The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-09-03
LET LIBERTY PREVAIL.

There is great antipathy in this country
to the interference of any church with
the affairs of state. That is natural and
right. Natural, because the founders of
the nation fed from religious intolerance
which by the arm of the state had smitten
them and made their lives burden.
which ought not to be invaded by the
other.
The church dominated or was blended
with the state, and the consequence was
the rule of bigotry and the doom of
liberty. The fathers cast OF the yoke and
came to this land for freedom, civil and
religious. 1t is true THAI some of them
after arrival manifested as much illiberal-
ity to those who dissented from their
views as was exhibited by their oppres-
sors. But when the foundations of this
government were laid, these experiences
deepened in the hearts of the patriots
love of liberty and determination to
preserve it by complete separation of
church and state, In that spirit the Con-
stitution was framed, and its light has
burned brightly ever since.
No church shall rule the state nor shall
any religion be adopted by the state.
This is the verdict of the people and the
people govern in this republic. At the
same lime it is decided with equal unani-
nifty and force, that the state shall not
rule religion. The first amendment to
the Constitution makes that imperative:
Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion nor prohibiting
the free exercise thereof This needs
no explanation. Every establishment OF
religion is free. The exercise of religious
liberty is 10 be untrammeled. OF course
it is understood in this connection that
the freedom guaranteed is the liberty of
law. The laws of the land cannot be
violated with impunity under the plea of
religion.
There have been organizations in this
country for the purpose of limiting the
liberty and curtaiiing the rights of mem
bers of some religious organizations, to
prevent their exercise of the franchise
and their occupancy of public Office. All
! such associations are wrong and in
opposition to constitutional principles.
This has no reference to the enforcement
of law by the constituted authorities, nor
to societies for self-preservation and the
maintenance of civil and religious rights
But any organization which aims at the
civil, political or religious liberties OF any
class, church or party, is obnoxious to
the spirit of our institutions and to the
general sentiment of society.
1t matters not how absurd the tenets
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opponents. 1t must be protected in the
free exercise of any lawful acts connected
with its creed or ritual. II its members
break the law, the law must make its own
vindlcation. Popular outbreaks, no less
than secret or public societies for the re-
preston of any sect, are to be discour-
aged, and when they proceed unlawfully,
to be suppressed.
The Catholic church has been the target
for many attacks, organized and sponta-
neous. One reason alleged for this is its
allegiance to foreign potentate. its oppo-
sition to the public schools, and its con-
troll of communicates in politics. When
these charges are investigated there is
little to be seen that is substantial.
Only as the head OF the Church is the
Pope OF Rome venerateG by Catholics in
the United States. The public schools
are not interfered with by Catholics ex-
cept incidentally and lawfully-cburch
members are persuaded to send their chill
dren to the parochial schools and efforts
are made to have the school funds divided
among the denominations. Priestly in
fiuence in politics is not used coercively,
and all churches have more or less politi-
cal influence with their members.
With the tenets, spirit and practices of
the Catholic church We have no sympa-
thy. But In the exercise of religious free
dom it is entitled to as much protection
as any other body. When it is demon
strated that its clergy Or its supporters
use religious power unlawfully and to the
deprivation OF the rights of others, it will
be time enough to proceed against them
or combine to check them.
Anti-Catholic organizations also have
rights which should be respected while
their acts are lawful and their measures
are innocuods. 1t they attempt to inter
fere with the civil, political or religious
rights Of any citizen, Catholic or Protes-
tant, they are amenable to the law, and il
they do this in a manner to escape the
penalties of the law, then they are open
to public reprobation.
Tolerance Of the views of others is the