Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-12-21
A DIVIDED HOUSE.

The assailants of Mormonism won an
other point yesterday in the decision of the
United States Supreme Court affirming the
conviction of Angus M. Cannon, whom the
Utah courts sentenced, under the Edmunds
act, to imprisonment for polygamy. This
will not only greatly encourage those who
are conducting the crusade against polyg
amy, but it will be likely to strengthen the
faction among the Mormons themselves
which opposes the practice of plural mar
riage. And the house that is divided must
fall.-N. Y. Sun.
Such are the comments of the San on
things in Utah. II the San looks forward
10 the disintegration of the Mormon
church because it is as house divided
against itself, the Sun greatly errs. a
large majority Of the Mormons are mon
ogamists, but people who are not ac
quainted with matters in Utah never re-
alize the fact that the polyga-
inists control the Mormon church !;
they are the aggressors, while the
manogamists follow the lead of the
polygamists. Another thing which is not
understood by those who are not thor
oughly acquainted with the workings Of
the Mormon church-the power of the
priesthood of that church. The Mormons
believe that priesthood to be the authority
of God to His church, and hence their be-
lief in its strength and divinity The
priesthood is what we should term
organization and discipline, and so wisely
balanced is it in all its parts,
and soperfectly adjusted are its workings,
that one might almost believe it to be
divine. 1t is this organization and disci-
pline which constitute the power of the
Mormon church, and not the leaders OF
that church. This is the thing which
people apparently will not understand.
Many think that it is Mr.. Taylor who is
the power in the Mormon church, while
Others think Mr.. Cannon is that power.
Those who so think deceive themselves.
The Mormon people obey their church
and not the leaders OF the church. Some
months ago we remember to have seen
in sermon preached by Mr.. George Q.
Cannon the remark, in substance, that
when man leaves the Mormon church,
no matter how high may have been his
position in it, his power and infu-
ence are taken from him. Only
u person who is well acquainted with the
Mormon church can fully realize the
truth OF this remark. The whole problem
of the strength OF the church may be
summed up by saying that power and in
fluence follow the position and not the
man. Let us illustrate: Mr.. Cannon was
the Delegate to Congress from this Terri
tory for some years, and at each election
received the Mormon vote solid. In the
affections OF the Mormon people to-day
he stands next to Mr. Taylor, but ii Mr..
Cannon were to run for Delegate to Con-
gress against some candidate placed in
the field by the church, Mr.. Cannon
would not receive one Mormon vote, not
wthstanding his services in the past and
his present high position.
The house which has such complete
control OF its members is not liable to
any great division. Members OF the
household may leave it, but SO long as
they remain in it there will not be much
division. The Sun is right in saying that
house divided against itself cannot
stand, but the question in Utah is how to
divide the house.