uon enough in Iii the rest of or tho the ar argument to t to warrant your our devoting your our effort to a political party parts based based- basdon as d. d o on religious antipathy i t T J Let t u us us b be entirely entire frank The old pol polygamists ar are living with their pl plural ral wives vive There are aro not of course t r m nIthi ti of ot them in Salt Lake Lkc I Lake less si than a hundred hundred- and ind all ap entered plural marriage before the manifesto be he- i 1 18 O The Tho whole quarrel was wag so t settled some twenty years e rs ago not so much for the gratification of or the me meas men as tas and aud care for tor the women and amI children I I Out of oC alin about t possibly I people people In Sail Salt Lake Lako k less than a n. hundred polygamists are now to be foUnd Out of or the nearly nearl population of Utah ics less ess than than now exist Thero There arc no new pol m marriages f Mormons are ns s sincere In ir the rc resolve to make an end of tho the old Institution at as the rest of ofus UK we can cm pos possibly be They are arc acting In lri good faith And n they are entitled to all nil credit for tor it Is It going to toay pay pay ay you OK as a a. citizen clUzen of or Utah to light fight them on religious gl ou when the tho real reason reason for the contention Is rc- rc moved Is I It t going to do you ou a citizen of or Utah an any good to keep l up an an Mormon anti fight when the sole solo objection ob oh- you OU have to Mormonism Is eliminated f Take it outside of ot that ant and you ou know Olo you ou have havu no I objection to a Mormon than you ou have e to a member of if r any ny o other hel faith If IC you are a Presbyterian you OU dont don't have ac an any more mOLe sympathy with the Baptists Baptist's Insistence th that t you ou must be Immersed In bit baptism than you have o ir Is the Mormon contention that Its law rests on a n. of r plates found In a n York state slate hillside If t you arc a Methodist you OU have no more with tho the Baptist and the Presbyterian contention O ovi I lm Jm Immersion or sprinkling than you have o In tho the insistence that will have some somo helpful effect or 01 th Urn status 8 us of oC those who have ha died If It t you ou are arc a member of or the Christian or yu p I I f 1 t L r. r J church with the contending contend r I you ou have no muro inure sympathy ing theologies than you ou hn have c with the Mormon Insistence on divine divIno guidance You can overlook what you rou nr are aro perfectly assured is mistaken interpretation of tho the Word as to all the rest What wo we o want to ask you OU Is C Can n you oU profitably devote ote yourself our to a political party part whose only aim and ami motive J is hostility to a n certain church when the mem mem- bors birs of or it are arc as good citizens a as an any other r S S S Of or cour curse course e it I Is oa la easy y to s1 say ay that no man should have moro more than one wife Wo Ve quito quite agree with you rou Hut But a condition c existed here for a a. good runny many years and ald It was wag entered Into by a a. good many perfectly honest honc t ant and sincere men and by women who without exception a awe as we believe belle were as pure and as ns genuine In their faith as womanhood ever has been been anywhere And wo we dont don't know a better settlement of ot the problem m than was made mad by br those careful an and patriotic men of oC twenty years ago when tho they said they would I quit Jit prosecutions for plural plura marriages that had passed If there ere were no new plural plura marriages in the tho future The They certainly did lid settle ettle the qu question and It still is settled nd And we dont don't believe you rou are inclined to indorse Indor e a political party resting solely on what Is left of oC the objection to Mormonism It Is nil all right to tn talk about mysterious l influences influences' and whisperings antI and secrets and nl all that sort of oC thing lint But It Is s better as ns a n means of oC frightening children chil chil- dren than as ns a n means to control thinking men and anti women wonton If there aro are new now marriages enough to peril tho the American home to stain American an institutions to amount to a violation of or the compact of man with wILh civilization there is going SOing to be some evidence of or It H. Th There re is going to b be plenty of oC proof of oC It Mysterious influence is all allright allright allright right a as a bugaboo But where any state Is menaced by hy bya hya a traitorous cabal tho the evidence e to hang tho the cabal can be tc f secured secured hero hero or anywhere else This state tato of ot Utah Ulah is 1 not different from an any other spot on tho the face of or tle tl earth Men Ien here are arc liko men everywhere except everywhere except that th they are arc a little belter and anti a n little more capable of oC the tho excellent things that the good genii Lord has hns set out for tor their accomplishment S S Fh First t of nil all tho lie Tribune has hns commuted committed your party originally christened the tho American n. to tho cause of Chief Sheets and has declared that tho the American party must get behind him bin must supply him with cash for his defending de tie fending must Indorse him him and carry corry him in their thell cam cam- After that probably almost as us Important as that the Tribune has insisted that your our party parly is an anti anti- Mormon ormon part party hat What wo we arc are asking I Is this Stripped of oC polygamy Is there thelt enough nough objection to Mormons on your yom part Jart to allow yourself to serve In an Mormon anti war Tho thing is Js tho the more Interesting because your our party part as at present directed fights every one not an anti anti- Mormon The Tribune plainly reads out of or the ranks of respectable people all who do not devote devoto themselves to tho Mormon anti fight Anti And there thero is something else for the people of or Utah to do There are arc people hero here other than Mormons There are arc thousands o of men and women In Utah who do not belong to the Mormon church chUlch and never did and never will who at at the same time are not Inclined to join a apart party part whose one and only aim Is 15 the fighting fighting- of or Mor Mor- mons Thc They know the Mormons Mormons' are pretty good citizens that the Mormons pay their bills hills that Mormons own property and keep up their taxes that the they provide pro for their theil families that the they educate their thelt children that the they maintain sober ober and anti de decent int lI lives es that the they r sell their real estate to any anyone one who has tho the price and the dispositIon disposition disposition dis dis- position to bu buy that they behave o themselves es in all ways like other citizens of the state and tho the nation And these persons cant can't find in the existence of or the tho Mormons warrant enough to support an nn Mormon anti party part S S S Get it out of oC your our minds that the Mormon Is the only question h here re There are arc other things s. s The Tho state I is bigger than an any church The people are greater than an any creed Religion is Js not in politics unless you ou put it there And members of the American party ought to be bethe bethe bethe the very CO last to do so Prett Pretty soon the city campaign is coming comins- on You will note tho the effort alread already making b by the Tribune to array irray all non Mormons on one side against all Mormons on em the other Dont Don't let lel yourself be beguiled into any such foil folly You will find Mormons In er c every party you may rna join You will find Mormons anti in e cr every party party part at least to the extent that they will oppose any improper proper Influence being exerted by the Mormon church either In politics or in business S And an any by any church prejudicial to the general good will be e regarded reg as an Improper influence You will have ha no difficulty no quarrel quarrel rd rel on that score with any anyone one now opposed to your our part party S S S So that tho the only reason you ou can have o for holding to that party must be based on religion must be bo because because be- be cause your our religious sentiment controls your our politics mu must t be le because you OU propose to vote ote according to your our church persuasion And Anti you should of DC course be ho the thelast thelast thelast last one in tho the world to let Jet a church influence your our political action Remember that the chief chic and only onh cause of oC holding to the Tribune party part is Js based on charges which even oven the Tribune concedes are not proven Remember that if ff lf any condition exists or an any action is committed im imperiling periling the thc peace or the honor of or the state it CAN I Iho ho bo i proved ed And If there is no proof there thero certainly is no peril An Anti And l standing firm on that ground refuse further to bo be led b by tho the Tribune Into the Sheets party part or an any further In a a. course which spells pens defamation for foi your our state h harsh words for a portion of the citizenship of Utah and a political position based on religious hate |