The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-14
OGDEN DEPT.
AERHLD eRaNcH OFFICE.
5l3 UTAH LOAN & TRUST BUILDING.
Ogden, October IA.
AGAINST ECCLESIASTICAL CONTROL

The Democrats of this county are in
full accord with the party policy as
announced in The Herald yesterday
morning. While there is no DISPOSE
ton on the part of any man, Mormon
or Gentle, to criticise the right of any
church to maintain its discipline, there
is grave reason to complain when the
manner of enforcement is such as to
interfere with operations of a great
political party
The fact that two men on the Dem
ocnauc state ticket are prominent Off
Gals in the Mormon church was a mat
ter that was evidently considered by
the delegates to the Democratic state
convention which nominated them
that 1t did not weigh against them is
evidenced by the fact that they were
nominated unanimously, yet the fact
that they Were MOrmons did not influ-
ence a single man in that convention.
If their acceptance of the Office in any
way interfered with their duties as
officials in the church, it could have
been as easily adjusted in their case
as any other. For instance, Mr.. Weber
of this county was named for attorney
general and he is in the employ of The
people of this county as county attor-
ney. When he is elected and finds
the duties of the state office incompat-
able with that of the county he can
easily tender his resignatio to the
county court and the matter is ad-
justed
SO in the case of Nessrs. Thatcher
and Roberts; they can easily settle
the difficulty if there really be one i'm
their case, but it should always be
remembered that it is best to wait I'M
til one reaches bridge before he
crosses it.
1t is not the rules of the church
which Democrats complain of, it is the
manner of calling attention to the al
legged infringement on the part of the
First Presidency and the effect it has
had ON the people that is objected to.
The intention may have been inno-
cent enough on the part of the church
officials, but the result was at once ap-
parent so far as the Democratic party
was concerned.
The report was circulated far and
wide that the action of thse two gen
tlemen had been condemned, and what
for?-because they had accepted NOM
nations on the Democratic ticket with
out first taking council.
The word politics might not have
been mentioned at the priesthood
meeting, but it was certainly meant
ana UIle ulIGCI 6IItGI VI w Ilctl was RoeA4Nt
has stirred up the greatest political
hubbub Utah has ever experienced. II
an unintentional reference to politics
ON the part of the First Presidency
can change the flow of the political
current in Utah, what would be the
case where it was intentional? The
Democracy in this county will stand
by the principles of the party and in
sist upon a strict observance of the
declaration of the First Presidency
that there should be no interference
With the political freedom of the Nor
mon people.
If the state convention is reconvened
Weber county will be represented with
a fun delegation, and they Will go de,
termined to promulgate the doctrine OF
absolute freedom from ecclesiastioa-
control or even the semblance of 1T IN
the political affairs of Utah.