Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-05-10

! IN that view me passing OF poiygamy &
d. passing OF the Mormon"
on tllt hypothesis be explains a
number 90 expressions TO which The
D.s.r.. News took exceptions. ana he
announces that the 'News' In rs critl.
U.us really confirms his personal
views %. admits that. as we observed
w su mistake TO think they Che
NarmgaD claim the right 10 practice
plural marriage" also that, There IS
mo- rla.reo OF the Mormon unless Il be
ta LANCER ana more active spheres. "
He does NOT charge that the "Mormons"
have contracted p0lygamous marriages
sine. statehood has been obtained. but
believes tLat Is "a thing Of the past"
we are pleased to note these admls.
s5rs and 90 acqult the gentleman
of ans intention 90 misrepresent the
people here or their views and pur-
poses Als5 TO see that he recognizes
ths fact chat the "Mormons" do no,
las claim 20 any RIGHTS and privileges
outside o, Che law. or TO take any post
tan as citizens different from that Of
others u ,hls Republic
with the explanation given by the
gentleman many sentences 10 his able
paper 20 .he Arena appear in a differ
ert naht ua8 We cheerfully credit him
with O. l.s.r. 90 dissipate the "lgnor-
oncs intolerance and Injustice" which
DEE truly Says are displayed by many
newspapers and public speakers" on
these matters
our objection 30 bis phrase. "The
passing Of the Mormon. was. we think.
wen founded 1t ls true that with the
majority of the public. "Mormonism' and
"po.yelmy' are regarded as synony-
nous terms But It was that very error
we desired 90 point out, and the use OF
the phrase which We criticised, IN our
opinion tended rather to confirm
than dlssIpate g. whatever may
have been the authors intention.
Il seems difficult TO view this matter
90 any other light after reading the
eentIem1ns remarks about the Eek.
clusiyeness Of the "Mormons" or their
"saparuteness," which he said was
radically opposed to the genius OF the
New World and his assertion that
"Polygamy Is the one feature Of Nor.
monism that today keeps them a pecu.
liar people
We want the truth 10 be made clear
that the Mormon citizen pretends 70
no rights under the law that are not
common TO every American citizen; that
Utah Is not exclusive" in any such
sense as is Inferred that her domain
is open and free 10 an the world: that
the decisions Of the court OF last resort
settled "lhe yexed question" nationally
and the announcement OF the Presl-
dents OF the Church have settled it
enthusiastically; but that the passing
Of polyglmy which may be considered
a proper expression. does not signify
by any means or In any sense, the
passing Of the Mormon"
on that point which is the gist Of the
question. we repeat the closing para
graph Of our criticism of the article IN
the Arena.
THE passing OF the Mormon Is o.
corresponding phrase 90 The death
knel Of M0m0nism,' which has been
loudly sounded at frequent intervals
Tor more than half century. II D
not passing away but moving upwarl
and onward IL Is living thing AMI
anhnates its followers without ccssa
ton. The passing of the Mormon.
therefore is not hls 3isappt bui
his immaneuce and recognition among
the people of the nations as the repre-
sentative OF vital religious force, and
az the same time as q progressive anu
active factor On social and civil affairs
for the bettermcut Of mankind and tn
promotion OF an that tends 20 unfit
and elevate the race
Mr. Mearlde has our thanks for his
courteous letter. and we assure him am
an other vigorous writer's on living
questions. that we appreciate every ef-
fort that ls made TO put the Mormon
question In a proper attitude before
the reading public