The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-05
CHURCH AUTHORITIES IN POLITICS.

THE HERALD notes that certain of its Re
publican contemporaries are publishing that
this payer charges the Mormon church au-
tbOrities with employing their influence as
high churchmen in politics. OF course such
allegations do not "go" with intelligent
readers of the papers. TIE HERALD goes
into every city, town and settlement in the
territory and into the great majority of the
homes, where it is carefully read and duly
appreciated. Its contents are so closely
studied that we have been surprised to read
in some of the Republican prints the allega-
tion above mentioned-surpriseG that any
one could have the brazenuess to make
such an assertion knowing that 1t
was untrue and knowing Furthermore
that the thousands of readers of this
journal must be aware of the falsity of
the declaration. Our disgruntled con tenn
poraries should bear in mind that 1t doesn't
pay to lie about another paper. The pub
lie viii be very apt to discover the false
hood and the condemnation will run
against the untruthful journal.
Everybody knows The HERALD has not
charged the church authorities with using
their influence in politics. On the con-
trary this paper has persistently defended
the authorities when the charge has been
made, and has claimed that they have been
true to their official and unofficial utter
auces declaring that they were not In poll
tics, and expressing the desire that their
( people would vote in accordance with their
| political convictions, without regard to the
views Of the church leaders. What The
| HERALD has alleged and the proof for the
charge was not wanting, was that IN
derlings were using the names Of
the authorities to induce Mormons
partisan politicians, in their zeal for party,
represented to the people that it was the
desire Of the church leaders that the votes
should be more equally divided between
the parties, the Democrats having got too
many up to date. We have claimed that in
doing this Republican workers have scan
dalIzed the church authorities, putting the
latter in false position before the country
and before their own people, in making
the leaders appear as untrue to their pro-
fessions OF nor interference In politics. 1t
was the unwarranted action of certain Re-
publican enthusiasts which caused Presi.
dents WooDRUFF and SMITH to recently is
sue the very emphatic declaration on the
subject, in which they said: "If our
names have been used in any such way, ii
has been entirely without permission from
US, and we hereby condemn it as wrong
and reprehensible." The presidency went
on to say: "lf we have any desire in this
matter il Is that the people of this territory
shall study well the principles of both the
great national parties, and then choose
which hey will join, freely, voluntarily
and honestly, from personal conviction,
and then stand by it in all honor and sin
cerity. If any man claims that it is
the wish of the first presidency that G
Democrat shall vote the Repub licsn ticket
or Republican the Democratic ticket lei
all people know that lie is endeavoring to
deceive the public and has no authority oil
that kind from u.s."
or this very declaration, on the day OF
its publication, this paper said:
THE HERALD has not believed that the first
presidency OF the Mormon church were employ
ing their influence as ecclesiastical officials in
4 behalf OF any political party. On several oc-
casions within the past year or so those officials
have publicly declared they did not regard that
they had the right, and they asserted the ab.
sence OF desire, TO direct influence their fol.
/ lowers in politics. So far as this paper has
been able TO discover. they have been true to
their professions and kept faith with the
parties, the Mormon people being left free to
Join the political party of their choice and vote
Ms they pleased; that is to say, they we're left