Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-04-15
OUGHT TO KNOW BETTER.

"The fact that 1000 Mormons are to
20 from Salt Lake city TO join colony
az Alberta, and that another big colony
Is nourlshIng IN Manitoba, does not
alarm the Canadian government. inc
Mormon, In Canada Is never allowed 10
gain any political power, and hence ms
energies are devoted wholly TO the de-
Velopment of the physical resources OF
the country As farmer the Mormon
has always been a success, ana II we
could c0nfne his energies to this ileld
ne would be useful citizen. II Is When
the Church is used as political ma
chine 20 override the law that Mormon
ism becomes dangerous
The san Francisco Chronicle IS re-
sponsibe for that necuilar paragraph.
II ought to know better than to state as
a fact" that which Ia merely fiction,
and based on ono Of those silly rumors
that the press Of the country are prone
to repeat, three or four times q year,
varying only as TO the point to which
the purported Mormon exodus Is d.
rected. The story OF this alleged re-
moval to Canada Is canard Of the
common Sird. But II answers the pur-
pose OF nub around which to make
up lot of editorial remarks, that
usually exhibit the densest Ignorance of
Mormon" affairs.
"The Mormon In Canada has the
same political power that any resi-
dent Of the country exercises. II he Is
British subject he comes under the
election laws and regulations. II he Is
n citizen of the United States he has
Just the same local rights as nom
Mormon citizen has There is no dis
elimination against him on religious
grounds.
when the Church Is used as a politl-
cal machine TO override the law" Is one
Of those hackneyed phrases that news
paper writers use who do not know
anything Of what they write about.
When and whore has any proof been Of
fored that the Mormon" Church has
been used az a political machlneT
There has been much frothy talk about
Il but no evidence to support it, That
a great many politicians of each party
have endeavored 10 obtain political sup.
port from the Mormon Church, can
be established beyond II doubt, but that
they ever secured 1t Is quite another
proposition. The anger and bitterness
Of some Of them arise from their failure
to get what they sought for in vain.
And in what way could the political
power spoken Of be used to override
the lave" Elections have to be con.
Quoted according to the law or the law
can he used to override" the result,
can It not? why is 1t that press writ.
ors lose their common sense whenever
they touch as they suppose on tho
Mormon question?
Here is che Cleveland Plain Dealer
talking In similar foolish strain about
this supposed Canadian influx, It says;
Possibly this plan may be aban-
doncd when the proposed emigrants
learn the prevailing sentiment In Cana
da regarding nOlygamy and the manner
I'm which that public opinion has been
crystallzed into law, Mormous first
appeared I'm Canada before the Ed
munds law started an exodus from
Utah Their peculiar institution WAS
carried with them and the practice OF
pOlggamy soon attracted the attention
of the authorities, I'm consequence OF
disclosures concerning this Mormon
practice I'm Alberta parliament amended
the Canadian marriage act providing n
penalty Of seven years Imprisonment
FOR blgamy'
Such well Informed paper az the
Plain Dealer ought to know that thor.
ough investigation convinced the Cana
dian authorities that polygamy was not
being praised in the Mormon colo
nles. and there Is no such charge
against our poople IN Alberta There Ia
big demand for Mormon settlers
not only In Canada but elsewhere, and
those who 90 there are usually better
acquainted with the laws aud regula
tons concerning polygomy than ouy
Cleveland contemporary appears to De-
When this polygamy bugaboo ceases Il
he used 10y the pross-the pulpit win not
cult holding 1t up, Of course--tho coun.
try will gain a better understanding OF
the truth concerning the Mormon
people and their colonization Of new
fields Of industry,
II Is perhaps useless Just now 20 ask
for fair treatment from the newspapers
and 10 impress upon them the fact.-eas.
ny ascertoined-that "Mormonlsm'
does NOT mpnn nolNrnnN NOR nnlNpntnN