Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-10-09

amuscmeHt Il afforded 40 solemn an
Individual he "a heartily welcome. I
like 10 see people happy. But to his
migrclrt sensations demur and ask tho
privilege Of setting the matter straight
before your readers. Your report says
"He tmyeelfl began TO rehoafse the
esiHy PREPARED for him, and intlmatcs
that PRECEDENT George q. Cannon had
arranged with me TO say what I did ut
that time. II l. not necessary TO deny
the insinunli0n here. but your readers
outside might BE- misied. | can bear the
results Of my own actions aud ak none
10 share the burden. Let me assure
you, then, that neither George q. Cam
non nor any other person said a word
10 me at any time about what was to lie
done NJ the Tuosday afternoon or any
other meeting VI the recent Mormon
Conference. What ! said was purely
the result u an impullp-an "inspira.
Ton" no doubt-that stirred me when
l listened 10 the resolutions and saw
what to my mind was an important
omifsou. All Of the paper, that l.,
ell that saw, reported my
language differently aud even the
IfDuAc did not report me correctly.
Let me give you exactly what did
say:
M. Proadsnt-
~ like these resolutions and would
vote for them II | were Saint; and,
with your permission, I will vote for
then ~ II u. They are good M far ~
they 70, bat would like TO sec added
70 them something like this. Whereas,
the people called 'MOrmOne' have con.
ccdod every demand made upon them
by she government of the United
states, therefore they, rs American
citizens, loving their country "a having
the beet government Ia the world and
pludging their p0stcrity IN loyalty TO II,
demand Ia return tho same nghis aud
privileges, the same equality before
the laws, the same protection 10
property, Tie, liberty anu the pursuit
Of happiness that are guaranteed by the
government 10 every other sect that Is
based upon the Bible"
have said the same thing many
times and shall continue 10 repeat it,
until tho free and independent voters
OF the country seU aud understand the
truth In regard to thls Utah trouble,
and take the cry from my lips and
compel the nation 10 do Justice Ia spite
Of the interference VI cnvious Protestant
priests and Oiiicc-sCeking politicians.
II the Mofmons are wrong, the bible
Is wrong. ftho Bible Ia wrong, every
so.callod Christian sect ~ wrong, and
the action VI the government, n Il
takes any. lies not against tho Nor.
mons or against Mo,hDdists aud what
not, but against the Bible; not against
tho duludcd people, but against Con,
the author VI the wrong, the dolusion
and the crime, " crime there he.
About gl,O0O,OO men, women and
children In the United States be-
lieve that the Bible Il Gods word
ami will, and that they Will be oternnl-
~ damned II thcy do not 40 believe.
Our government does not hold any be-.
lief upon the subject, hut It does say
that thesu beliefs VI tho people shall be
respected aud that the believers shall
be- projected Ia freedom II conscience.
Judge Cooley says. ale who shall
examine with care the American con-
siilutions will find nothing more fully
orplalnly expressed than the desire OF
their ffamers 10 preserve and perpetu.
ate religious liberty and 10 guard
against the slightest approach towards
inequality OF civil or political rights,
based upon difference OF religious be-
licf.D
No matter what the Catholics, the
Calvlniais or the Episcopalenns may
have done before there was an AmcIi.
can constitution, they are all iroc and
protected In the United States. 1--we
were 10 try them by their history aud
condemn them for the actions and
language OF their predecessors, they
would all be- hung ~ murderer. II
We condoue the past Of 20 many boz
llovers In the Biblc, why should We
throw judgment TO beasts and con.
denim the "Mormunsn for acts
and words done and uttered In the
heat Of anger aud tho old years
Of murierOuh persecution? You may
say that the government already pro.
tecls the MOrmons In all respects.
say II does not and has never done NO.
| say that until II does 70 our national
naturalization OF equal rights" II Ca
covenant with death and an agreement
with hsll."
Until the rights OF all citizens are
equally Protected our boast OF liberty
Is a brazon lie. Let us, then, either
protect all the sects ~ condemn them
all. But hs We cannot condemn
them without destroying tho very
freedom Of the government that Il
our boast, let ~ say that all srcts shall
be equally recognized, respected mud
protected M long as they respect and
obey the laws.
Tho Mormons have yielded obedl-
enoe 10 the laws. II they arc not sim
ccru the nation will soon know II and
they alone will he sufferers from their
dupllclty. Untll they DO show spirit
OF rebellion and disposition TO destroy
the government, they are entitled To
and should receive al the cunsidora-
ton and protection bestowed upon any
other sect based upon the Bible. This
IL NIL have ever claimed. IL IL all de-
sire TO claim. Soon or late II VIII win.
Your reporter calls mt m "Athelst."
believe Ia and advocate the Righls
Of Man; therefore, believe In God.
Ho who by word or deed endcavors to
weaken, withhold or destroy the Rights
Of Man n the Atheist, no matter how
he may cover himself wlth projections
OF love OF God. Respectfully,
CHARLES Elias.