Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-25
THE CHURCH AND THE NEWS


There are a great many people In
This city and State who have an impress
sion that vaccination ls contrary SO the
teachings Of Mormonism and that its
practice Is condemned by the head OF
the dominant Church"
That IL the opening sentence OF an
editorial in the Salt Lake Herald. As
our contemporary presents this question
In courteous manner, we respond to
its Invitation TO correct the impression
which Il AYERS Is prevalent. II Il little
singular that no such animation
reached the Deseret News until II was
mentioned by the Herald. Usually when
our people wish to obtain Information
in reference to the doctrines and teach
ings Of the Church through news
paper. they apply 10 the Church organ
No one has done 30 on this question.
The authorities Of the Church have
given no official declaration or opinion
oa the subject OF vaccination The
Written standards OF the Church are
silent concerning IL. We have reason to
believe that the leading spirits. to whom
the people look for guidance In doc
tfine, have refrained from touching on
the benefits or otherwise Of vaccination.
They have not intcrfered with any pub
lie officer or board OF officers In the dis
charge Of duty. or in the exercise OF Of
flcIal authority. legitimate or assumed
The Deseret News, in opposing the ex-
clusion OF healthy children from the
public schools simply because they have
not been yacclnated. voices the sentl-
ments OF large majority Of the people
OF this city and State. Among them are
people OF all shades OF opinion In re-
lIelon and politics. Autl-compulsion Is
not 10 be classe1 as Mormon" move
fnent. by any means The Anti vaccln-
alton society which has been organized,
In fair sample OF the various elements
that are uniting against the despo,sm
attempted by few public officials.
"Mormons' and non" Mormons" are
Joined In that society.
The Deserct News touches on various
public questions as newspaper with
all the rights and liberties that belong
to Journalism. II II responsible
for Its utterances. In the same
way that any publication Of the
kind Is responsible. When Church doc
trine In enunciated or explained In Its
columns. the News quotes Its authorl-
~. and It's readers understand the dir
ference between such teachings and
the publication of news and views on
secular subjects.
The doctrines OF the Church include
directions TO promote bodily health.
They are TO be found In the book Of
Doctrine and Covenants, and have been
qouted from frequently In these col
umns- II people would govern them
selves accordingly there would be much
less sickness and liability to disease
The doctrine of healing by faith is set
forth IN great plalnness IN that book
and has been discoursed on in this pa
per. Vaccination Is nowhere treated OF
In that volume.
Some OF the most prominent Elders
Of the Church believe that vaccination
IL preventive, TO some extent at least
OF smallpox. Others do no, take the
same view. and still others are In the
position OF thousands OF intelligent peo-
pie. who are In doubt because Of the
contradictory evidences offered on either
side. But most Of them are opposed
90 the compulsion which is attempted
upon people who strongly object 10 sub
init their children 10 something abhor-
rent to their feelings and opinions.
There has been no official Church d.
rectlon. that we are aware Of, 20 in
fiuence people 90 resist directions or
edicts from any board or public officer
In this city or State, The Church does
not engage IN that KIDD Of interference.
Every member OF the Church, how
ever, Is as free TO exercise the rights |
and liberties Of O citizen as any non-
Mormon" may lay claim TO be.
The Herald rightly remarks that, III |
II very coarse and unreasonable TO as
sumo that ant-vaqcinatonlst are fools.
az certain newspaper is in the habit |
VI doing" We might add that the same
remark would not be inapplicabe to the |
Heralds own Implication that such per-
sons are to be classed as Kicking |
mules" 1t Is the treatment Of the i'm. |
portant subject Of the liberty Of the
citizen In that spirit that has provoked /
q great deal of the controversy which
has arisen. Many Of the very best
and most intelligent ladies' and gentle.
men In this State. while divided on the
merits or dement's OF vaccination. re-
sent with all the fervor OF their nature.
and all the Independence that IL guar.
anteed In a republican form Of govern.
men,, the assumption d coterie Of
persons clothed With little brief au-
thority, TO force upon children a surgi-
cal operation against the VIII OF their
parents.
When those officials arrogate TO
themselves authority not given TO them
by law. and al the same time denounce
all who oppose their tyranny as "ignor-
ant" obstinate" and without reputa-
ton" they but conarm the opposition
IN the rightfulness Of the cause. Just
40 with the attempts made by doc
tors who know absolutely nothing Of
smallpox but what they have read In