OCR Text |
Show T WHOM TO BLAME FOR IT, The Mormon people owe their elefeat to themselves them-selves at the recent election, .or to Apostle Reed Smoot, which is almost saying the same thing. Anyone of common sense could perceive that the bitter assaults upon their priesthoexl was more than rleshaud biood could stand, and it would be against all history and religious precedent if such attacks failed to unite them in resistance. But they trusted to their churchmen for political advice,' ad-vice,' and the result spelle'el disaster, as it has been always, antl always shoulel be. Reed Smoot, whose place is in the church and should never be out of it, whetse counsel ought to be for spiritual ends and never for gratification of personal ambition, has brought tribulation upon the Mormon people as the head of a political machine in Utah. Xo surcease from Congress, either by his own act of resignation resigna-tion or through expulsion by a majority of the senate. The first is likely to take, place if the Mormon Mor-mon people sense their humiliation and demand it. The second because Smoot's conduct within the past week strengthens the charge of church interference in politics, lie may have acted without the authority author-ity of the first presielency :anel it is vigorously asserted as-serted by the church organ that he did so act but the, mischief was his, all the same, and he is so j close, to the church that appearances will count more than straight facts at Washington. The Relief society meeting, the printed programme and its misleading advertisements, will be set out in the prosecution for all they arc worth. Reed Smoot intended to defeat Thompson. Instead In-stead he defeated his own party and prevented the election of candidates of another party whejse success suc-cess was certain but for his pernicious interference. in-terference. " Xot because they were unfriendly to the. Mormon people but gowledj beyond patience by another exhibition of church interference, many Gentile Democrats bolted their ticket. Who is the Mormon to blame them? l |