The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-08-24
NOTICE.
POLITICS AND RELIGION.

Last fall there was a great deal
said about the church in politics,
or rather the entrance of the lofty
church officials into active personal
service in either of the great parties
now dividing the territory, The con-
census of opinion was, we believe, that
high officials in the church should re-
frain. This year we have but few in
stances so far. We believe that Bishop
Hatch ever at Lehi is the only man
VINO has as yet INDUCED Extensively
and we doubt not that the good bishop
will now be satisfied to keep his
republicanism out of the pulpit.
Bishop Hatch probably forgot that
among the lambs of his flock there
were a good many democrats and
when be undertook to hold them up to
ridlcule he very soon found that while
his republican enthusiasm justified
him, he also found that the democrats
who were present in their character of
worshippers of God, not as partisan
democrats or partisan repuDli-
cans objected seriously. Bishop Hatch
insults the candor and good sense
as well as good faith of the peo-
pie when he assumes that because
ne is an elder in the congregation,
therefore the people will accept him as
a political leader and mouth-piece.
Now we do not care particularly for
Bishop Hatch in this connection, but
We are using the instance with which
he is connected to warn others from
participating in such practices. The
church may tolerate it but the people
will hold all men who endeavoTed to
prostitute their church standing or in
fuence to political uses to strict re-
sponsibility. 1t is simply scandalous
that men in the church will stoop to
betray their brethren into defeat and
possibly loss, modification and cha
grin when it is no part of either their
religious or secular duty to do SO, and
no good end can be subserved.
1t is both unfair and dishonest to
endeavor to fasten the pure robes of
the church to any political party. 1t is
a dIect and shameless prostitution of
the church to worldly and political
purposes. The democrats have hither-
to retrained, in Difference to the well
known policy of the ecclesiastical au-
thorities, but if republicans are
to be permitted to do so with
impunlty the democrats will be COM
PEELED, reluctantly to meet tie move.
We would not see this done even TO
insure democratic success, but we can
not stand everything. Take the
church Inhibition off and the adYant-
age would be altogether with us. 1t is
a well-known fact that large ma
jority of the leading church
men in Utah are demo:r Gratis
and it would prove losing
game for the republicans if the rule
put no political shsckles upon the
tongues of the leaders of the Mormon
church. We take this position not
from fear Of their superiority at all,
but we plead for non-partisan clergy
only in the interests OF the church.
Wien the church of Christ becomes,
as it would do if its clergymen became
partisan politicians in the pulpit,
the mere battle-door and shut.
tle-cock of the parties to the shame
of the Master ana the decentralization
of the members, 1t will completely lose
its sacred character. No patriotic
citizen of Utah no matter what his par
tisan political predictions may
be, wants to see the degreda-
ton of th9 Norman church.
1t is the sheet anchor of hope
to so many honest people, it holds the
happiness of so large per cent. of the
people of Utah in its keeping, that
none but a traitor to the state would
willingly zee Its skirts bedraggled in
the way Bishop Hatch endeayored to
bedraggle them.
We might as well serve notice now
IS later, that the democratic papers
Ind speakers will not tolerate this
hing. They will expose, demonstrate
md expostulate in every instance, nor
10 We care very much whose corns are
70 be trampled upon in this matter.
The man who does it will suffer and
ne church be belongs to cuts no fig
Ire in the affair. The only way to
keep church and state separate, is 10
eparate the Offices of each.