Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-06-05

ever, that they are not a thine uf
those We might produce. Going
back no farther than Nolh. We find
he predicted a Hood. and warned
people TO prepare for IL. But public
opinion at once voted him a fool,
or Insane. How could such thing
be? 1t was simply absurd. So the
public went on in its regulation
manner, while poor Noah drank to
its dregs the cup OF appropriately.
But somehow it came about tina!
Noah was right after all. We can
not at this date tell exactly how it
was that public opinion was so mis-
taken in this matter, as none of its
advocates lived to give 10 the world
their side Of the question.
But Of one thing we are certain:
public opinion was universally
against Noah, and ms a good, loyal
citizen he should have given in and
acknowledged his error. 4 man
named Daniel once got into a bad
position through venturing 70 brave
public opinion. Ii had been made 4
Jaw Of the land that no one should
pray TO any God except the one
adopted and patr0nized 10y the cen
lighteged public sentiment" of the
nation. With bFaZen effrOntery
Daniel prayed 70 the God If his
fathers, thus showing an unpardou-
able contempt for public opinion.
and anOpeu disObsdience to the law,
such hardihOOu. such evident tKeas-
on, merited theseverest punishment,
something worse than disfranchIse-
meut or cOnfiSCation Of worldly
gear, and he got it; he was thrown
10 the lions rs a It'd bit, n sentence
fully endorsed by society" To
cap the climax Of Oiiense, the God
to whom Daniel prayed actually de-
liverei him from DEATH Was ever
before ,uch disregard shown to the
dictum Of an enlightened public
sentiment?''
In later times we find that Jesus
Of Nazareth was put 70 death by the
power OF public opinion: true, PLATE,
the Roman governor, in giving him
10 death. said he could find no evil In
MIN, but the wealth and eniighten-
ment Of his nation were uneguiv-
Ocally against him; and accounting to
the decision Of the supreme court his
execution was perfectly justifiable,as
It officially announces that society
has n perfect right 10 prohibit; oifcus-
es against an enlightened public SEN
imeni. As TO the means 10 10 this,
il Is immaterial; We are led 10 sup
pose, anything viii Go; 'ithe end
justifiss the means, - as the JesuitS
proved to their own satisfaction Al
least, long ago.
Strange As tmay appear, although
Jesus was put TO death with the full
sanction Of society there were
some who would not take warming
by his fate, and although ''s0cieiy''
endeavoFed % remove so foul q hlCt
by hanging, burning, saving asun-
der and by other means equally
efficient, those ignJrant, misguided
people who had no status whatever
in society, Tut were unanimously
voted its OifscOurings. steadily con-
tibued 10 grow in number until the
Roman empire was obliged TO take
the matter in hand. Undeniably
the Roman empire at this time was
the most enlightened on earth. II
contained within itself all there was
OF enlightened government, Of litsr-
AZURE, and Of art, and under such
circumstances had an unbeatable
right TO prohibit so grave an ofiense
against ''puhlic sentiment as the
religious belief Of these Christians.
SO in the name Of morality, reli-
giOn and ''an enlightened pub
lie sentiment various enuerors
employed all their power to put an
end to the heresy. Hundreds OF thou
sands Of these pSrni ioIs Srpich-
t. were killed with every torment
society cou ! invent. Not only were
the fAgOt, the rack, and the more
merciful AK employed, but tender.
refined maidens were thrown into
the coliseum, to be chased shrek
ing around the arena pursued by
hlOOdy-fanged wolves and tigers. and
finally torn in pieces before an adj
miring audience Of the most enIight-
ened society in the then known
world.
But alas! all this persistent effort
OF society was in vain. The blot
would not be washed Off 10y blood.
however abundantly used; il only
fixed the blot more indeIibly.
Strange, that people so professediy
meek rs the carly Christians should
be 50 obstinate, and regardless Of the
wishes of society.
During the following centuries
men continually bravei "public |
sentiment," being called sometimes
Hussites, Waldenses. Albiyensrs
and Wickliflites; but death 10y fire.
the rack, aud torture inflicted Nv 4
an outraged public opinion con-
ciusiyely proved these heretics |
wrong; a con fusion disputed by /
none except the few remaining |
brethren Of the dead, who as much /
as pOssible-and very properly
withdrew from society and lived in /
caves and forests as Outcasts their /
property confiscated and price set l
upon their heads.
Let no one say that this was cruel |
aud unjust. These people had |
voluntarily outraged the "enllght- |
encd public sentiment;' Of the age,
and severe measures must be en- /
ployed against them. If they SUI /
fered, it was their own fault. All
they had to do 10 save their lives
was 10 give up their notions and he
in accord with public opinion. If
they chose TO brave it on the yaltry
plea that their manhood was at
stake-let them suffeT-be made ex-
amples to deter others from like folly
or selEwill.
Among such peace disturbers
Martin Luther gained notoriety
very uuenviable in the estimation
Of society in his day. He certain
ly was very cOntumaciOus, and had
no regard for "public sentiment
which was aimest unanimous that
he should be burned alive-the pre-
valent method Of convincing here
ucs-but unfortunately for society
he was able TO die in his bed. This
was sad, but it seems that we emit
have everything our way in this
world.
The Puritans must have been a
bad lot in England, for we find that
they, too, dared think for them
selves and oppose public opinion.
But they had 10 suffer for il, many
OF them dying as exiles on the
dreary coast Of New England.
Served them right; they should have
been like other people.
But they got even by prosecuting
the few Quakers among them who
were so insane as TO dissent from
the established public sentiment Of
Massachusetts,. They were promptly
banished, under pain Of death If
they ever returned TO Boston, hut
the public opinion made short work
OF them upon the gallows, and so
society vindicated itself.
And now descendants of these
Puritans would prosecute the Nor
mons, just as they themselves had
been in England The ignorant
Moru,opa claim that thu ro,..f.,, |