Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-09-01
rALsr cnanors.


~ has been complain, Of long
standing AGAINST the majority ~ the
people Of Utah tina, they. though bc-
inr Church members. have taken an In
iercst In politics. People q other de-
nominations have been partlcuariy
loud IN the cenaurc. and then utterly
disrcEardlng all rules q oonsistenoy
have turned their own religious
gatherings Into political recruiting
stations.
The convention n the state presby-
terry a, Mnntl. which closed on Monday.
Aug. %. was no txception 10 the general
rule. Il ended with a wholcsnle denun-
citation OF the Mormon church evil
denuy Intended 10 exert some i.nuence
on voters at homo. as wen A. 10 keep
the name Of prejudice burning abroad.
perhaps In the hope that By 20 doing
ths old strife with It, attendant evils
can be rekindlci.
Tho prcsbytcry at Manti adopted
resolutions charging as usual Church
influence In politics. and poyigamy.
The charges are made. a. alleged, In
order to give Information to millions In
this country. eagerly watching and
waiting Tor the important prnhancia-
mento Of the Prcsbyteriana In Mantl.
No withhold II would have been TO dis
appoint mlllions-perhap ondangcr
their eternal salvation: for what else
than the salvation Of souls can be the
object Of a solemn gathering Of min
istcrs7 nut notwithstanding this justin
cation for the resolutions and the sol
emniiy OF the o saslon. we DO not hesl-
tate TO deny In toto the assertions
made.
The charge that tho Churc.i has as
sumed political power Il founded on the
so-eailed manifesto o. April 9. 1890. Tina,
document does not Justify any such Jp-
ference. IL i=s- down as a rule Of Tho
Church. TO be observed by every lead
ms onielal thereof" that before accep;
ing any position which would inicrfcr,
with the discharge Of his eccieaiasti
cal duties. he should notify his brcthrei
IN order TO ascertain whether he can on
ter upon the now duties consistent,
with tho obligations h. has already rs
sumed. That Is. the Church asks hei
omclals not 10 cease performing theii
duties without frr. notifying the prop
or authorities Of their intention Of "
doing. IL that not rule that obtains II
all other churchcsl In II customer,
for Presbyterian minister 10 ieav'
his flock without giving notice In ordc
that his place may BE- nllcd7 II Their
were any inclination 10 fairness. tn
ministers would on rrconrldcring tn
matter feel that they have done an In
Justice 10 the community by sending ou
TO the woid an accusation founded o
such a preicxi.
The insinuation that when Morino
preachers cNhort tho people 10 Nv
their religion they tell them To live 1
plural marriage. IL false. TO live III
Mormon religion In Utah ana ciscwhor
~ 10 obey the Manifesto of Prcnlden
wilford Woodruff on marriage rola
lions. To dlnobcY thar Manifesto
inconsistent with tho religion anHalle,
The remaining accusations 10 IN
effect that free speech II curtaiied I
Utah and the Mormon missionaries
not preach Mormoninm are no abaur
that they need no rcfutation. Wei
speech not free in Utah. the PresD,
tcrian resolutions would not have bee
framed and published In q Mormo
community.
Christian ministers who have com
10 Utah aa messengers OF peace maxi
a grave mistake u they employ aiands
and abuse instead OF words OF kind
ness and good VIII. The field here
wide orsn 10 them. They uuffer n
persecution as do, sometimes, Mormo
missionaries In other states Let thei
preach and teach and exhoft and dli
tribute their llissataru ;sesiy. ~, !,
them cease 10 WHY those they seok I
convert. FOR that can serve no 9th,
purpose than to make the chaan wide
They say they are here for the purpoi
OF finding and saving the lost sheet
Their methods arc such that It ofte
appeara TO be their chief mission
persuade their friends abroad that uta
really has some lost sheep, There seen
to b. great difioulty In keeping thu
impression fresh In he minds OF thol
who supply tho funds. and no wonde
for Utah has proven herself the equi
IN every respect OF the other states
the Union. Facts speak FOR then
selves.