The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-23
MOSES THATcHER,s LETTER.

MOSES THATCHER'S LETTER.
He Takes His Position Right in Line
With His Party.
Judge Powers then read the follow
ing letter, which provoked great APP
plause from the mere announcement:
Logan, Utah, Oct 81, 1895.
Hon. o. w. Powers, Chairman Democrat
ic Territorial Committee and Members
of the Re-Convened Convention;
Gentlemen:-OwinG to the unsatisfac-
tory condition of my health, which rem
ders it impossible for me TO be with
you. l adopt this means of conveying TO
your honorable body, a statement of my
position on questions arising from the
very serious crisis, which without yolition
of the Democratic party, now confrOnts
us; ana IN the proper and permanent
solution of which, as L view it, is involved
the honor, peace, prosperity and liberty
of CtahS Inhabitants. (Applause)
AS heretofore, when treating on politi-
cal issues, have sought to be candid and
straightforward in word ana act and the
conditions now confronting us, as well
as my honor and that of the party of
which am member, demand that
should continue along those lines, leaving
nothing of doubtful nature upon which
TO found an argument as TO my position,
either by friends or by political oppo-
nents. (Hearty applause)
How He Has stood.
My connection with matters relating to
the present grave crisis would appear to
warrant brief statement of my political
acts since the division of the citizens of
Utah on national and local political ques-
tons. AT the outset | was strongly i'm
pressed with the idea that it would be
better for the ecclesiastical officers of
the dominant religious society in Titan.
as well as in the interest and welfare OF
the people, for prominent church officials,
including the members of the first presi-
dency, the twelve apostles and the presf-
dency of the quorum of seventies, not to
involve themselves in active partisan
politics, believing Chat their influence
should be brought to bear against the ac-
rImonlOuS JealouSies likely to arise in >,
contest over questions in which the mas
ses of the people We're not then well
informed. In other words that these high
ecclesiastical authorities might be called
upon to pour oil on the politically dis
tIrbed waters of our fair territory; a
TASK which then and now bellies can lie,
successfully performed by those Oily who
mad not become partisan in their pO,iti-
cal preferences, and l believe that action
IN harmony with those ideas was, about
that time, taken but was shortly there
after, as [ remember, ignored and that
as the record, think, will show, not by
members of the Democratic party b1ir
me 'follQWlng is an extract from the
Salt Lake Herald of July so, 1891, and is a
synopsis of remarks made by myself at
Democratic meeting held in the Salt
Lake theatre on that date.
The Democrats held rousing meet
ing at the Salt Lake theatre last even
ing.
Hon Moses Thatcher was there as a
listener While the meeting was being
adjourned tie vast audience demanded
that he speak. and after hesitatiDe rim
the demand grew beyond resistance, he
appeared and spoke briefly"
Ibis is what The Herald saws of it:
How He stood in 1891.
''Mr. Dyer stepped forward to say that
the meeting was at an end but cries for
OF the house. and Mr.. Thatcher finally
stepped to the front and said: For req
sons which think sufficient l have taken
no active part in this campaign-not be-
cause / was not in sympathy with the
grand old Democratic party. but because
there are many people in Utah through
out the length and breadth of the land
who believe that the church dominates
ecclesiastical position which l occupy. /
desire to say no word i'll this campaign.
but look to these gentlemen for the edu-
eating of the people. A great hero of
many battles who had shot and shell
tear up the ground at his feet, VINO has
seen the blood of those who wore the
blue and the gray flow in streams said
TO Lee when the latter surrendered and
halded MN ms sword: No, general, not
a horse or mule. Y on will need t..;en
all for your spring ploughing' 1t is n
glorious thing TO be magnanimous You
may look on that picture and then turn
and look on this. The Mormon people are
sincere. tremendous applause.
I'VE trust the Gentle Democrats and
Mormon Democrats alike, because they
cannot so back on their promises without
qualification. qualification is dishonor.
and to as dishOnor is worse than death
prolonged applauseD 1 am opposed to
d union of church and state and always
have been. (Applause). 1t cannot exist
under the American system of govern
ment. (Applause) We have never been
understood, but thank God we will be-"
The above needs no explanation and is
here inserted for the purpose only of
showing my political attitude at that time
and it is wholly unnecessary to revieuJ
the history of politics in this territory
since that date, every citizen of this ter
ritory being fully posted ON the matter:
l, therefore, need waste none of the time
of this re-convened convention, in an
argument respecting the political strug-
giles in this territory during the past
three years; nor need l add anything on
the question of church influence being
directly or indirectly to the injury of one
of another, because that question has
been fully discussed during the period to
which l allude.
From Other Side.
From the beginning, in nearly all. if
not all, of my political addresses and
private conversations / have uniformly
sought to impress upon the minds of the
people, the absolute separation of church
and state; holding that the civil obIiea-
tions of the citizen should in no degree
trammel the exercise of a mans religious
obligations. nor on the other hand should
the exercise of his religious duties inter-
fere with his obligations to the state and
alton whose citizen he was; maintaining
always, that there were no presidents.
apostles nor other church officials, as
such, in politics, and that the freedom or
the citizen in these matters was not the
gift of any man or combina ton of men.
but a bequest from the fathers who, for
the benefit of themselves, their posterity
and future generations, placed their hon
or, their fortunes and their lives upon
the altar of human liberty.
I'm support of those views l submit the
following extracts from sermon deliv-
cred by myself at Logan in April, 1852
which embodies my present convictions
and ideas upon the matters therein
treated.
Theory Of Church and State.
The writer then quoted a lengthy
sermon delivered by himself. beginning
Israel sought, at period in the
worlds history, a kingly government,
a union of civil and religious rule. God
having forewarned them of its evil