Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-07-07
NOT A CIVIL GOVERNMENT.

The San Francisco Cali Of July has
an editorial on Human Nature ana
Mormonlsm." It deprecates the at
tnclt5 made by sectarles on the Nor
mons and their creed, arguing that
attacks from without cause solidarity
within" and asserting that nothing
aourlshes under persecution Ike re-
urion. no matter what kind 1t is The
Can advises that Mormonism' be let
alone for the reason that: Those
Who object 10 It as a religious ins9itu-
ton and propose to reproye 1t as such
are simply planting Il deeper and CIV
Ing It energy TO resist the storms OF
dime through an infinitely prolonged
future In the reasonable view there
can be no objection to Mormorism as
religion. The creed does not conflict
with good citizenship, and belief In It is
, consistent with social law
All that Is very good and rational
although we do not expect our seetarlan
opponents to accept it or TO act upon
the Cars suggestions, That would be
looking for too much, and We may an
tIclpate continuance Of the assaults
that they have made from the begin
ming. But the Call takes different
tack. and exhibits as little understand
ing Of "Mormorism" from that View
poirt as our theological adversaries do
from theirs. II says:
THE offensive feature in Mormon
ism ls that the church Is d goNrnment,
and the hierarchy has not yet out
grown the itch for welding ciyil au-
thority. inherited from the nigh and
mighty days when Brigham Young
was prophet Of tl2 Lord, head pr the
Church and 2iyil governor of Utan Ter
rltory II we let the religion that Is
in 'Mofmonism alone and deal with
It's pretensions as government, and
us government In business, We Will
prune It's offensive features more rapid
w. The institution Is not hurt by go
ing at Il with Scripture teHts and at
tempting 10 uproot It's supersitions by
Offering others in their place, But
when IL II OPPOSED as a clNil govern
ment. that Is In business and In politics
for what there is IN them, then human
nature fights its pretcnsions,'
That paragraph is based on the sem
sational and untruthful report, origin
ating in a Salt Lake paper concerning
little occurrence at Brigham City
which was distorted and magnihed into
an Importance entirely unjustifled by
the facts The can IN repeating the
story says. The Church. having a
few dollars to spare bought the opera
house and referring to the open air
pavilion erected In that city asserts
THE Church Immediately arranged
for an opposition dance under its gCdly
patronage IN its own opera house and
ordered all Of is light-heeled sons and
daughters TO attend It's hop and 10
snub the other under penalty Of ex-
communication"
The Call has been misled first by the
exaggerations and misinformation al
ready mentioned, and next by its own
Incorrect notions about Mormon civil
government" For lie information we
VIII state that the Church does not
own any opera house In Brigham city.
II is owned by the people OF that city
and the Church has not spare" dol
lar or any other dollar invested IN H.
Also that no threat Of 'excommunica-
ton has been made by the Church
against people who choose to dance
where they please. Neither Is Il true,
rs further stated by the Can.
that "six hundred rebels or any
number Of rebels, have refused
to attend Church of their own accord"
at Brigham city.
The entire hypothesis OF the Cali
about the Mormon" Church being a
ciyll government is fallacious. and
drawn from the continual misrepresen-
tatlons Of Its maligners. It Is an &C.
cleslastical institution, pure and sim
pie. 1t does not dominate or dictate IN
state affairs. II does not tell It's mem
beers how to vote or whom they should
support at the polls. Prominent men in
the Church are occasionally elected to
Offices IN the State But they are chos-
en- exactly as other nominees are Sc
lected. at the conventions Of their re-
spectiye parties and every Mormon"
voter Is as free ms any other citizen TO
east his ballot as he pleases. An the
stun and nonsense vociferated TO the
contrary by disappointed politicians
amounts to nothing but noise.
As to its temporal affairs the Nor
mon" religion has something TO say az
do all other Church institutions. II has
temporalitIes to handle Of a different
sort perhaps TO those Of most religions,
because it receives tithes IN kind" and
they have 10 be managed on business
principles. Tithing Is paid in grain.
stock, horses. merchandise, etc, as well
as In cash, and Investments are
made with these receipts, which
cause the Church 10 figure Ia business
But Il Is its own business. which per-
sons not interested therein would do
wen TO "let alone" while they attend
10 their own affairs II does not inter-
tere with any mans personal business
nor any mans politics the Can and
other misinformed papers ana persons
70 the contrary Notwithstanding.
The opposition to "Mormonism" comes
originally from sectarian bigotry.
hatred. malice and liabolism. Incident
ally u proceeds from ignorance aud
misunderstanding Its opponents take
he statements OF its enemies, and re-