The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-14
publicans in various parts of the coun-
VIII Certainly Use It.


will use it against you and the
party?"
You might as well ask me if water
will run down hill, or a flame of fire
leap upward. Of course they will use
it. They are already using it. The day
after the Priesthood meeting man in
this city had so far added to what had
been said at the meeting, that it was
being rumored that / had been given
SO many days in which to resign my
nomination or lose my standing in
the church. At Willard, in Box Elder
county, we met the rumor that B. H.
Roberts was out Of favor with
the Presidency of the church,
likely to be disfellowshiped. and
therefore must be defeated in the cleo
ton The following letter was re-
ceived by Judge Powers from Brig
ham since my visit there:
Brigham City, Utah, Oct. 70, 1895,
Hon. O. w. Powers, Chairman, Salt
Lake City:
Dear Sir-When Mr.. Roberts was
here he asked me if the impression had
got out relative to the first presiden-
cy calling himself and Moses Thatcher
down. etc. My reply was that 1 had
not heard anything, and I thought no
harm had been done US. Since then,
however [ have found out differently
Republicans approach Democrats with
an exulting smile, and ask how they
enjoyed the priesthood meeting. Some
unwise Republicans are elated. Demo-
Gratis are sick. A bishops counselor
told me that he heard Republicans
say when leaving the meeting that
had it not been for what had been
said at the meeting their votes would
have been cast for Roberts; but now
they were in doubt.
There is no denying the fact that
the remarks hurt us. perhaps not so
much among the pronounced Demo-
Gratis as the doubtful voters, and ia
vorable Republicans.
Our county is doubtful, and we can
not afford to lose one vote by this
grapevine method; you must suppress
Bro. Joseph, if you have to use as
radical means as he uses himself"
Similar statements" said Mr.. Rob-
erts, come from all over the terri
tory. 1 take it, therefore, that while
so far as know, the Democratic
party does not propose to attempt to
say what course the c1ta-ch shah take
in the matter of prohibiting its high
life, and may discipline them
for breaches of church regula-
ton, but when methods are
adopted which. owing to the peculiar
state of things in our community, such
proceedings are adopted which reach
beyond the individual complained of
and threaten the success of the party,
and all the candidates that it has put
in the field, rendering all the time,
work and expense fruitless. I think the
political party whose success is thus
threatened has just cause of complaint
against such proceedings
Dictation in Politics.
But Mr.. Roberts, all this is prelim-
mary to what is really the chief issue.
Do you recognize the right of the
church to dictate what members pol
itics shall be, or that an official of the
church in politics ought to take counsel
with the superior church officials as to
whether he may accept nomination
for office or not?"
81 shall divide your question into two
parts. To the first part I answer no,
the church has no right to dictate what
mans politics shall be, and it is only
just to the Presidency Of the Mormon
church to say that they claim no such
right, but have repeatedly disclaimed
any such pretension. Second, believe
the church has right to say whether
or net its high officials shall be allowed
to participate in politics or not. If they
decide that certain officials shall not
enter politics it is for those officers to
submit to the regulation or resign. But
if the church permits its high officials
to enter politics at all, then those men
ought to be absolutely free to follow
their own discretion as to what their
politics shall be, and the extent to
which they shall engage in the affairs
of government, as any thing short Of
this would render party loyalty inlpos-
sible I do not believe that Democratic
church officials ought to be expected
to go to Republican superior church
officials for counsel in political affairs.
or vice versa.
such a requirement in our commu-
nifty would place the control of the re-
spective parties under the church Of
ficials and would give up political at
fairs entirely into their hands. [ see