The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1896-12-18

respecting the absolute political liberty
and individual responsibility of the cid.
zen Of Utah. And believe that perfect
freedom Of political action uurestrained
by fear Of ccclc.iastical punishment. b..
essential under our republican iorm of
government This principle i- so well
established IN the Declaration Of lndc.
pendenee In the national constitution
and IN the constitution Of our state. that
II needs no argument 10 s'staiu e..
Could have accepted as a tact your
statement would have saved myself
the distress that has followed my course
regarding the manifesto Of October,
1870, which was generally considered
and is still regarded as the first public
and effective movement towards secur.
ing statehood In Utah.
But my vote was sincere, and so II was
year later, when the authorities and
Saints Of the church, In conference a..
sembled, pledged themselves as indiyid.
uals and a. people to this government
that the members Of their church should
be untrammeled In all civil concerns.
When Il was declared that there was no
foundation or excuse for the statement
that church and state were united In
Utah or that the leaders OF the church
dictated to the members In political mat.
tiers, and that whatever appearance Of
church domination there might have
been In the past nothing Of the Kind
would be attempted In fhc future.
sincerely believed In these declarations
and the subsequent official declarations
OF the authorities OF the church on this
subject On the 18th day Of March,
1894. the first presidency Of the church
declared over their official signatures;
awe have no desire to interfere In
these (poliheal) matters, but proclaim
that, a. far a. VIC are concerned. the
members OF this church are entirely
and perfectly free In all political mat.
ters."
In a leading editorial the Deseret
Evening News reafirmed the.posItlon of
the authorities as stated In their public
declarations and added:
"The public, however, must not OK.
peet that leading church man shall
become a political eunueh because Of
his eeelesiastleal position. lie Il az
much a citizen with all the powers and
liberties OF a citizen as II he were
layman or an lnfdel."
And the views expressed by the first
presidency In the celebrated "Times"
interview must bear portion Of the
responsibility for the sentiments so
thoroughly grounded in me. call your
attention to the following extracts from
the answers carefully prepared by them
"Does the church claim the right TO
dictate to its members In political mat.
ters"
"The church does not claim any such
right"
"That being true, are we to under
stand that the church will not assert any
Right to control the political action Of
r. members In the futuN"
"That l. what we wish to convey and
have you understand. A. officers Of the
church we dlSelaIm the right to control
the political action of the members OF
our body"
ADO you believe that It Is the wish Of
the Mormon people TO unite with the
great national parties and to conduct
politics In this territory as they are
conducted In all other statvs'
"rhat Is the impression we have re.
celyed from conversation with the men
among Us who take the greatest In.
trest In political matters"
as there any reason why the mem.
bers Of the church should no, act freely
with the national parties at all times"
awe know Of no reason why they
should not"
us there any foundation for the charge
that the Mormon leaders are now en-.
gagged In a political conspiracy to secure
Political power for the church"
"There is not the least ground for any
such statement We are not engaged In
any conspiracy OF this character"
"The opponents Of party division on
HAllOUAl lllNNh hAAAAlN hhAh W. WAN w
idence OF the sincerity Of the Mormon
people. The Tlwes would ask you to
state whether the declarations Of SINGER.
thy on the part Of those leaders Who
have been before the public reflects
your views and meet with your ap.
prevail"
"Those deolatationa express our views
and have our entire approval. What
greater evidence can be asked than that
which has already been glyenl II has
been asserted, In addition, that the peo-
pie were governed by the priesthood In
political matters. This f. now dlsproved
by the dissolution of the peoples party
and the union of It's members with the
two national parties. What could posi-
bly, be gained by the action Of the PEG
pie II they were not slneerel II the Gle
ments OF sincerity were wanting, such
movement would result In entire de-
morallzation"
II could have looked upon these
grave and solemn declarations different
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