Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-07-11
ACCEPT NOT rnE rALsEnOOD.

About the Gloss Of last year there an
peArsd in an Omaha refodicalan alleged
encyclical letter Of Pope Leo Nlll "io
the Je,uits, pairiarchs, primates, arch'
bishopp, anu other ordinsrles in peace
and communion With the apostolic see
OF the entire world" The letter, which
consists Of little less than thous-
and words, begins, with a clause ex.
planning It's purpose: "For the tenn.
poral reign OF the future popes, In the
land discovered by Christopher Colum.
bus, known ~ the United States OF
Americas" and concludes ~ follows:
"Givon at ~. Peters, Rome, ON the
25th Of December, 1891, the fifteenth
year Of our poutiGoate. Leo Mi,
pope"
Despite the evidences Of fraud and
forgery In the clauses quoted, oviden-
oes which would al once be- noticed by
any one familiar with the Catholic
church aud lie officers and system Of
church government, there were many
who were deceived by the document,
and IN fabid anti. Catholic circles
Il made something Of fufofe.
The fact that ita tone was
altogether reasonable and IL teach.
lngs rijiouled and condemned the
Constitution, laws aud government Of
the United States and Affected to ab.
solve Catholics from all allegiance
thereto, seemed 10 make no difference
M 10 the degree Of authenticity Ac-
corded II by those who wished 10
believe II. All such shut their eyes 10
the Inconsistencies IL contained, the
absurdity Of the teachings set forth,
and the all.lmpoftAnt fact that what.
ever charges may have been made
heretofore against the Catholic
church, II hau never been accused or
deemed capable Of such idiocy as this
document would have established.
Other papers were found gulllble
enough or malicious enough 10 repro.
duoo the article, and notably among
certain stcond.rate anu narfow.minjed
sertaflan journals II has received ex.
tenslvo circulation.
At the time Of its first appearance, n
non Mormon friend brought It to the
NEWS for publication. Just then
there was n desperate effort under way
here to cree; n mighty bug.a-boo iAbri-
Gated out Of union Of church
and state. Our friend, who was
too scnslble TO credit any such nou.
sense rs the Utah mAlcontenls tried to
conIuro with, was nevertheless Inclined
to think there might be something In
this Catholic scheme. cat any rate"
he concluded In reply TO the editors
unwilliagness to circulate no trans.
parent ialsity, "you have a chance To
show that n, as your enemies assert,
the MOfmons have such plans Of tenn.
poral conquest and theooratic suprem-
acy, they are not without numerous
and distinguished Company We
declined TO use the document on those
or any other terms until our doubts ~
to Its authenticity could be- removed.
Recently the same article, published
In another paper, has been again
handed In with the request that It be
used In tho NEWS and commented
upon. The former part Of the request IL
again denied; the latter part IL here.
with acceded TO. For, having pre-
sented II 10 the chief officers Of the
church In this city, we are
able to pronounce the whole thing n
base aud stupid forgery, false from be.
ginning 10 end, aud 10 warn against
giving It respect or credonce. The
NEWS takes up the cudgel In this case
solely In the Interest OF truth
and fairness, for II knows how
,wlftly lie will travel II lot
alone, much more II reasonably encour.
aged, and how readily the most out.
fageoua falsehood will be acoe pied n
uttered against an unpopular person,
party or people. The occasion Is not
for the advice that before
according belief To stories affecting the
good name and well.belng Of others
and the more sensational these stories
he more necessary the preosution-it
i always we'll to verify them from
hose most affected or from their
II will not do to depend too
much on the impartiality OF confessed
u convicted enemy; II Ia not always
IAte to rely even on his tTuthfulness.