Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-12-02
SECRETARY NOBLE on "M0R'
MON- AFFAIRS.

L
the "Aiormon" question in mucl
the same manner rs the Presiden
does. still he avoids the rock o
religious belief on which the Presi
dent runs headloBg. He deals will
practices, and while he does no
sanction the measures proposed 70
further assaults upon the "aior
mons" ne favors the retention O
the present laws, SO n TO give tim,
to see whether the professions in re
gard to those practices were mad,
in good faith. There is little to Oh
ject to in these remarks. taking tn,
Secretary's position into considera
ton.
But he mentions the fact tina
''the revelation containing poly
gamy remains unchanged" a.
though this was a matter with
which the Government had any.
thing to do. II has been alleged
against the @MOrmon'' Church that
it seeks to control the State. Pass.
ing by the untruthfulness OF the
charge, is it any more proper for the
State to seek to control the Church?
Revelation, doctrine, principle,
creed are the peculiar province OF
the Church. the State has nc
powers in relation to them. The
Constitution forbids Congress to in
teFfere with the Stree exercise, OF
religion. The Legislators and jurists
who have given the widest scope to
the powers Of Congress in relation
10 religious practices, have coneed-
ed that in matters o: faith and wur-
ship Congress is entirely powerless.
Revelation may be believed in al
kbituD, while II does not affect the
believer 10 the extent of iufraction
Of the secular law. II God gives a
revelation, God alone can change or
revoke it. If people believe God
has given a revelation, they must
believe He has revoked it, before it
will be changed, in their understand
ing. II they dstermine TO comply
with the laws of the land and do so
in good faith, their convictions Of
the rightfulness Of their faith or OF
the wrSngfulness of the law cannot
be lawfully called in question.
That the people of Utah have de-
termined to comply with the laws
forbilding p0lyyamy We think is
beyond reasonabie question. II
their cou-ss is not yet sufficient 70
convince the skeptical, we think it
viii do so in time AMI that even
Secretary Noble viii be- compelled
to say il is enough,
But he has some personal rotions
respecting the purpose of the adop-
ton OF the declaration forbidding
polygsmy. He says:
''what is expected because of these
is, no doubt, 4 removal of
the Utah Commission: the preserva-
ton OF the elective franchise To the
members of the church in all the
States and Territories, where they may
be and a test oath may be required Of
them; restoration of the property of
the Church; and possibly the admis-
sion Of Utah TO Statehood with OF
without attest oath against polygamy.''
IL these expeditions catered int1
the preparation AMI ioptiOn OF the
they are not known TO
the people vino participated in the
work. II Is all news to us. We
believe it is 80 TO our frienis in this
Territory. 1t is always unsafe to
hazard opinions about motives. The
Of the Interior has in this
departed from the rightful do
main of fact aud law. and wandered
into the doubtful field of mental
speculation. The 'AIormonsv have
simply ceased the practice OF plural
and made n Public an
OF the fact, as submis-
sion TO laws which nave been de-
dared constitutional by the court of
ast resort. They have done so
any defined expectation Of
results.
Ifafter all this, the disfranchise-
nent which has been threatened
against law-obeying "Mormons,
hall be effected, it viii be proof be-
-Ond question to the "Mormons''
hat nj the outery against polygamy
Ias been insincere, and made to cover |
deeper design which is political in |
IS character and wicked in its pur-
use. We certainly hope that this |
'ill not bs accomplished, and we /
elieve that hope is shared by the
Mormon people generally.