Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-08-14

| OF the Church in S ate matters Is M
enemy to Utah. II We think we eau
bring peace and continual prosperity to
| this new Sta by mporizing wish this
| question, we Will be mistaken.
With the same honesty OF purpose, but
with II much moro Joyful heart, he had
| voted with his quorum 10 grant the
Saints entire political freedom. lie meant
| 1t then, he Just a. sincerely meant 1t now.
| Ho who thinks because we are surround
| eli by the walls of statehood tina. IL is now
safe to unsay that which has been said, to
| proclaim by word or act that there was
| any duplicity or double dealing in order
| to secure desired concession-, is mis-
| taken. lie had not laid aside bis Office in
| tho Church to obtain political honors, but
because he saw dire calamity confront
| ing the people II this course were taken.
| His audience knew the position he had
occupied Tor forty years on tho question
| Of liberty, and he could not now with one
act expuugo that record aud stultify the
| avowed sentimeuts OF a lifetime
He spoke OF the struggles o, the Nor
mon people in the early days, and dwelt
on the relations between Tho Church and
| the State under u Republican form of
government. He described the position
lie had taken on this subject and re-
viewed some of the CIRCUMSTANCES con-
nec!ed with the recent manifesto and his
refusal to sign 1t. He conceded that the
Church had a right TO discipline us
members for the infractiou Of Church
rules, but 1t had no right to carry
Church matters into political affairs.
Ninth-In his own published ex.
planptlon OF the remarks he made In
the Legislature ABOUT higher al
lsgiance, as tollows:
No legislator can keep his oath of Office
inviola1e, II he or she allows the officials
of an eccleslastioal organization to con-
troll his actions within the province OF
the State,
The day must come in Utah when he
who [being an officer In the $ atel holds
a higher allegiance to the chiefs OF any
alien or Church organizationl than that
which under his solemn Dahl belongs
to the 5 ato, must not be lawIunker in
the halls of the STATE.
To tI--lu tue same article ne uses
this language;
Doubtless great struggle is now in
auguialed in u ali, a struggle for FREQ
dom, Tor liberty, for the integrity OF free
government, for tho principles incor-
pornted in American Institutions. II the
state is to be controlled by the dictation
OF the Church It's sovereignty is lost and
w Independence Is II lillut M lTIlubS-
cent dream. II is a cause OF profound
gratitude and thankfulnuss that so many
noble and true women and men, chosen
"a the represen atives OF n great and
earnest people, have STOOD unflinchingly
in the face OF intense and interruptions
opposition, day after day, for more than
half hundred ballots, as opponents and
advocates OF the principles OF Jefferson
and Jackson.
1t is only in this spirit that Utah will
continue redeemed from thrHldom as
obnoxious as tina Of African slavery or
Russian serfdom
Also tht:
The Sta'e demands Of its citizens and
lawmakers duty well and faithfully per-
formed under oath. The Church demands
of its members, the same individual,
another and different Thing. The
"higher allegiance to which 1 re-
ferred would require obedience to
the Church. Here is conflict.
Who is responsible? Under our STATE
Constitution the Church il responsible.
That being so, the proper solution of the
conflict and difficulty is simple. Let the
Church vacate the forbidden ground and
all will be well.
repeat, those holding such "hig her
allegi nee" should inL no place in the
halls Of the legislature.
Eleventh - The sans ideas were
elaborated in his speech intro ducing
Mr.. Warren Foster at Logan, Febru-
AIRY l7tn.
Twelfth-No matter what were hls
Intentions the effect OF his utterances
aud course on The public mind was
that he was fighting the Church on a
vital question, namely, the political
liberties OF the members OF the CGurch.
That he was the champion OF freedom
as against the chaios which the
Church was forging to bind them.
That the Church was endeavorlng
dominate the State and Interfere with
lite functions, and he was opposing
| that attempt. That the leaders of the
Church mad promised political liberty
TO the people In order to gain statehood,
and then had changed their policy,
| and prom u lgsted new rule, to DOM
mate them and restrict their political
| liberties. and were thus guilty OF
double desling and punic faith.
This is shown by the letter intro
duced by Brother Thatcher from the
Ptssby terrain preacher at st. George,
the article by the Catholic priest al
Denver, introduced by Brother Grant,
the letter written by Brother Il. O.
UOiltJ AZ gol, pcUESc, tue fulIy luz
around Brother Thatcher OF the enc.
mics OF the Churcn, the endorsement
| OF the hostile press, anu the cheers o..
the multitude who wers antagonistic
to the Church leaders.
rhir.eenth-- The letter written by
Elder b. ii. Roberts to Brother
Thatcher SHOVE that Brother Roberto
perceived the effect which had been
produced an the public mind by their
united course; anu In not listening to
the appeal thus made and not endea-
voring TO correct that wrong, there
was an un-Christian spirit exhibited
by Brother Thatcher.
We recognizes the fact that Brother
| Thatchet's bodily all lotions have been
great, and that they weake ed him n
mimi to some extent, or rather that
they tended TO cloud his brain while
in the time OF hls greatest trials. This
should be considered when the degree
OF his wrong ~ determined.
Brother Thatcher evidently fostered
the idea that his brelhren Of the
Twelve, or come OF them at least,
were his enemies, and that they de-
sired his Injury, TO crowd amt crush
him; and this III ,cted hls mind as much
perhaps as his bodily iniirmities. In
this he was wrong, as he now appears
to perceive.
Heuls evidently allowed the idea