Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-09
UNFAIR nncAusr uNrnuE.

"Mr Roberts was elected na represent.
Ink the surviving poiygimy ~ the
Church ne wHa opposed HH % unIyE1-
mist ~ was perfectly understood
that The question would como up be-
Congress whothrr be- should be admit
tea and the attitude ~ Congress Will
indicate 90 the Mormon leaders Go what
extent theF shall discourage uuIrHnmNs
n hf la admitted IL VIII hc unisrato1d
that The American people DO bot Hrri-
ouaiy object 20 e. pplyFlmoua SHtei
that they DO not care n th0 present
President ~ the church should receive
another revelation roNlvlng the lnau.
tuition N poiyramy Mr NunertsH
election was nchallrnEc 90 the American
people"
Tho forcgoing. copied into several pa
pcrs, appeared originally In tho INDIE
pendent. q New York Journal which
was once a high authority on religious
oucniona. and atili has wide ciroula-
tion Il not regarded now na much Of a
Theological authority We notice the
paragraph because II assumes TO pre-
scnt as fact that which IL chiefly nc
tlon. In a dogmatlc way and not 40 re-
port. Or opinion, or open to doubt
We have no expectation that the indie
pendent viii retract when the truth 10
plainly presented. but some other pa
poru that have copied the error may be
Induced 10 give the cosni1t.ol. ~ Wolii
BE- a very easy matter 20 obtain reliable
data, from onlclnl and other sources.
q demonstrate the fniiaoy u ths the
Org adopted BY the Independent. ana
which Il obtained from sources that
though ministerial arr entirely unrc-
liable.
All the evidence goes 10 prove that
Mr.. Roberts was not elected NJ the rep
roaentatiyc OF anything but Democracy.
He was opposed Tor that reason. Even
tho ministerial hostility to him up-
pcarcd at nrst Ia that form. the local
preachers being on the other side In
politics The proofs are ample that
the Church neither favored nor opposed
his nomination OF his election. and Ia
doing nothing In the matter Of his seat.
The pcacrct News has touched on this
phase " the question. simply to dis
avow the connection 10 any way VI the
Mormon" Church with politics
The Democratic party. In regular con-
ycntinn, nominated Mr. Roberts for
Congress, II tho Church authorities
had forbidden him to make the can
Nass, they would have been accused BY
the Democracy Of meddling with poll
tics and fayoring the opposite party.
The candidate was loft free ~ take hia
own political course. and the voters
were left az liberty TO cast their bailotu
as they chose.
Eminent Mormon" Church Official,
openly favored the opposing candidate.
not, however from AN ecclesiastical
standpoint. but rs Republican cltizena.
and one OF the Apostles who h Re.
publican In politics, accompanied
the Republican candidate throughout
the State and strongly advocated his
election. Tho question Of Mr.. Roberto
domestic Affairs was raised during the
campaign. but In such an Offensive
manner as 20 win votes Tor him rather
than To deter people from supporting
him.
a. 10 HE admission 10 ConFrons or
tho retention OF hls seat. That OF
course 70 a matter Tor the House n
Representatives 60 determine. nut
whichever way u In decided. IL win
have aud can have no bearing upon tho
practice Of pulyGamy Utah 10 not "a
polygomous State" on the conttar, IL
Is exceptional In IT, homogeneous posi-
ton, Tor polygamy 10 not only forbidden
but logislated against with penalties In
the state Constitution. Can the INDIE
pendent say as much OF the State Of
New York; The statutes of Utah am.
pllfy the provisions OF the Constitution.
There haa been no indication OF tho
sllghteht Intention. either ON the part OF
the State or OF the Mormon" Church
TO revive the institution OF polygnmy.''
Why should Congress be- expected To-
struggle with a phantom that ,crinss
some excited but wcll-moanlrg people.
ana raiaed originally Cor political and
ncclaiian purpoHcs2 Thrrp d. Gar less
DANGER Of polygamy using the term In
lia most popular souac-ln Utah than la
New York. There b. vastly mon, Of IL
Ia New York city than 300 tho whole
State OF Utah.
The gentleman elected To- rcpros,nt
this state In the national Congress do,,,
not 40 60 Washington aa tho foprcs,n.
iatlyo Of a Church, or % system Of mar.
riage. or OF anything else but the people
u Utah OF all sects. parties and claa.,es
lie docs not carry the papers OF a
ohurchman. but the regular credcntl,i.
Of representative elect, bearing the
great seal OF the State of Utah.
His personal character. hablts and
family affairs may be- open 90 inspoo.
uon by hia fellow mombcm Of tho
liounc but Il Ia very unfair because IL
IL positively untrue. 90 prctond mat no
Is sent by a Church or as the champlon
Of a syslom upon which tho State which
he does represent has placed the stamp
OF it, diaapproyal by providing means
for It's extinction.
DINDn0E gTArtasr.,.a