The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-18

whether or not polygamy is morally
or religiously right, is not at all IN
volved in the issue The question is,
did the Mormon people; did Mr.. Rob-
erts, as their spokesman, pledge them
selves to abandon the practice in order
to obtain statehood? And have they so
abandoned it, The fact that no one
but members of other religious denom-
nations are taking any hand in the
matter naturally brings to the front
the suspicion that it is to be fight
based solely upon a difference between
the Mormons and other church people
upon the Interpretation of the scrip
lures. Let US see if that is not true.
Protestants and Mormons alike be-
lieVe, to a greater or less degree in the
inspiration of the Bible. Many of the
people who are proposing to fight Mr..
Roberts believe. or claim to believe that
the Bible from "kiver TO kiver," is the
by inspiration; that it is an infallible
moral guide; that it lays down proper
rules Of faith and practice; that its
precepts are good, and that its in1unc-
tons are binding in every particular.
These people insist that the Bible OPP
poses polygamy, and for that reason
they oppose it. Now, if these same
people could be made to believe that
the Bible enjoined, or even endorsed
polygamy, they would favor it; II
would be sacrilege for them not to do
so. Now, the question is, does the Bible.
favor or enjoin polygamy? Mr., Roberts
says it does His opposing rehgionists
say it does not. So you see that in the
last analysis the question resolves itself
into a question of Bible interDreta-
ton: nothing more, nothing less. Now,
even though I believe in both the Bible
and the Book of Mormon, the grounds
are too narrow for q liberal man to
stand upon. But as / do not believe
in the inspiration or the infallibility of
either, you can readily see the unten-
able. not to say ridiculous position In
which I would be placed. Besides, TO
be consistent. it would be necessary
that ] should believe that the Bible
condemns pelygamy, and franlness m
peiS me to say that l do not believe
( it does. If the Bible is right, polygamy
I is right. One of the principal reasons
( why l cannot accept the Bible as my
! moral guide is because it teaches DO
! lygamy. So l cannot consistently join
! issues with those who stand on the
/ Bible to accuse Mr.. Roberts for taking
4 what ! consider to be a rational inter-
probation of the Bible. In other words,
/ the only reason why Mormons are any
worse than MethOdists is because they
! stick closer to the Bible than do the
! Methodists. That Mormons do stay
/ closer to Bible teachings than do other
! denominations permit me to call at
I tention TO this, in the Epistle of James:
/ rs any sick among you? Let him call
1 for the elders of the church: and let
! him pray over him, amounting him with
I oil in he name Of the Lord. And the
/ prayer OF faith shall save the sick and
I the Lord shall raise him up" etc. JOS
] eDh Smith taught the same doctrine;
so did President Young, and so do they
Nr1F q,
to this day. So DersiStently do they
practice it that a doctor friend OF mine
once said to me that utah is the
! dist place on earth in which to prac-
( tice medicine, for. if the patient gels
I Well, prayers cured him; and if he dies,
the doctor killed him"
Again. suppose that it was heaven at
/ whose gates Brother Roberts was ask
ing admittance, instead of the United
| states congress, and he should be re-
fused admission on the grounds of be-
/ ing polygamist: and he should appeal
] the case to a jury composed of David,
! Solomon and Abraham, what do you
! think would be his chances for a. seat?
Think of Abraham refusing Brother
! Roberts ? place on his bosom on the
I grounds that he is q Dolygamist! Eth?
/ How co you think that would look ?
Now. candidly, if Brother Roberts is
I good enough 10 enter heaven to recline
/ on Abrahan'S Bosom, and to play on
harps of everlasting 8 Dry. is he not
good enough for congress? think so.
OUGHT TO BE CONTESTED.
Now. Mr.. Editor, in conclusion, allow
me TO say that I think Mr. Roberts
seat ought to be contested. 1 think
the well-being OF Utah demands 1t; !
think the interests OF the honest Nor
mon people demand it. but such con-
test should be based solely ON the
! grounds indicated above. I am still Will
ing to do my share towards it, but il
must he done on higher and broader
! grounds than are involved in a differ
ence of opinion on the Interpretation
Of the Bible. Again. this protest to &c
Utah any good should go up from Utah
I fail TO see any good that could come
from having Utahs congressman re-
fused q seat by the congressmen from
! other states while the people of Utah
endorse him as whole. because they
are too coWardly to protest against it
Let the towards either go to work
themselves, or else for once and forever
stop disgracing he state by furn shins
scandalous STUFF Cor he eastern press
WARREN FOSTER.