Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-04-18
IDAHO AND THE CHURCH.

The Idaho Statesman has been very
vindictiye Of late toward the Mormon"
Church. It's failure to defeat Assayer
Woolley and It's connubiatlon with the
Democratic Senator seem 10 have in
creased It's venom and tapped fresh
stream Of bitterness. II Ia now en-
gagged in emitting food of yitupera-
ton against movement to purge the
Idaho constitution OF an lnyldious pro-
vision, which the best men Of both
parties in the state agree Is unneces.
sary. IL seems that n resolution was
passed at the last session of the legls-
lature, for the calling OF convention
to amend the state constitution, when
the provision named could be discussed
with a view to It's elimination, The
Statesman says "the resolution got the
vote OF practically all the legislature
That being the case, why should there
be such an cutlery rs that paper raises
against the movement Why, the
Democratic Senator, 1t appears, wrote
to the Democratic State committee urg-
ing opposition to the proposed conven-
ton and the Republican Statesman IL
scandalized because that committee did
not seem 10 favor It and It was not
even read during the proceedings. But
here Is the anLnus OF the Statesman's
two-column outburst on the subject
1t speaks OF "the constitutional con-
svention proposal inspired by the Nor
mon Church, and further states,
"There can be no question about the
bad faith and dangerous purpose Of
the Church In this natter" and as a
last kick adds: mo falrminded man,
even though he be Mormon, can deny
the improperly Of the action OF the
Church In seeking to bring about the
proposed change In our fundamental
law"
one would suppose, after all that, II
he WAS unfamiliar with the methods Of
the Statesman, that II was a foregone
conclusion that the Mormon" Church
controlled the Idaho legislature, But
the enlightened people Of that state
understand that the very mention OF
the matter by the Statesman is evil
dence that there's nothing In it, We
may not deny the improprlety' Of the
alleged faction Of the church." but we
may and do deny that the Church has
taken any such action, and we affirm
that the Statosman's insinuation Is ut
terly and knowingly false and Of it's
own manufacture, IN It's common
sne0kng style,
II Is In the same fashion as most OF
the mean and mendaclous charges about
"Church influence which are he resort
Of disappointed politicians who, after
crawling In vain for that influence, got
up on their feet and howl themselves
hoarse over the improperly" Of it's
use, We challenge the Statesman TO
bring forth It's proofs n II claims to
have any that the Mormon Church
has done anything towards the calling
Of constitutional convention In Idaho
for the purpose named, or for any other
purpose, Let US know what that Church
has done IN the direction pointed out.
Don't give us suspicion or surmlso, or
gossip, or bald accusation, but facts,
II any can be adduced
The Statesman speaks also Of the
purported abandonment by the Church
of Its claim to supremacy over the
State IN the matter Of civil conduct"
That Is I'm similar vein 70 It's other
despicable lodges. The Church never
made any such "calm TO supremacy"
II makes none now We believe the
Statesman knows that as well as any
person or paper In Idaho The "Mor.
mon citizens Of that State are as free
In their political faith and action as
others and much freer than those as
pirants for place and writer's for pelf.
who wear the collar OF their political
bosses and vote ana scribble to order
regardless Of truth, honor or party H..
deity
In contrast 10 the Statesman's non.
sense read the annexed common sense
paragraph from the Boise Capital
News.
THE Capital News Is In favor OF a
constitutional convention, and refuses
TO be frightened from It's position by
rantlng talk about the Mormon buga.
boo Tho constitution is In need Of
revision In several respects. and the
Ast oath Is dead letter anyway 80