Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-13
UNFIT TO JUDGE THE CASE.

UNFIT TO JUDGE THE CASE.
The New York Herald Of Dec. 4 con-
tained an article entitled Mormon
Church Already Possesses Great Polltl-
cal Power" with a number OF sub
headings. most Of which are misleading
and some Of them altogether false, and
the whole prepared as announced "By
Fred n. Dubois United states
Senator from Idaho It Is IN
troduced by couple Of para
graphs entitled "Bishop Lunts
Prophecy" These are copied from a
publication issued many years ago and
most emrhatcally denied and retuted
at the time, and Is now stated to be
from address by Bishop Lunt Of the
Mormon church in 1880" It was shown
at that time that there was no such
person as Bishop Lunt' and further
that the only Individual who could have
been thus alluded TO was Elder Henry
Lunt. formerly Of Cedar city Iron
county He utterly repudiated the idea
that he ever made any such address,
and there Is no living being who ever
heard him utter the sentiments and no.
tions contained In the paragraphs which
Senator Dubois makes the foundation
for his long and bitter attack upon the
"Mormon" Church and IT'S leaders. The
story about Bishop Lunt and his utter
ances was a fabrication from beginning
to end. Il was misrepresentation Of
Mormon" ideas, lntents and designs,
and was OF a class with the numerous
canards that have been concocted and
published 10 the world for the purpose
Of prejudlclng the people OF this and
other nations against the Church OF
Jesus Christ OF Latter.day Saints.
The portraits given by the New York
Herald Of the Presidency and Apostles
one OF whom, however, Is now deceased
are pretty fair pictures OF those gentle
men. A portion Of the senator's at
tempted description Of the organization
Of the Priesthood OF the Church ls sub
stantlaly correct, while other parts
show that he does not understand the
subject so well as he thinks he doeo,
and the spirit Of the entire article Is
purposely misleading. malicious and
defamatory We do not propose Just
now to take UP hls statements seriatim,
Aor waste space IN repeating the de-.
malls Of such stories which have so fire.
Quenty been made. Suffice It to say
that the purpose OF the writer Is dis
closed IN his attack upon Senator Reed
Smoot and upon the leaders Of tho
Mormon church, and this Is partlcu-
larly IN bad taste IN view Of the fact
that Senator Fred T. Dubois Is one Of
the members OF the committee on privl-
ieges and elections which Is trying the
case OF Reed Smoot and his qualldca.
tions TO retain his seat IN the upper
house Of Congress
We protest on behalf Of the people Of
this state against one Of the Judges IN
the cause proclaimng beforehand his
verdict against the gentleman who IL
virtually placed ON trial u Is Just the
same az II member Of a supreme
court before which an important case
was being tested. came out I'm a public
newspaper and proclaimed his sympa-
thy with the complainant and gave his
decision before any defense was offered. |
It is not only IN most questionable !
taste that places the writer In the New !
York Herald before the public as totally |
unfit TO slt IN that committee or take |
any part whatever IN the decision that Il |
win have 20 render I'm making its report |
10 the senate Of the United States Sem |
ator Dubois takes the position that the
Authorities Of the Mormon Church |
"clalm and exercise the right 10 dom. |
mate the state politically" This is |
utterly false and we believe the senator |
knows It TO be so, just as well az any |
body else does The Authorities Of this |
Church have repudated time and ugaln |
any claim to hold such authority and !
the fact is that no such power Is exer-
cised over the Mormon people who |
are Just as free to choose their political |
representatives and vote for public Of |
fees ln city county state and nation. |
as are any people throughout the broad |
domain Of this Republic
Senator Fred n dubois spent many |
weeks before the election IN November |
IN travelling through the state Of Ida
10, and proclaiming the untruths con-
tanned in his article ln the New York |
Herald The people Of that state OF all |
political parties manifested their dis
belief IN his utterances and their con-
tempt for his course by rolling up an /
immense majority against his cand-
date. He suborned infamous persons
to scandalize and defame the Mormon"
citizens OF Idaho, and ne himself re-
peated vile stories aud stale scandals
upon the public platform and his state
repudiated them and him, and he has
now filed his venom and vengeance !