The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-24

permitting them to discuss and deny
the divine origin of their faith.
| In Minnesota nuns in the garb of their
religious order have been employed as
teachers in the public schools. The par
allel of this offense cannot be found in
Utah.
The Methodist church of Utah, in reli-
gious convention assembled, adopted a
resolution endorsing political party,
| while the Mormon church through its
officials and in general conference, even
in its worst days, always had sufficient
sense of decency left to deny the existence
of, or desire for, church influence in pol
itics.
The Presbyterian church of Utah has
been sufficiently thoughtless of the rights
of others to demand the use of the Bible
in the public schools of Utah. Many
churches in many states are making SIM
] liar demands. | have never known that
| even hint was made by tho Mormons
| suggesting such use of the Book of Nor
mon.
Pope Leo XIII said that when it is law
ful In the eyes of the church to take part
in public affairs, men who promise to
merit we'll of Catholicism should be sup
ported Hand there can arise no case in
which it would be permissible to prefer
to them men who are hostile to religion"
The Mormon people have just elected to
Congress man who may well be classed
as hostile to their religion and that in
spite OF damnable appeals that were made
to their religious prejudices by unscrupu-
lous opponents.
In 1870 Mormon legislature provided
for the making of affirmation by wit
nesses. This abolished that relic of
bigotry which even today obtains in some
states and which requires a man to believe
in an incomprehensible God or an I'M
l. FIT, or he h.,
permitted to tell truth in courts of justice.
A recent convention of Catholics in
Europe adopted resolutions demanding
the restoration of temporal power of the
pope in all world Yet the Mormon
church has never gone farther than to eX-
press belief that ultimately the kingdom
of God should be established upon earth
but have persistently denied that this
meant that the leaders of the Mormon
church were. by reason of that leader
ship, to be the governing power OF the
state.
When I remember these things, to-
gether with the constant and persistent
attack that is being made upon the con-
stitution of the United States and the
liberty of Americans by such organiza-
lions as the the National Reform club,
the Women's Christian Temperance
union and the Christian clergy generally,
when they demand congressional Sunday
legislation and an amendment to the con-
stitution by which Congress will compel
the use of the Bible in the public schools
of state, irrespective of the wishes of
the people in that state, l cannot be but
profoundly impressed with the fact that
my liberties would be at least as safe,
and probably far safer, in the hands of a
Mormon state than in the hands of
Christian state.
1t does not lie in the mouth of the
Christian masses in other states to play
the Pharisee and say, Il am holier than
thou'' to the people of Utah.
Statehood belongs to Utah as matter
of right and no just man approaching his
own liberty will deny US statehood as
matter of discretion.
a. T. SCHROEDER.