Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-11-09
WE ARE FOR TRUE FREEDOM


ME why they should vote the Amorl-
can ticket" Now the umpus Is over
NJ far as the election Is concerned, 1t
may be wen enough to notice this little
bit Of presumption and buncombs, ls
there any "Mormon ln religion who,
n born or naturallzcd iu the United
states. Is not "a free American cltl'
zon?" is there anything IN his religion
phich prevents or hampers his pollu-
cal freedom Is there anybody holding
authority IN that religion who claims
or Exercises the right TO Interfere win
bls fun liberty MS an American cti'
zen7 We say No to all these queS-
lions Every Mormon ln religion
who is not false to that faith and re-
tnlns his sanity aud bis conscience VIII
jon heartily IN that negative.
Then why should ho vote The Ameii-
can tlcket?' What would he gain by
thatq Are the persons whose names
were placed upon Il any better OF more
highly qualified Tor the Offices named
than those on the other ticketsY We
VIII not stop TO be personal though we
could make comparisons that might IN
deed be oodlous" to individuals ON
TINT ticket but we VIII leave them to
consider the principle Involved I'm the
request to vote a. by complying there's
with the mormon voter would en-
dorse the implication that he was IN
religious bondage That he was bound
in ecclesiastical letters That he was
under obligation by his religion to vote
,as he was told by some religious boss or
dominant superior That all the false
hoods told by the promoters Of that un-
American faction were true. And that
he approved the calumny, abuse and
Nlrulent llbels emanotng therefrom an
der the guise Of political free speech
Every so-called argument used In the
campaign now closed to induce people
10 vote the American ticket was
based on the assumption that the
"Monnon rank and file as they were
designated by their pretended deliver"
ers. are In a condition OF absolute sert-
dom politically That was taken Tor
granted. 1t was asserted by the So
phists who used II, but not sointllIa
OF proof was advanced In It's support
They said so and proceeded 10 contend
for certain conclusions as logical deduc-
tons from that premise. They some-
times went farther than that, and as
sumed that In effect the control and
"dlcatlon' and Influence Of the
Church dominated both the legitimate
political parties and their leaders, and
that thus the whole state was under
the zone man power" personlded IN the
President Of the Mormon" Church.
Now what evidence was odduced
that there was even a shadow Of truth
in this bald assertion? Was It shown
by any fact or circumstance that the
Church President had nterfercd IN po-
lltlcal matters or even intmated to
anybody that he wanted anything said
or done In the interest Of either party
or candidate? Not at all The agita-
tors ASSUMED It, when It was not only
unsubstantiated but well known to be
positively untrue. The Mormon peo-
ple know that they were not instructed
or urged or asked by the Church ou-
thorltles to vote IN a given way but
were left perfectly free to make their
own choice, and that they did exercise
their freedom and voted for whom they
chose aud scratched their tickets at
win.
with the Australian ballot, who was
10 know how or for whom they voted
and whose names they scratched How
could they be coerced In any direction ~
nv what means could they be held TO
accountability for their political nee
zion? And ~ to the non-"Mof-
mons" In what way dld or
could the Church authorities AFFECT
their freedom or their politlcal or social
interests Where is the bondage out of
which they were to he delivered by che
rampant declaimers and spreod-yultlwe
shrlekeIs who have sought 10 wreck
their own parties by causing strife and
division and reylylng decayed almost
ties? A small grain OF common sens.
applied To all the fuss, and fury ani
gas without llght that have obscured
the truth, would have saved hundreds
Of our citizens from the folly Of join
Ing the miserable movement
Liberty. indeed The aim and pur-
pose Of the shouters Tor freedom from
mythical Mormon" Church control
are to deprive certain American citizens
Of the common rights OF citizenship
These gentlemen must not express
political opinion. They must not ven
tlre 10 mention their choice Of a party
or candidate, They must not say or
do anything which might be interpret
ed as likely 10 influence other people
They must leave AT! that 10 thc UNI
Americans, keep thelr mouths shut
TO the affairs Of the state and Of IN
nation, and leave the wire-nulers and
tricksters and asph0nts for power AN
place to manipulate everything as the
please. II these pretended lIberator
want Church influence" to effect thel
ends. II must be extended On their favor