The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-17

pendence in the face of the priesthood,
and it was on these two that the lib
eral people pinned their hopes of keep
ing the church out of politics.
In the last days of the campaign,
however, a crushing blow fell upon
them In a secret meeting of the
priesthood, gathered from all parts OF
Mormondom, the late President Wood
ruff condemned the two men for TAX
ing their nominations without having
first asked the consent of their eccles-
iastical superiors.
The condemnation fell like a blight
on the Democrats, for they knew that
to many of the Mormons the word OF
MILFORD Woodruff was the word OF
God. Extraordinary measures were
taken to offset it. The State conven-
tion of the party was reconvened ana
sweeping set Of resolutions, declar-
ing that church and state must be
fought, was adopted
| In these eSolutiOnS-abOdpted by
| body of which two-thirds were devout
Mormons-the statement was boldly
made that high officials of the church
| had used their influence in church
meetings to compel the change of pol
| itics of their followers in order TO dl-
vide the voters almost equally between
| the two parties and thus give the
priesthood the balance of power. Both
MIR. Roberts and Mr.. Thatcher warmly
Endorsed these resolutions and declared
| thew should never allow their church
superiors to have any voice in the con-
troll of their political actions.
They had overrated their strength.
Both went down to defeat in the cleo
ton, and the son of George q. Cannon,
the real ruler of the church, was given
the senatorship to which Moses
Thatcher aspired To the rebels went
the word that they were not in accord
with their brethren, and Mr.. Roberts,
who had gained his livelihood in
church works, was compelled to seek
an editorial position on the Salt Lake
Herald, then the earnest champion oil
political freedom.
Then the peculiar pressure OF the
Mormon priesthood was brought tt
bear on him It's extent was revealed
afterward in a secret meeting in Logan
Utah, the report of which has beer
shown to be correct Mr. Roberts
after being avoided for some time, was
approached by the high church officials
, with whom he had been associated
with for years. They made pro
, tracted effort to show him that he hat
been wrong, but he combated them a
J. every point and at last they gave hin
, two weeks in which to think it over.
/ He was then met again, but in III
9 quoted language of Apostle Heber J
D Grant. they found his heart lik
: stone" though they prayed and wep
d over him.
S All his associates went to him L
d turn TO move him, and when the
: found he still combated them, a com
: mittee of two apostles, Heber j. Gran
e and T. NJ. Lyman, was appointed
Y labor with him. They did this dill
l. gently.
They wept and prayed with him, an
e he wept and prayed, too; and after th
l. committee had brought ali the pressur
s Of the church on him for nine week
II lone morning he appeared before tn
e authorities the story reads, :" an
Us told them he was ready to acknoWlede
l. his wrong, and would sign any papf
IS they might ask him to sign, or do an!
n thing they might tell him to do. II
,e dead relatives. he said-those who ia
j. died outside the church-had appeare
j. to him in a vision, and asked him
bow to the will of the authorities an
81 retain his standing in the church,
N order to do temple work for their sa
al vation.'
re He did sign a paper, for at the Apr
tie conference OF the church his name a.
at peared in the new manifesto, issue
D. bv the high ecclesiastical officers, IL
n. holding the very action which Il
to Democratic convention had condemne
20 The liberal elements saw in tn
ut edict the means whereby the churt
rs leaders could unerringly indicate the
J. wishes to the people. Moses Ihatoh
at refused to sign it, declaring 1t emu
ciated the principle that the hlerarci
81 had a. right to interfere with a citizen
ID exercise of his sovereign authorlt
DIV and was deprived of his office as apo
i'll tie for doing so.
OF Mr.. Roberts was compelled to resil
On his editorship because the newspap
on which he was employed announc
n that it would mot concede TO a.
tie church or the leaders thereof in II
en- free state admitted under the solen
re nIedge that it should remain free) IN
he II or they may dictate or advise w
he of all its members may or may not
cir gage in politics or become candldat
rs For office. for the acknowledgment
to such right and the liberation of its c
IS istence would sap the foundations
re the free state, make it the tool or |
ed church, and in the end turn 1t into [
IL instrument of its propaganda.
as Upon this bold declaration the De
n ocrats of Utah rallied for the campal
le- of 1896. casting Mr.. Roberts aside as