Evening journal., 1903-12-14
A GREAT PRINCIPLE AT STAKE

formed the thirteen colonies was made
up OF persons who sought a refuge
from religious persecution. II would
be idle. Of course, to say that we have
never had religious bgotry and intol-
erance IN America; we have. It has
been said with keen irony that the
Puritans insisted on the right of every
man TO worship God IN accordance with
the dictates of his own conscience. pro-
viding that led him to worship as the
Puritans worshipped. But their intol-
erance and narrowness were but the
result Of the inherited and customary
bigotry Of their age. and did not Illus
trate their theory, but it's abuse.
by the time the colonies prepared to
throw Off the English yoke the idea Of
separation Of church and state had
spread until it was regarded as dis
tinctly an American idea. In one form
or another it had been woven into the
fabric Of their governments. and
though its spirit was violated in num-
erous instances, yet the principle was
strenuously maintained.
Tho reason for their insistence on
this principle was not far to seek;
Many Of them had been subject to re-
ligious prosecutions; they had fought
in religious wars. and not one of them
but who had seen his family or friends
made the victims of some intolerance in
the name Of the church. There We're
the Purltans who had been driven from
post to pillar seeking a spot where
they could worship God in their own
way. The Hugenots had at last found
an asylum free from religious persecu-
tlon, The Quakers had suffered igno-
miny In their native land and were
glad to escape. and the English Cath
olics were glad to fee from prosecutions
which az bottom were more political
than religious.
They We're representative OF widely
divergent beliefs, but they had one
thing In common--experience Of the
baleful effects Of trying to control the
religious beliefs OF men by the arm of
the government. They had little re-
spect for any but their own form OF
worship but they had an intense de-
sire TO be lee alone. Hence they es-
tablished a system which may be call
ed religious reciprocity. and this OBJ
talns today
When we grew into nation the idea
was Incorporated into our Federal Con-
stitutlon and into the constitutions of
the several States. Under this idea
men maintaining widely divergent re-
lirious views have held positions of
trust IN our government. Legislatures
and courts have contained Methodlsts
Jews, Quakers. Catholics and inhdels,
ana we have hailed It as an evidence OF
American Cathollcity.
From time to time we have had oc-
casion to test our theory and while
there has always been an element that
would throw overheard our great prin-
ciple of government in the interests OF
sectarian belief. yet the idea that lies
at the foundation Of our government
has been maintained.
A few years ago Utah sent a man tc
Congress who was Mormon. and ac.
cused Of practicing polygamy. He wa.
unseated, not because he was a Nor.
mon, but because he had violated tn,
laws Of his country forbldding polyg
amy. A great many very good people
have failed to make the distinction
which Congress made in that case.
Now Utah has sent to the Unite
States Senate a man who is an Office
Of the Mormon Church. He claims
however, that he has but one wife. an,
hat he never lived IN polygamy. Thi
should be a matter easily susceptible o
proof. But there is an organised effor
20 secure his election from the Senate
and after what appears to be a failur,
TO prove against him the charge o
polygamy the fight has come to res
on the charge that he Is a Mormon. 7
Is said that this church puts religion,
duty as supreme and makes the gov.
ernment subordinate. But what re.
/ iligion does not? A religion that doesn'
put ones duty to his Maker as su.
preme is no religion at all. II then ,
Mormon holds that his church repre-.
sents God on earth. he will make al.
leglance TO her his first duty.
So the question resolves itself into q
simple proposition; Shall Reed smoo
be barred from the Senate TO wh.cl
he has been elected by a sovereign
state, when he has violated no law
iust because he holds a religion that i.
not popular? We say emphatically
no. 1t would be a sad commentary OF
The judgment and temperance OF oui
people to permit it; and It would NEAR
that our boasted freedom Of consicenc,
s a sham. and the separation Of churci
and State, a liel
Should /. Irving Handy succeed II
throwing tho Bryan strength 10 Gra,