Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1889-11-26
PRESIDENT WOODRUFF
SPEAKS.
His Views Regarding the Recent
Proceedings in COurt.

ford Woodruff to an Associated
Press reporter and as published IL
the eastern press:
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 90. 1883
President MILFORD Woodruff, Of
the ''Mormono Church, in the course
Of an interview today, expressed
the following views concerning the
investigation now taking place in
the Third District Court, arising
from the application Of '.Mormon''
for naturalization.
President MILFORD Woodruff said:
You must understand that this is
the periodical anti-"AIOrmon'' sem
satiOn, which we are accustomed u
expect in November. Congress
meets in December and il is pre-
sumed that the usual efforts will lie
made to secure legislation against
the "MOrmons., OF course, this
cannot be accomplished unless the
public mind is first prepared for it.
In addition 10 this, might explain
We are on the eve Of an important
municipal election here in which
the antI-''MOrmon' party by pre-
venting the naturalization of 'sAlor-
MONS" and in other improper ways,
hope to be successful.
Reporter-But, President Woodruff,
what canyon say as to the claim made
before the court that membership in
the "HIormono Church is incOm-
patible with good citizenship?
l can truthfully say there is abso-
lutely nothing in the "IOrmOn'
religion that is not consistent with
the most patriotic devotion TO the
government Of the United States.
The revelations and commandments
TO the Church require that the
| Constitution and laws of the land
shall be upheld. Ii is also n part of
! our belief that a time will come
when this country will be distracted
| by departures from the spirit and
letter Of the Constitution, and when
general lawlessness will prevail, and
that when that condition shall ar
rive the 'Momon" people will step
/ forward and take an active part in
rescuing the nation from ruin. AS
a people the HMormons" have the
| highest veneTatiOn for the institu-
tions Of the Republic. There are
among our community quite num-
Der of descendants of the revolution
airy fathers who fought and bled to
establish our popular government.
RepOrter-But, Mr.. Woodruff, to be
specific, what about the claim that
the Priesthood or chiefauthorities of
the Church assert or usurp the right
to control the Mormon people in all
their temporal Including politicaD
affairs?
President Woodruff am the
present head of the Church and /
do not make any such claim. 1t
would be impossible 10 exercise il if
| did. The Mormon people would
not tolerate any such absOlutism.Itis
true the authorities Of the Church
have taken great deal Of interest
in the temporal affairs ef the people,
and the results are apparent every
where. One is that the great ma
jority of the ''MOrmonsr own their
own homes. The leading men
among them have been mostly men
Of experience, accustomed TO wrestle
with the crude clements. Their
advice and direction TO the
people in temporal affairs have
therefore been of great value.
About political matters, the charge
Of undue interference is absurd.
Elections are conducted under n
strictly secret ballot system, so that
no man knows how his neighbor
votes. All the management OF cleo
tiOns, down TO the smallest details,
is in the hands of the officers of the
United States Government and their
appOintees. True, the "AIormOns;
are TO a considerable degree united
in their political affairs. This is
largely due TO their being constantly
and vindictively assailed by small
minority in Utah who have sought
to wrest the control of public affairs
from the hands of the majority.
They have thus been driven to-
gether by n common interest and 1
compelled to distinguish their
friends from their enemies.
Reporter-One of the aims Of the
proceedings now going on in court
is 10 prove that there is something
antagonistic TO the government in
the .'MormOnn EndOwments. What
about that charge?
President Woodruff have al
ready said that there is nothing of
that kind in any part or phase of
ssAIormonism." | ought to know
about that rs | am one Of the oldest
members of the Church. A good
deal is being made of Z form OF
prayer based upon two verses in the
sixth chapter Of the Revelations of
St. John, rs contained in the |
New Testament. Ii relates to |
praying that God might avenge |
the blood Of the prophets. !
An attempt has, l see, been made |
to connect this with avenging the |
death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith,
and to have reference TO this nation. |
1t can have no such application, as |
the Endowments were given long
before the death of Joseph and |
Hyrum Smith, and have not been |
changed. This nation or govern
ment has never been charged by |
the "MIOrmon" people with the as
sassination Of Joseph and Hyrum
Smith, as il is well known the muir |
der was the act Of local mob dis
guised.
ReporteI-Then there is nothing 4
in the cry about blood atonement?
President Woodruff: Well, there /
Is this: The foundation of our reli- |
gious faith is belief in the atOning |
blood of Christ, through which the
resurrection will be brought about. |
We believe in the scriptural doc
trine, whose sheddeth mans blood /
by man shall his blood be shed; but |
We also believe that all executions \
for murder should be under the law
Of the land and by its officers only. |
RepOrter-What about the state |
ments made by two or three apOstate /
"Mormon" witnesses to the effect |
that the Endowment ceremonies in |
volved the death penalty upon those |
who leave the Church and disobey |
the Priesthood?
President WoOdruff-NVell, there
is no accounting for the bitterness
and untruthfulness of some men /
who have been connected with an 4
organization, especially a religious
one, and have turned against ii.
All their former sweetness turns to !
vinegar and gall. The Catholic and
other churches have had much to
contend with in that line. If It were
not a serious subject, the position Of
such men would be amusing, is so
ridiculous. After they have been
fighting the Church for from fifteen
to twenty-five years, they are living
witnesses to the falsity Of their own
The investigation in
progress shows that no such penalty
has ever been inflicted. Many ex-
eMormons'' are too honorable to
make such horrible and unwarrant-
ed assertions. 1t il unjust to judge
a church from the statements of lis
enemies.