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Show H Changing One's Politics. H Shortly after the general election laBt fall, we j took occasion to comment on the election of Harry HI S. Harper of Salt Lake City as justice of the city M precinct, and commented on the fact that he had 1 been elected two years previous on the American M and that a few years previous to his election on H the American ticket he had accepted the nomina- H' tion for the same office on the Democratic ticket. H We stated that it looked very much like a politi- M cal flop in order to secure an office, and that the M changing of a man from one party to another for H the purpose of securing a public office was most H; reprehensible and if tollowed to any considerable H extent our very republic would be endangered, H for it is only by men having conscientious con- M victions respecting policies of government that V the perpetuity of the nation can be.assured. 1 Recently while on a business trip to Salt Lake m Mr. Harper took occasion to oxplain his position H and declared that he changed his political views H only after being convinced that the Democratic H party with which he had been associated for H ' years was wrong-in its declared views on matters H of national policy. Ho declared that he came to B such a conclusion as the result of a long period of H study of the effects of national legislation, and H that the change in his political faith and his H nomination on the ticket of the party whose views K he had adopted, were but a coincidence, other-K other-K . wiso he 'should have sought the nomination of .H the Democratic ticket. K . We are pleased to learn that Mr. Harper was M sincere In his convictions, and while we can find K no words sufficient to censure one who changes H' his political views for political preferment only, fcf we have a correspondingly high regard 'for the V man who, once convinced he is wrong, has the B courage to say so. It has been well said that B' "a wise man may change his mind but a fool Hj never does." It is a well known fact that Hj thousands of men, particularly in the middle H west and southern states, "vote their ticket straight" for no other reason than it represents H- the political faith of their fathers, and through m some malice or prejudice harbored in their minds B , for years as a result of some factional or sectional Hj difference, they vote the ticket of a certain H party regardless of its policies, practices or deeds. H ' As to what Mr Harper, or any other man may H believe politically, is no concern of ours, it being H sufficient if he is conscientious in that belief. V And better is the man who changes his views, H if the change is sincere, even if wrong, than the Hi ,man who holds to his views as a result of blind Hi prejudice, stubbornness or lack of proper con- H sideration of national affairs. |