The Dispatch. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1891-08-12
A PUkELY INDIVIDUAL MATTER.

A PURELY INDIVIDUAL NATTER.
In the desperate straight the Tribune
is now in, endeavoring to prove to the
world that the outcome of the last cleo
ton was the result of "deal'' with the
Mormon church, it grasps at any straw.
1t fendishly gobbles letter written by
one WILLIAM r. CAMPBELL, from
Logan. publishes it in its editorial
columns, and fairly gushes oyer 1t. The
gist Of the letter is that Apostle MOSES |
THATCHER controlled the vote in Logan, |
and that the result shows that the di-
vision is not TO be trusted. THE DIS
PATCH is perfectly willing to admit thai
possibly Mr. THATCHER speech had
some influence over the result, but 1t Is
impossible TO correctly draw from the
circumstances such a conclusion as the |
writer of the letter arrives at, and
which the Tribune swallows and eX-
pands upon. The matter is worthy OF
notice, and we would call attention to
the history of the campaign in that
city in order to show that the result is
highly encouraging to Gentiles, who
may yet be inclined to be dubious as to
the sincerity of the Mormons in the
division, rather than the reverse.
1t is claimed by Mormons, and
asserted oyer and over again 10y the
Tribune, that when man like MOSES
THATCHER, an Apostle, advises a GER
tain thing, it is taken by the Mormons
rs a command, and that they all obey
such commands. 1t was generally
known that Logan was almost solidly
Democratic, and it is also generally
known that Mr. THATCHER is very
able and earnest believer in and eX-
pounder Of Democratic principles. He
very wisely kept away from the stump
until he was fairly pulled into 1T at salt
Lake in the theatre, and at Logan on
the evening of the Saturday before
election, knowing that if he were to
take up active work in the campaign,
holding the ecclesiastical position he
does, the hew and cry of church and
state and commands from the heads
would 60 out. He has strong personal
influence, and this would have been |
construed into "priestly'' influence.
He was anxious TO champion the cause
of Democracy, but for these reasons, he |
1-o6 for nIahing short
speech before election, which he could /
not possibly get out of, the Tribune
charges him with using his church au-
thority in commanding votes to be cast
for the Democratic ticket. 1t also
charges the Mormon people of Logan
with the great crime of obeying that
command, and calls them serfs and
slaves for doing so.
The facts are that the Logan Nation,
the Republican organ Of that city, with
the aid of Republican orators, succeeded
in pulling III votes as against 3l5 for
Democrats, and that, too, in a town
that was admitted by Republica- to
be "hopelessly" Democratic. OF course
we would have liked to have seen the
DeAocratic majority greater, and be-
lieye it would have been had harder
and better work been done. Yes, if
such an earnest and able man as
Apostle THATCHER had actively takeE
up the campaign and used his ad
mitted mastery oratory in expounding
the everlasting truths, beauties and
reason in the principles of grand old
Democracy. /
But the point to be shown here is, {
that the Tribune has nothing to gush I
over. Mr.. THATcHER'S one speech In
Logan may possibly have won few
votes for the Democracy, but the
Mormons up there who had become /,
to Republicanims staid with
their convictions and voting the Re-
publican ticket, and the Mormons who
had become converted to Democracy
showed their convictions by voted the
Democratic ticket. The Democrats !
of course were glad to know that so /
able, Intelligent, well-read and noble
a. man as Apostle ATcHER reasoned
as they did. TIE ormon Repubh- '
cans would perhaIs we liked to have L
him on their side b-t they had given L
The matter of pc % some study and u
had become conv 1cs6 '. Republi- d
,anism is 1.-THE thing An so in mat Il
Lers temporal voted against a man =
whose beliefs and advice on points re- n
ltiye TO matters religious 4hey revere, u
because ,hey know him and know his ="
life, and therefore know that he is in p p
close communion with Him who is !
ruler over all. -
The MormOns are taught and be-
ieve implicitly that God gave them
their free agency, and that they are to
govern themselves in temporal matters v
IS best they can. L. is their own weak Z
Judgment only, unaided ley Divine =
lelp, that they use when considering =
)est methods for the administration of p
,ur government God has given US -
his glorious country, and all our OPP ~
and has told us to do the - "
'est we can with it. As to politics 81
hey have become so corrupt that it is ;,
lasting shame to mention religinion r. r.
with them.
Therefore, when Mr.. THATCHER, or
ny other official in the Mormon church. 30
axes the political stump Mormons
now that it is simply Mr.. THAT
HER talking to them and not SCI
apostle THATCHER. 1t is shown, th'
therefore,, conclusively that there can w
e no such thing as church and state sm
Tith the Mormon people. mi
To non-Mormon citizens Of Utah and
lseWhere the very fact alone that ona