Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-11-12
ABOUT BROKEN PLEDGES.

During the recent unpleasantness
we heard a great deal about broken
pledges" and the charge that the
Church had violated It's compact with
the nation by which statehood was se-
cured was repeated, az an admitted or
proved fact, 80 often that il was the
burden Of the a, p. 4. oratiohs. Now,
to begin with, there was not and could
not be any Compact between q church
and this nation as a basis for state
hood. That would be a political impos-
sIbnity, and may be dismissed as q
Whit OF forensic etferyescence
The only bit OF apparent basis for the
alluslon to pledges Is found In tho
petition Of leading Church authorities
Tor amnesty to certain individuals who
with their families were under dlsabIl.
tiles in consequence Of the extreme en-
forcement Of the laws Of Congress
aimed at polygamous practices Refer
cnce to that petition will show beyond
reasonable question. that in asking
clemency OF the President FOR those
people they simply said.
"As shepherds OF a patient and sur
fering people we ask amnesty FOR them
and pledge our faith and honor for
their future
Tho amnesty asked for was granted
under certain conditions and lhmita-
tions, and that Ia an there was to the
matter The admission Of Utah into
the Union was not mentioned In the en-
lire proceedings, and when II occurred
it settled the possibility OF further Fed
eral action concerning the offences for
which amnesty was asked. There was
no compact or agreement between the
Church and the nation IN respect to
Statehood or anything else. The pledge
for the future was solely In reference
to the persons FOR whom clemency was
requested.
Now as TO the talk about pledges to
the nation concerning future Church
domination in politics It Is frequently
asserted that the authorities Of the
Church solemnly pledged themselves
that they would cease 10 exercise such
political control, and that In future
their people should be free as to polltI-
cal choice and action That too. Is
without foundation as to any compact.
agreement or pledge to the nation. All
that has been argued MS to this matter
was taken, not from any formal com
pact" for nothing OF the kind was ever
entered into by the Church and the GOV.
eminent and could not be- but from an
interview with Presidents Wllford
Woodruff and George Q Cannon by the
Salt Lake Times published June 90.
1891.
In that interview those Church Lead
crs most emphaticolly denied the
charges that the Mormon" people had
been under Churcl dlcmtion In poll
tics, that there had been any DISPOSE.
tlon to unite Church and state. or that
such union had any real existence
and they announced that the Church
did not claim and would not exercise
any right TO control the political action
Of members OF that body. The Lat.
terday Saints I'm Conference assembled
declared by unanimous resolution
that they had not been so controlled
but were and would be politically free
An this, however was outside Of and
had no reference 10 any compact
with or pledge to the nation
Neither the leaders nor the meme
beers OF the Mormon" Church ever
entered into AN agreement with the
ration or with any party or faction,
that they would relnQuish amy right
Of citizenship. They count themselves
on an equal plane with other citizens
OF this country nothing less and
nothing moro as to political beyef
and action. They claim no authority
Ia dictate. command. control. or COM
pei their fellow citizens or Church
members IN political affairs They do
not attempt 10 exercise such power
All the declarations OF pretended
liberators from Church domination
are the veriest nonsense and stupid
ity It is sorrowful 10 see intelligent
people innamed or led away by such
arrant humbug.
Such pledges as have been made
with the nation We're between Utah
and the government They are con-
tanned 10 the Enabling Act and the
Constitution, They have been kept to
the letter and In the spirit Of the COM
pact II there have been any cases
Of Individual violation Of the agree
ment they are very rare and are at
the disposition OF The courts.
The clamor raised would be farcical
IN the extreme n it were not for It's
effects upon the uniformed. II is
shameful and inexcusable. It ought
10 be exposed and slenced Il does
no good TO anybody but is injurious
fO tina state ana lac ,.....-t.t 49,.