The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-13
WHY People ARE susPrcIous.


be liars, but they are the things which
guide men in their actions. In Utah
for some weeks past hopes and fears
have been in conflict and fears
have gained ground rather chan lost.
There is not a thinking person in the
state but has felt that for some time
past things were not as could be
wished This state Of feeling has been
the outgrowth of bordering and reflect
ing upon what is generally known as
the late manifesto. 1t may be that the
suspicious aroused as to what it meant,
or could be made to mean, were not
wholly justified. But it must not be
suspicious spring UP quicker and grow
ranker than elsewhere, and for that
very reason there is all the greater
necessity for not arousing them.
Recent events have done nothing but
arouse suspicious. The fear has grown
that the dominant church in Utah, con-
scious of its own power and fully alive
as to what statehood means, has de-
termined to exert that power and con-
troll the politics of the state. 1t is a
more or less general belief that those
who in the past have controlled politics
here have felt that the people were fast
slipping beyond their control and that
a determined effort must be made to
regain it. The belief is also growing
that these same persons, who have
been so potent in politics in the past,
have been playing a game. And all
this belief is not entirely without justi-
fication.
At Provo, after the occurrences at
the annual conference in this city, Jo-
seph +. Smith, a member of the first
presidency, stated in public meeting
that it was the right of the priesthood
to dictate in spiritual and temporal mat
tiers. When a priesthood has that right
1t has the right to dictate in all things;
it becomes absolute. The right to die
tate means but one thing. which is the
right to say what shall be and what
shall not, and admits of no qualifica-
ton The right to dictate in temporal
matters is the right to dictate in poll
tics. for politics is the most temporal
thing with which men have to do. Mr..
Smiths sermon has been published in
the church organ, but has there been
any Reputation or condemnation of his
doctrine of the right to dictate in tenn
poral as well as spiritual matters?
AT Logan Joseph F. Smith tells Of
what can only be characterized as an
infamous bargain to turn Utah over
to political party when the leaders OF
that party had said, in answer to GER
tain requests, that the people of Utah
were Democrats. Then these same po-
nticaI leaders were told that they might
be shown more Republicans than they
thought there were.
How can people know when there is
and when there is not bargain? Those
who are not in the bargain, and who
have participated in politics because
of their convictions, feel, when the
existence Of such bargains is disclosed,
that they have been played upon, made
fools of They ask themselves, What
is the use of playing at politics, why
spend time and money, make great
effort and expend strength when all
counts for naught?
When such bargains are told of at
religious meeting, where there are only
those present who are thought to be
worthy of confidence because it is as
sumed they will endorse them and aid
in carrying them out when called upon,
is it to be wondered at that people be-
come suspicious, that they think they
have been deceived? And if deceived
once why not deceived again?
These are some of the reasons why
people are suspicious, why they fear
that old conditions may return in
Utah. The old conditions can never
return. but conditions very similar,
and equally as bad. may come if
bold stand is not taken against their
introduction. 1t is because it is a duty
that The Herald takes the stand it
does, and not because it is a pleasure.
1t is also a conviction that it is wrong
to stife discussion by the press and
the people of the things Of which every
one thinks by day and dreams of by
night. The greatest safeguard of free
institutions is free discussion. Those
who would do dark and secret things
alone dread it.