Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-02
WICKED WASHINGTON.

do not love to Talk against my IellOW
men; simply present these things to show
up the real state of the case. 1t is unpleas
ant for me to say that the men of the Con
eress of 1862, and that of 1882, were not mer
of the most Immaculate virtue. It is under
stood throughout the land that nowhere OF
this continent is the practice of whoredom
and of the seduction of women carried on tC
a greater extent than in the city of Wash
ington, and by those men who go there to
make laws against this people.
That is pretty queer talk, is it not? The
men who go to Washington as Senators
and Representatives and Delegates, too,
we presume, are terrible set it would
seem from this statement. But before
we proceed further it may be as well to
tell from whence we got the statement
and by whom the words were uttered.
The statement is taken from the NeaCs
of Saturday evening, and the words were
uttered by Apostle Franklin d. Richards,
in sermon he delivered at the confer
ence which was held at Logan in October,
1885. If man did not know that such
assertions as these of Apostle Richards
were religion, a man might think them
but base insinuations.
The knowledge of great many in this
Territory who deliver sermons is truly
transcendent tits transcendent in that it
is always knowledge of wickedness beyond
Utah and never of anythingin Utah. Mr..
Richards seems to know all about the
wickedness of Senators and Congressman
in Washington. but if he were placed upon
the witness stand in Utah to testify to the
family relations of his next door neighbor
the probabilities are that he would not
know a thing about them. The
people of Utah seem to know
everything about the domestic affairs
of the world, and especislly wicked Wash
ington, and nothing about the domestic
affairs of their neighbors and daily asso-
ciates. This condition of things arises,
no doubt, from strict observance of the
motto OF the people of Utah, Mind
your own business. Mr. Richards saws
that it is understood throughout the land
that the practice of whoredom and the
seduction of women is carried out to
greater extent in Washington than any,
where else. We question very much
whether Mr.. Rich ards could substantiate
that assertion. In Utah this is under
stood to be the case, and it is understood
here because such men as Mr.. Richards,
who have large influence among the
people, say it is so, and say it is so that
pot may call kettle black.
1t is probable that in Washington sexual
sin exists to greater or less extent, the
same as in all other cities; but the Senat-
ors and Representatives whom the Legis-
latures and people send to Washington do
not go there for the sole purpose of sin
ming, nor do they devote the greater part
OF their time to SIM When Mr.. Richards
breaches such doctrines as that above
quoted, he is poisoning the minds of the
youth OF Utah who accept such talk as
true, for he teaches them that the fore
most men OF this country are but sexual
sinners, and that the Congress of the
United States has nothing to do but to |
seduce women.
The men of the Congresses of 1862
md 1882 were not immaculate, neither is
Mr.. Richards nor those with whom he |
associates. There is plenty of crime of
I'll kinds in this world, in fact too much so
ong as there is any, but to preach that
he leading men of great nation are
nothing but seducers is not the way to
decrease crime nor to spread chastity. II
Mr.. Richards says that the Senators and
Of the United States are
,ut seducers and betrayers OF women,
IAN he expect people who do not believe
Us he does regarding his system of
marriage not to look upon and call
him and those who believe as he
loes seducers and betrayers of women?
Vituperation is not argument, no matter
~ whom employed; and the high posi-
ion of Mr.. Richards in his church makes
uch vituperation more unseemlv in him
han in one of lesser prominence. Mr..
richards will find no such yituperation
4 the teachings OF Christ, but rather that j.
lns are to be forgiven, and that if man
falling it is the duty of the Christian to
alse him up and not seek to push him .
own.