Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-08
DUTY OF THE MINORITY.

You say you cannot accept the 30
called "Mauiiesto" as "the word Of the
Lord, or the policy that II Ia the duty
OF every member of the Church to car
ry out" On the contrary, you believe
II to be the duty OF every man who
views thS subject as you 10 to do all
he can towards Its repeal. Before n
measure Is adopted, when II Ia In the
stage OF formation, anu under diseus.
sion, L believe II to be the right Of
every man honestly to express his
views upon II, anu II 1t does OF seem
TO him to be right or fails TO appeal 10
his judgment as u wise policy, ~ IL his
right, in rropsr spirit, to oppose 1t.
But when by action OF those to whom
1t 10 submitted, and who have right
to decide, the decision goes against
judgment and conviction, ana the
question has paesed from the field OF
discussion to the realm oi omplished
fact, then i think that that law 10 as
binUing upon the minority as upon tue
majority, and that 1t should be as
loyalty supported by those who opposed
II, as those who advocated It,
until Its wisdom Is vinuicated; or
It's folly maze manifest nnd the
way prepared for Its repeal. or
course, II a policy is 10 utterly bad
In ones judgment that ones con.
science canu0t become reconeiled to It,
no uts tue alternative OF leaving the
society enactipg 1t, but 1t 10 n solecism
to think one can consistently shy
witaiu an organization anu yet make
war upon its laws and regulations. l
have teen particular thus to state my
views upon what l think should be the
conduct OF minorities, because you
confidently declare the belief that |
once held views similar to your own on
this point. | disclaim that, however,
ana that most emphatically; and say
That at no time have | entertained the
views avowed by you. You cite as
evidence OF my entertaining such
views the language used by me in adj.
mjnistering to Brother Moses
Thatcher. The expression seized upon
by you as such evidence is the one
asking that Brother Moses ''may be-
come powerful and strong TO plead for
the rights and liberties OF the people,"
at tsevident," you say, "lha; at this
time your opinion was that the liber-
ties OF the people were jeopardized,
and In view Of the controversy
then existing, 1t is but fair 10
assume that these liberties were
placed in jeopardy, in your judgment,
by the manifesto, which, for reasons
best known TO yeu, you had been led
uucOnscientiOusly to sigu." To cay the
least Of 1t, you have here hung very
heavy weight upon very slender
thread. You certainly had to raise
the phrase with which you began
your calculation to its tenth power in
order to arrive at your conclusion. or
course, l cannot remember the lam
guage l used on the occasion referred
to; you may have reported 1t accurate
ly Tor all know. 1t may have been
as fervent and earnest as your report
makes 1t, Tor was anxious for tho re.
covery OF Brother Moses and always
ielt IN administering to him that II |
could have impaired to him u portion
OF my own physical strength, or could
have shareI my own health with him.
| would have done II without hesita.
ton; for he was and Is dear to me.
But know, Brother -, once for all,
that the manifesto was not in NV
mind any moment while administer.
ing to moses ON that occasion. Nor
did think then, any more than
L do now, that there was any
necessity for Moses Thatcher to
be strong and powerful 10 plead
for the rights anu liberties OF G1-'s
people against supposed AIS lulls made
upon those rights by tna First PTesl-
dancy, or by the manifesto. | had
no thought Of what you call "the
controversy then existing" while adj
ministerlng to Moses Thatcher, and
the phrase you select az Qualifying our
conclusion could otherwise easily be
accounted Tor. We b We not yet seen
the last assault made upon the rights
and liberties Of tho Saints. lear.
anu in my judgment, In the future as
In the past there will be necessity
Tor strong ana powerful men to plead
Tor the rights ana liberties OF the
Saints. Then see what an unworthy
thing your theory would make M! You
believe that, well nign before tue INK
was ury which marks NY signature
10 The "maniiestO," the DAY following
ite accepnnce by the general Confer.
nee, 1 was expressly asking GJd that
Moses Thatcher mlgnt DO raised up to
tveTlhTow You say that 1 "hal
teen led uugOusCleutiOusly to sign
!" suppose you mean that signed
u without o1nR1ieuce, that Is, wi.naut
nay conscience going with my act;
md mat, In your opinion, PERHAPS
Justltea you in saying, AS you 90 in
the very next paragraph, "tueTn gxisls
IN Utah touay condition which
makes II necessary, or in your opiuiun
advisable Tor you (mu) 20 hulu In
abeya CT the opinions You (I honestly
entertain on this subject" surely, ii
one were seeking occasion Tor offence.
AZ ia .