The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-25
PREACHERS OPPOSED TO
SMOOT FOR THE SENATE
Ministerial Alliance Adopts Resolutions Protesting
Against Election of the Apostle.
Declares That He Owes First Allegiance to Church Rather Than
Laws of Country and That He Is Defender of POygamy

ed to him by his co-religlonists is almost
unique in our country. A Methooist or
Episcopal bishop claims no such auJnor-
ity i'm the church he represents. car
dinal of the Catholic church makes no
such autOcratic claims.
Church in the Senate.
The election of Apostle Reed Smoot for
the United States senate would virtually
mon" first presidency and twelve apOs-
ties to that body. As a consistent mem
Der of the Mormon" apostolate Apostle
Smoot cannot make an important move
without getting permission or taking
counsel of the quorum of Mormon nigh
priests to which he belongs. By virtue of
his apostolic vows he must act first as a
Mormon" apostle. and second or third
as citizen of Utah and patriotic Amer
lean.
We protest against the proposed cleo
tiOn of Apostle SmoOt to the United
States senate because the majority of the
Mormon apoStoiate TO which he be-
longs and with which he works in har-
mony. are living in polygamous relation
in violation of covenants made 10 the
people of the United states. as well as
, in violation OF the criminal statutes or
Utah. The two or three apostles who
may be living homogeneous lives are
obliged 10 defend the righteousness OF the
pOlygamOuS system of marriage ana TO
wink at the lawbreaking polygamous re
Iation of their fellow apostles. Inc
| Mormon" apostolate stands as one man.
before this community, as directly or IN
/ continuance of polygamous relations
throughout the Mormon church; The
/ vigorous and rigorous execution, ike tnS
/ Edmunds-TuCker law, in this state WouI9
/ drive the president of the mormon
/ church and the majority OF ms apOsIleS
! into exile or throw them IN prison WlthIn
/ twelve months, and Apostle Smoot dare
not oppose such polygamous condlIlohs'
Ambitious Church Leaders.
| We also protest against the proposed
| election of Apostle Smoot to the United
! States senate, that in so doing we may
/ protest against the manifest tendency
! of certain leaders in the ecclesiastical
| management of the Mormon church TO
| look upon civil office ecclesiastical
/ perquiSite and to use ecclesiastical OPP
! DortunitieS in working for political pre-
/ ferment. Moreover, II Is an open secret
here in Utah that in this pursuit of civil
| preferment these ambitious church lead-
/ ers are in the habit of using the man
| dates Of ecclesiastical authority as sub
| stitute for legitimate political argument
| We protest against the tendency OF hlgh
/ Mormon authorities to insist on having
| a plurality of high official positions-an
| apostleship and a senatorship, for exam
! pie: we do not believe that ecclesiastical
| and political timber is so scarce in the
/ Mormon church and the state OF Utah
that it is necessary to try TO make an
apostle and d United States senator out
| of the same stick We object 10 pelilg
! represented in the United States senate
! by a man who is chiefly Mormon apes
! tie: man on whose time. talents, de-
/ votion and vote the quorum of apostles
| to which he belongs has registered flrsl
in brief. we protest against the cleo
ton of Apostle SmoOt to the United
States senate not because he is a member
or a minor official in the Mormon
church, but because he is one OF the
quorum of the twelve apostles, who. with
the first presidency, rule their people
with rod of iron.
Separate Church and State.
And inasmuch as the purpose of this
resolution has been to show that Apostle
/ Reed Smoot is bound by prior ties to al
| orga IMITATION within the republic. ana a:
| a senator would be a representative IRIS
of that organization and second only o.
| the commonwealth, we deem 1t timely L
recall the historic position of our natloI
[ upOn the entire separation OF the churci
and state: and point to the fact that Mr.
Smoot as an apostle of the churcn Z
which his pledges compel prior allegiance
would in the United States senate, stail'
as anomalous in its history, the represent
alive of a sect whose avowed nope an
, aim is the increasing extension or ina
: church's temporal sway
2 Which protest we respectfully suDml
! to our fellow citizens of this state ant
D the United States.
e Done by order of the Ministerial asso
e citation OF Utah, this 23d day of NoYem
E Der. 1902. RICHARD 49,, " 49,
s At the meeting of the alliance seven
/ teen ministers were present, represent
I ing all the denominations IN the city
e Rev. J.. c. Lincoln read a paper on tn
! | ministry of angels. which was at
= tentively listened to.