The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-11-05
A HEARING GRANTED.
To a on-Religious Liberal.
Who is Pronounced in His Vie WIS
Regarding Illiberal Liberals.

I
some time since. but as it has not
appeared in its columns, I have
come to the conclusion that the ex-
treme liberality of that paper will
not permit its appearance in it's
sacred columns, and | trust there
fore that you will spare the room in
your valuable columns for its publi-
cation, as its author is confident
that all true Liberals will endorse
and appreciate the sentiment how
ever h0mely expressed.
PARK CITY, Oct. Z, 1882.
Ed. Salt Lake Tribune:
Will you permit me to make a
suggestion to you, and also to point
you to some facts that you in your
zeal to suppress Mormonism, may
have overlooked?
In the irst place a short respite
from the mad rawlings against Nor
monism, which constitute a goodly
share of the local and editorial
pages of each and every issue of the
Tribune, would gladden. the hearts
of many of your patrons and readers.
Liberals, almost to man, those
with whom | am conversant, are
utterly Disguised and weary of your
TRADES.
1 DO not know the situation or
facts IN the matter, but "to a man
up tree" it looks as If you had a
personal spite to vent. 1t may be
a matter of especial satisfaction to
you that the paper lies still while
you vent your spleen against one
particular and peculiar class of peo-
pie who worship their God in their
own peculiar way, with the sanction
of the Constitution of the United
States, under the divine inspiration
theory of that holy book of God,
which is holding in mental slavery
under hundreds of different beliefs
and creeds, over 400,000,00O of the
human family. l repeat, it Liberals
are getting tired Of it and would like
to see you resort to reason and COM
mon sense argument against your
legitimate, but hated foe.
There is no weapon so effective as
truth, with which to combat error.
That polygamy is an error and con-
ducive of evil results, there is no
doubt in my mind, but you cannot
successfully combat error with er-
ror, nor evil with evil. Neither can
you compel a mans opinion or be-
| lief at the point of the bayonet,
You may command an outward
appearance of acquiescence or open
retraction even, but you have not
convinced the mind, and as the old
adage says, "a mind convinced
against its will, is of the same opin-
ion STILL"
You have not even the semblance
of constitutional law with which to
abolish polygamy among religious
fanatics who conScientIously be-
lieve in its mandates, much less to
"wipe out MOrmonism," which
seems to be the sole aim and object
in the crusade inaugurated against
this class of Christians.
/ have some knowledge of differ.
ent phases of religion, having been
born and reared in the orthodox
(superstitious) faith. l have been a
member of three different denomin,
ations, and have read and studied
some others, and with what knoWl.
edge l have been able to CLEAN dur.
ing my short soiourn among Nor.
mons, in Eregard to the faith anC
doctrines Of LaLter-day Saints,EI am
compelled in all candor to say thai
they come nearer following the
teachings of the Bible than any
gospel preaching, hell fire screech
ing" sect l know anything about
But as the gods have never seer
) fit to reveal themselves tomeiA any
manner whatever, and in making
. me failed to endoW me with suffi-
Gent quantity of inert brains OF
reasoning faculties to enable me tt
grasp the great truth-revelation-
with o blind, unquestioning in
stiDct, think or reason faith il
man and things, have no means
of knowing or learning anything
about it, / therefore, in accordance
with my reasoning faculties, den7
the divine authenticity of any bool
or book, doctrines, creeds or cove
t nants.
AS through revelation only, MAJ
can know aught of the existence o
a God or future life, I do not know
that such a being exists, or ever diG
who is responsible for the "erea
ton of all things" including poo1
; frail, sinful, greedy, grasping, aY ri
, ciOus, denouncing, lustful, iendisl
man?
If these people are deluded ant
deceived, the best way to convinc,
! the of il is to educate them I'D t.
i point, where they can be made Il
see their error. This cannot b.
done by heaping continual abus
upon them in order to arouse thei
base passions, but it may be accom-
! plished by appealing to their bette
Judgment, reason and their man
hood.
BY meeting argument with argu
ment, and logic with logic. b.
pointing out to them their error
in spirit of fairness and impartial
ity; show them by your manne
and treatment of them, that yOI
have no i'll will towards them. an,
you overcome all obstacles in tn
way Of reaching their reason ant
better Judgment, and are on tn