The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-05-29
sOME BITS OF HISTORY.

THE HERALD, in late issue, deprecated
the methods of some of our Mormon Re-
publican friends, wherein they seek to win
prestige for their party by trying to make
it appear that the Democratic party is re-
sponsible for all the prosecutions and
martyrdoms suffered by the Mormon peo-
pie. We denounce this because it is an ap-
peal to the preiudices and the passions
of The great majority of the people of this
territory, and is utterly unworthy of men
who have confidence in the correctness of
their political doctrines, and their own
ability to maintain them. The letter Of
President JOSEPH F. SMITH and Hon. JOHN
henry SMITH, taking to task Hon. Moses
THATCHER for some alleged remarks of his
in the late Democratic convention at Og-
den, again brings this Mormon Republican
method of argument { q to public asuen-
ton; and once more we enter our protest
against these methods.
In the letters of the Messrs. SMITH.
above referred to, they accuse Mr..
THATCHER of connecting JESUS CHRIST
with the Democratic party, and then say:
To connect our Lord in position Of response
strued as to hold Him accountable for the limo
cent blood Of our martyred kindred and friends:
for it is fact which cannot be gainsaid that
the controversies. in which our relatives and
companions have been murdered, have been in
localities where Democrats held sway, and
when the dear ones who have sealed their tes-
timony with their blood shall stand before the
judgment seat to accuse their slayers, their
fingers will be pointed at men who were Demo-
Gratis on earth. And therefore, we do not wish
to countenance any attempt to lay upon the
Redeemer the burdens of the Democracy
While loading all this responsibility
upon the Democrats, they turn to the Re-
publicans and thus whitewash them:
The controversies which our friends and our.
selves have had with those parties have been
settled without mobocratic assassin violence
and the members OF those parties do not appear
before our eyes with their hands reeking in the
blood which was precious to US.
We do not hesitate TO say that this is an
appeal to the prejudice and passion of the
Mormon people utterly unworthy of the
| gentlemen who make it. Such methods
may be looked for on the part of dema.
gogues, but it is with sorrow and surprise
that one sees them resorted TO by men OF
the standing and character of the Messrs
SMITH. Nor is it true that Democrats are
responsible for the prosecutions and blood
shed endured by the Mormon peo-
pie, IN proof of which we turr
to history. In brief editorial of a few
days ago on this subject we published
JOSEPH SMITHS own words denying the
responsibility of the Democratic party il
Missouri for the prosecutions heaped upor
the Mormon people there. The circum.
stances under which that declaration wa,
made were these: LYMAN WIGHT, in com
munication to the Quincy Wing, charged
the Democrats of Missouri with bein.
responsible for the outrages committee
against the Mormons, whereupon JOSEF,
SMITH, SIDNEY RIGDoN and HYRUM SMITH
then the first presidency of the Mormon
church, published letter in the sam,
paper denying the imputations of WIGHT
in which they used this language:
We have not at any time thought there wa
any political party, as such, chargeable witt
the Missouri barbarities, neither any religion
society, as such. They were committed by
mob, composed of all parties, regardless O
difference OF opinion, either political CT reli
gious. We wish TO say TO the public
through your paper, that we disclaim any in
tention of making a political question of GU
difficulties with Missouri believing that we ar
not justified in SO doing.
So far then as Missouri troubles are con
cerned here is q bill of acquittal from tn
first presidency of the church Democrat
as such were not responsible for tn
cruelties perpetrated upon the Mormons il
that state. Now as to Illinois.
When the Mprmons were expelled iron
Missouri they found temporary refuge il
Quincy and vicinity, Illinois. peopl
exiled from their homes, stripped of well