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Show POLITICS AND RELIGION ARE BADLY MIXED Some strange stories come oat of Salt Lake City. Special correspond euts In that city possess vivid imagination imagi-nation and nro constantly at work on new sensations. The latest product o! the fertile brains of one of these anon ymous writers, dealing with the Mormon Mor-mon church, politics and William P. Wallace, Democratic national commit 1 rn:i n from Utah, as It appears in the Washington Times of last Sun day, is as follows: Salt Lake, Feb 9. Leading mem hers of tho Mormon church, who have been hard put to n sines the election nf Woodrow Wilson to tin- president;, to explain away the church's stront- support of Taft have taken heart In view of a curious happening here W illiam R Wallace! who had been so conspicuous in the service of the Mor moil leaders that he was made Demo erotic national committeeman from Utah through their Influence-, has Just announced the affiliation of himself and his wife with the Presbyterian church. 'The president elect, as Is well known. Is a Presbyterian Mr. Wallace Wal-lace denies that politics has cut any figure in his conversion, but those who are familiar with Mormon politi Cal methods sec significance In the move. "A brother of Wallace is the Mor mon bishop of the Twenty fl rut eere sla8tlcal ward of Salt Lake City His sister, Ellen Wallace, Is a conspicuous member of the Reneral board of th-Younr th-Younr Ladies' Mutual Improvement association, a prominent Mormon or canlzatlon His father is a patriarch of the Mormon church "It Is well known here that the Mormon leaders have been exceeding ly embarrassed since the election went contrary to their expectations Their strong support of Taft Is sain to have been based on a belief that the president would get the united Catholic vote. At any rate. In the e-ampaign Joseph F Smith, the proph et, seer and revelator, stirred the Ire of Democrats and Bull Moosers by c oming out for Tnft openly in a signed editorial in the Improvement Kra, lh Official publication of the church Mrs Susan Young dates, who is knowrras "the feminine end of the Smoot machine,' ma-chine,' introduced a resolution Into the Relief society, the chief women's organization of the church, praislnr President Taft and commending him to the people 'The stalwarts of the church werfl so completely put to work at the task of recruiting strength for Taft thai few were left to pick up a contact with Mr W ilson, such as the Mormon:- I enjoyed throughout the Roosevelt am' Taft administrations. "Since election the Mormons have turned hopefully to Mr Wallace as th. onl man who. as a personal acqualnl ance ff the president-elect, might bo able to explain away the Taft sup port Mr Wallace and Mrs Wallace visited the Wilson home at Seagirt after af-ter the close of the Baltimore conven tion and were able to tell Ihcir Utah neighbors glowint stories of their ob servatlons and experiences. "Now Mr. Wallace, In going to the Presbyterian church, has become af filiated with the organisation that has been the national leader in the war fare against polygamy and the partlc ip.nt Ion in politics of polygamous Mor mons Whether Ik- will take Its vie v. of the Mormon problem in politics, 01 whether he will use his office as com mitteeman to hedp the Mormon lead ers is the question that is Interesting political observers here." W. R W allace, we are Informed, hus not been a member of the Mormon church since his youth and has made no pretension in that direction, and this attempt to make anti-Mormon ma terlal out ot his affiliation with tho Presbyterian church is worthy of only the worst kind of yellow journalism The Times has been imposed upon and should correct the wrong lmpres sion conveyed by Its article. Utah 8 political leaders may be open to criticism, and some of them are. but Mr Wallace is not one 0' them W'e do not agree with the gen tlemaii in politics, yet we recognize in him a man of high character who could not be persuaded to stoop to any subterfuge so low as to pretend to join a church for the sole purpose: of promoting political trickery and deceit. Mr Wallace is not the only person in Utah who is without the pale of the dominant church and yet has relatives rel-atives high in ccclestiasllcal affairs. All men born into the Mormon church do not remain Latter-day Saints, and that Is equally true of other religions, and it is no reflection on any one to 6ay that he cannot conscientiously accept the teachings of tho religion In which he was reared, and It is not necessary to he. 4; hidden motives ir. explanation of the differences In profession pro-fession of faith within a family. |