The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-12

necessary for Mr. Roberts to go before
the chief officials of the church and
get their approval before he could ac-
cept the nomination. Now, how are we
to get around their approval, in behalf
of the church, of a, well-kneWn polyga-
mist as a suitable person to be nomi-
mated for election to- congress?
The third statement is that Church
and state in Utah are entirely distinct
and separate" Well! if they are, then
it is not necessary to keep reiterating
the statement on ell occasions We
used to hear this same statement years
ago, when the state was inside the
church. If church and state are sepa-
rate, then why did the Democratic state
convention feel obliged to assemble in
the midst of the state campaign, three
years ago last fall, for the very pur-
pose of discussing and of protesting
against church interference in the cleo
ton? Why that church committee of
five to manipulate legislation in the
legislature of 1896, although they were
not members of the legislature? Why,
in the non-partiSan school election of a
year ago, was a prominent member of
the Mormon church put out of his Off
cial position in the church in the First
precinct for no ether offense than ex-
ercising his freedom as a. citizen and
voting the ticket of his choice, which
did not happen to be the church ticket?
And we have been Informed by those
who ought to know that in the non
partisan school election a month ago,
the teachers of the church went from
house TO house in the Second precinct
the evening before the election, to no.
tify the Mormon people that they were
instructed" to vote for a particular
ticket We shall certainly be glad When
church and state are separate in Utah.
This brings US to the last subject dis
cussed in this official document, name
ly, the duty of providing for former
plural wives. The president of the
church is very anxious that the polga-
mists should be allowed to exercise
what he calls their sacred covenants
and obligations" toward their plural
wives. Well, if the polygamists have
such great loyalty to their covenants
and obligations, why don't they SHOW
a little OF this loyalty in keeping the
covenants and obligations they have
entered into with the American people,
to stop their polygamous relations? Or,
are we to suppose that no covenants
and obligations are sacred except those
made with plural wives contrary to
the righteous laws Of this Christian
nation?
The trouble with President Snow is
that he has no clear idea of the great
ness of the wrong and crime Of polyg-
amy in itself and in the eyes of the
American people, because of its an
tagonism to the fundamental ideas on
which our nation is founded, and be-
cause of it's evil fruits generally. And
SO he tries TO beittle the wrongfulness
Of it, and thinks the American people
are unreasonable in the rigor of their
opposition to a little matter like pOlyg-
amy and the election of polygamist
to congress For he says: The ex-
element that has been caused during
the last few weeks is without reason,
and, it appears to me, without excuse
He calls it an eruption" and thinks
it will soon subside.
But let him state his own case in re-
gard to the men who had plural wives
when Utah became a state. He says:
What were these men to do with their
plural families? Cast them off? Re
pudiate their wiVes2 Bastardize their
children? Make them a common
charge on the community? Or take
care of them, provide for them, main
tain the wives, and support and edu-
cate the children? Is it possible that
the Christian ladies of the United
States, who have been wrought upon
by fanatical or designing persons 10
raise their voices against the Mormon
people, desire those men to turn their
backs upon the wives and children,
who are as true and devoted as any
in the land?"
Now, what unreasonable talk this is.
For neither the laws Of the land. nor
the American people, nor the Christian
women of the country have ever asked
or expected that these plural wives
should be left without care OF mainten-