The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-13
THE VOTERS OF UTAH ARE
FREE.

just before the city election, which
contains a declaration to the effect
that the voters of this state are free
to vote for whom they may see fit, and
that no man has authority conferred
upon him by God, or given him of men,
10 interfere with the freedom OF the
individual in the exercise Of his po-
litical rights" and forwards it to the
News office.
And then the News goes off into a
state of supreme ecstacy and speaks as
never man spake before, except he
spake through the News. It says that
for six long, weary years the assertion
has been necessarily reiterated that
the voters of Utah are now free. And
it goes on and on until it is in a very
delirium of righteous indignation,
which eliminates in this:
Ye venerable pioneers. whose faith
is like that of the children of Israel
crossing the Red sea; whose patriotism
is like that of the martyrs of Their
mopylae; whose devotion is like that
of the Pilgrim Fathers; whose courage
is like that of the noble six hundred
of Balaklava; We gray haired veterans
VINO laid among the mountains the
corner stones of a grand common
wealth, and made it possible for pro-
| fessional politicians and other social
pests and parasites to exist here, what
think We when some scrlDDler pub
fishes to the world the gratifying
news that "now''-quite recently-ye
are free? And when that scribbler's
/ twin brother with short scrubby hair
and low, retreating forehead, effects
a thrilling escape from a beer saloon,
climbs a stump, and before an aggre-
! CATION of his fellow understanding
| loafers reiterates the asseveration that
! the Mormons now are free, what
emotions surge within you? Could
! you give adequate utterance to them?
Hardly.
The very spirit of Elijah is in that,
and no one who did not sit near the
throne of grace itself could have so
Numbered forth, and all who read it
would tremble did they not feel that
after all it is stage thunder and not
the real Jovian article.
And in the political contests in Utah
who was it that first said the people
were free? Was it some one with
short, scrubby hair and "a low, retreat
ing forehead some one who is in the
habit of escaping from beer saloons,
and who climbs a, stump, and before
an aggregation of his fellow water
stunning loafers reiterates the assever-
alton that the NfoTTnons are now free?''
Was it one such as the News has de-
scribed? Let US see.
At the general conference held in
October, 1881, a set of resolutions was
adopted. The first resolution contained
the following:
Whatever appearance there may
have been in past times of a union of
church and state. because men holding
ecclesiastical authority were elected to
civil office by popular vote, there is
now no foundation or excuse for the
statement that church and state are
united in Utah or that the leaders OF
the church dictate the members in po-
ltical matters; that no coercion or in
fiuence whatever of an ecclesiastical
nature has been exercised over US by
our church leaders in reference tC
which political party we shall join, glnd
that we have been and are perfectly
FREE to unite with any or no politi-
cal party we shall join as we may in
dividually elect; that the Peoples
party has been entirely dissolved anC
, that cur fealty henceforth will be Il
such political party as seems hes
suited TO the purposes of republican
government.
: This was done in general conference
> and not by men with low, retreatins
foreheads'' who had just escaped from
saloons and mounted the stump.
In March, 1892, Presidents Wilfoy
Woodruff and Joseph F. Smith ISSUED
:
in the News, in which this Language
was read:
We have no disposition to direct il
these matters, but proclaim that s.
r far as we are concerned, the membe
of this church are entirely and per
fectly FREE in all POLITICAL AT
FAIRS.
: VIII the News say that these gentle
men have low, retreating foreheads
and that they had just emerged fror
beer saloons when they declared tina
the members Of this church are en-
: tirely and perfectly FREE in all Pc
: LITICAL AFFAIRS?"
:, Ye venerable pioneers, whose faith
like that of the children of Israel cross
ing the Red sea; whose patriotism
e like that Of the martyrs of Thermopy
= lac; whose devotion is like that of til
: Pilgrim Fathers; whose courage is Ill;
g that of the noble six hundred of Ba.
ahlava; We gray haired veterans VIII
laid among the mountains the corner
-, stones of a grand commonwealth, whe
d think ye when a general conferenc
y passes resolutions declaring We are FIRE
v and your venerable president and or
of his councillors likewise declare thu
the members of the church are entirel
lie and perfectly free in all political a
is fairs? DO you think there is any il
De suit to any one in reiterating the:
a statements? Hardly.
ar The News has a good deal to So
about -'scribblers with not an inspire
ton which they do not get from son
lg political boss" about stump speake
OF so craven in their cowardice that the
Or dare not utter publicly a sentiment tn;
s has not first been passed upon by the
a steering committee, and whose souls a
held in such abject slavery to the par
lash that rather than risk q. blow fro
i'll it they would stultify themselves in Il
g grossest manner possible, and thro
X personal honor to the winds"
IN For some months past the News h
lg assumed very much the air and tone