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Show Hingkley Journal of Politics 2005 term, Governor Rampton led the state by better capitalizing on Utah's tourism industry, hence stimulating the state's economy. He supported higher education by requesting a 37 percent increase in spending from the Utah Legislature. This increase came at a vital time when Utah's universities were swelling from the first wave of Baby Boomers entering college (Utah Democrat 1967). His first term ran from 1965-1968, a very tumultuous time in the United States. The late sixties brought with them rnany controversial issues, such as civil rights, women's liberation, the Vietnam War, and the sexual revolution. These controversial issues caused a stir among religious communities across the nation. Utah was no exception and experienced a surge in conservatism (Dean 1983). With sensitive political issues at the forefront of an election year, Democratic Party leaders issued caution to party members. Wally Sandack, then Democratic State Party Chair, advised party members, "The Vietnam War is creating division among the party, party executives urge Utah Democrats not to make it a state issue" (Utah Democrat 1968). Realistically though, it was nearly impossible for state politicians to isolate themselves from poignant public issues. As the state's most powerful elected official, Governor Rampton stood firm in his Democratic views. While not directly coming out in opposition of the war, he made clear his support for lowering the legal voting age to eighteen (Utah Democrat 1967). Since many members of the youth population strongly opposed the war, supporting their right to vote may have signaled his agreement with their cause. Governor Rampton also made it clear that all people regardless of race, creed, sex, or national origin were welcome in Utah, and welcome in the Democratic Party (Utah Democrat 1967). His firm stance on these issues may have fueled the disagreements between the parties. This pivotal era in American history led to substantial gains in political power by the Utah Republican Party. Conservatives across the nation were banding together and organizing many different Political Action Committees (PACs), such as the Eagle Forum and Grass Roots (Dean 1983). In Utah, a substantial amount of political influence continued to come from within the LDS Church. In 1967, future Mormon prophet Ezra Taft Benson, then a prominent church leader, came out publicly in support of presidential hopeful Ronald Reagan by stating, "[The] GOP will be making a mistake if it does not nominate a solid conservative candidate for President in 1968" (Utah Democrat 1967). Further expressing his political views, Benson gave a formal speech that essentially chastised the Democratic Party and aligned his perceptions of government with the GOP platform. This 1968 speech, entitled "The Proper Role of Government," emphasized the need for stronger local government and for a less centralized federal government (Benson 1968). He unabashedly denounced social programs, claiming "No one has the authority to grant such powers, as welfare programs, schemes for redistributing the wealth, and activities which coerce people into acting in accordance with a prescribed code of social planning" (Benson 1968). He compared having "a little bit of socialism" in government to having "a little bit of cancer." Benson detailed how simply ending welfare-state programming was the solution and that, with diligence, social programming could be phased out in ten to twenty years (1968). While it was proper for Benson to disagree with social programs, particularly given his work experience as Secretary of Agriculture, his speech revealed an underlying message. Nearing the end of his oration, Benson began to make accusations towards "they," "them," "these," and "those," without being clear about exactly who "they" were. Said Benson (1968), "There are those who think that because we now have the good things in life, we can afford to dispense with the foundations which have made them possible. They want to remove any recognition of God from governmental institutions. They want to expand the scope and reach of government which will undermine and erode our economic and personal freedoms. The abundance which is ours, the carefree existence which we have come to accept as a matter of course, can be toppled by these foolish experimenters and power seekers. By the grace of God, and with His help, we shall fence them off from the foundations of our liberty, and then begin our task of repair and construction" (emphasis added). After opposing all Democratic ideals and endorsing Republican ones, it became very clear that they referred to the Democrats, just as it was clear that He referred to God. Whether or not Benson's opinions were correct, one could question the recklessness with which he made them public. As a respected and prominent LDS Church leader, Benson was undoubtedly aware of the strength in his sentiments. Benson was keen on bringing up religion and faith in this speech, which were obviously philosophies to which his audience subscribed. He described what he believed to be the definition of church and state, "I support the doctrine of separation of church and state as traditionally interpreted to prohibit the establishment of an official national religion. But 1 am opposed to the doctrine of separation of church and state as currently interpreted to divorce government from any formal recognition of God" (Benson 1968). He went on to say that he believes "the Constitution of the United States was prepared and adopted by men acting under inspiration from Almighty God." He also pronounced his subscription to the Divine Plan, part of which theorizes that government was instituted by God for the benefit of man (Benson 1968). Benson's role in the Church, his strong convictions regarding government, and his aptness to integrate his religion into his politics proved detrimental for the next decade of elections. In 1967 a critical event occurred when BYU campus administration came out in support of the conservative platform. The school's executives publicly vowed to become "the most conservative university in the nation" (Utah Democrat 1967). Active BYU student Democrats opposed this action 53 |
