The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-10-28

Suoulu tulS peOpto SCdDu Singular and
alone in its wosful history? Can any
one doubt. who approaches with I'm
rejudiced mind q consideration of the
question. that the canse Is found in the
theocracy established and maintained
here; in the education of the people
to believe that God has chose
this people to take possession OF
the earth and to dominate and control
all other peoples; that thr ugh His
priesthood God governs them INN edi-
dia'ely, not alone in failh and morals,
! but i'll all thu affairs aud relations of
| life, and that the counsel of this pri ST.
| hood is the Supreme Voice OF God and
must ba obayed without question? 1t
necessarily follows that perfect and
complete unity has and does exist
among the Mormon people an absolute
oneness. without division or dissent.
The unity in the State which comes
from free and fair discussion of public
questions, securing by merit conviction
of the mind and triumph of the right is
desirable and commendabls
| The unity which il obtained by
recogniZ ng the supremacy of one man,
or set of men. by attriouting to him
or them a knowledge aud power not
granted to others derived from super.
human and supreme source I'D there
fore not to be questioned. but must be
obsyed, is the esta blishm ant OF COM
plete absOlutlsm in tnos3 holding
power. and the most abject and serYile
slavery in those submitting. I stiles
nterprise, prevents progress, is death
to prosperity, unisss all people not con-
nected with it in a1,agonism to it. In
telligent freemen wi not obi ct but
| h. ILL don
may not prevail, IN communities of
they know that they have had an
equal chance with their neighbors in
asserting themselves. But wien this
is denied them. and they are conscious,
regardless of the merits aud worth of
their views. that they have no voice
bat are buried beneath a power alieE
to and unrecognized by the govern
ment under which they live, it is not
surprising that they should rebel
against the tyranny which paralyzes
manhood and destroys freedom.
The contest which the minority have
gaged aud now urge, has not been
upon the principle that miuorlties
should control, but that freedom should
be established aud prevail here as else
where in our land; that no man or set
of men asserting and claiming absolute
power IS of divine right shall regulate
and control this State and all the affair;
of the citizen, moral, reli.ious social
political. commercial and financial
that each citizens weight in public
affairs aud private enterprise shall
alone depend upon his business capa-
city.
Submission to the government OIL
God through His priesthood, and the
unity it enforces, brought this people
to accept, sustain and uphold polyg-
amy, whether practlcing it or not, re-
CARELESS of the sentiments of the Chris
tian world, and in defiance of the Law
of the land. The revelation, enforced
upon the people as law by the priest.
hood and accepted of necessity withou
: question by them, attracted the atten-
ion of the whole country. Its practice
received universal condemnation. pro.
: voking the enactment of Federal law
against it, and their enforcement py
: officials of Federal appointment.
No church organization can obtain
try. 1t is contrary to the spirit ant
genius of our free government.
That l may be understood, let it b
known, that L have no religious con
troversy with the Mormon people.
firmly hold to the rightfulness of tn
Constitutional guarantee, which tn
government has given, that it will al
ways hold the creeds of its citizens g
sacred and inViolable as their lives. n
: attack is made upon, nor is anv pun
ishment of. the Mormon religious cree
asked for. The wisdom and prophet,
of putting. not the belief in, but tn
practice of polygsmy equally by Nor
mon and non-MormOn, Jew and Gen
tile, under the ban of the law ha
| passed beyond the pale of profitabl
: discussion. With pOiygamv out, max
the statement and challenge successful
contradiction, that there is no tenet
ceremony, practice, observance or right
inculcated or taught, of religious ma
ture by the Mormon church that tn
: law has been invoked against. Tn
, Mormon church, as religious factor, i
{ under the law upon the same footing a
every other religious body or denomi
nation in the land, with equal right
and privileges, no more, no less, and
should be so lett without interference.
l shall not arraign the Mormo
} people as wanting, In comparison wit
other people, in religious devotion
l virtue, honesty. sobriety, industry, an
= the graces and qualities that adorn
beautify and bless life. Nor will 1 at
=, tempt to detract from the praise @
glory that is due, or claimed. for tn
4 hardy pioneers who settled, ard re
9 claimed this land. Too often in tn
8 past arguments made upon tn s lint
j by the defenders of the Mormon syster
r have been made to do duty in conceal
ing I'D protecting assailable and IN
II defensible positions. Not all the sacri
8 fees of the pioneers. had they bee
r more glorious than history has eve
y recorded; not all the virtues of tn
r highest Christian civilization, thong
S this people p assessed them all; nor IL
e surrender of the whole people to
3 willing martyrdom. could justify til
/, despotistn of the Mormon polite
system to a people who have knoI
u and appreciate the blessing of fr'
e government.
d In the Mormon polity established az
70 governing the people of this Terr1tor
J. since its settlement, the unity of tt
q church and State has been perfect az
indissoluble. 1t is based upon Il
n complete and absolute control of
Is priesthood. welding a supreme powe
y exercised and yielded to as emanatiI
= Immediately from God in all thinI