The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-25

X HE Liberal party is an out.
NIA%KA growth OF Mormonism just as
lg5S5SSN the Abolition party was an out
MXEkS \ growth Of slavery. The Nor
We 49, mons have always claimed to
TS@Il be ''a peculiar people," pecul-
k2) lar in their habits and religion. pe-
,qScAb culiar in their politics and peculiar
~ in their desire for isolation from
the rest OF mankind. They settled in these
valleys with the belief that distance from
civilization would protect them from con-
tact with outsiders" so-called, and here
it was their purpose to build state where
all the power, religious, political and CON-
merclal, should be centralized, and where
few would be enabled to absolutely and
without question control the MANY in ali
matters, temporal and spiritual. Obedi-
ence to those in authority was the tonch-
stone of merit. The church had called
down upon its head the wrath of people in
the states, and the embers Of the idea that
the Mormon people had been prosecuted
without cause, were assiduously famed
into flame by the leaders. This, together
with religious zeal and the suffering which
the members of that organization moro
closely, and intoxicating the principles
which have ever since been followed nv
the Latter-day Saints, the men in authority
found they wore dealing with plastic
minds.
1t is part of the history of Utah that
the members of the Mormon church have
yielded loyal and willing obedience TO the
conclusions of the central authority.
have never heard of a conference of the
church where the selection of church
officers by those in authority has not been
unanimously sustained by the conference
when put TO a vote. The members of the
church were saved vast amount of wear,
and tear IN mind through the kindness of
sthe church officials in selecting for their
suffrages candidates for the various noIiti-
cal offices. 1t will be remembered that
when the Mormons settled in Utah al
though they were familiar with the politics
of the nation, they did not divide on na-
tional party lines. They did not divide of
all. They were solid for the men for Office /
whom the church authorities selected as
the right ones to vote for. The elections
III y Idu III Gue OlCA LluleS were simply ratifi-
cation meetings of the action of the l,ingc
and barons and dukes. Those who now
and then gave evidence of independence and
acted as though they were allowing their
minds to think little were turned ovar
TO the buffetings of Satan. This abiect
acquiescence of the many to the wishes of
the few, is not to be wondered at when we
recall that the members of the Mormon
CHURCH honestly and sincerely believe that
God speaks TO them through their leaders
who are inspired men. Thus believing. thew
feel that If they allow their own wishes
or views to control their actions in opnosi-
ton TO the views of their leaders. thew will
break the lire of revelation and substitute
their poor human ideas in opposition to the
will of God
Nothing could have been more un-Amer-
can than the union of church and state {
which was here in Utah made perfect and ,
complete Public political meetings. omen ,
,aucuses and the American political con- I
Fention, were not known here amonp tho :
Mormons until the summer of 1889 when !
he Gentiles by means of vigorous cam :
'algn drove the teachers, elders and