The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-06
A LITTLE OF
EVERYTHING
BY RAMBLER.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.


citizens is about to get us into trouble.
The State of Utah which is controlled
by the Mormons insists in sending promi-
nent members of the church ID represent
her in the legislative department of the
sc vernment. The national House of Rep
reseptatives unseated a Mr.. Roberts be-
cause it was believed that he WAS domi-
mated by his church. and now Senator
Reed Smoot is threatened with being
deprived of his seat for tho same rea-
sos This raises a very interesting
question, namely: What does the Con-
stitution mean by the words Congress
sfall make no law respecting an estab-
lislment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof" The president of
the Mormon church says that polygamy
lis part of the Mormon religion Shall
a Mormon then be prohibited from freely
exel cising that belief? But I'll let the
lawyers answer the question 1t is an
interesting one and involves our claim
| that we are the champions of religious
| liberty. The Mormon church is becoming
power. 1t has it's missionaries every
where 1t has quite a large following
| IL North Carolina It's followers are de-
yoled to its teachings. Their numbers
are constantly growing ard its teach.
erS are becoming more bold as their in
fuence increases.
/ may be prejudiced against the Nor
mems, but l hope 1 am not. l do not
think Mr.. Smo0t or any other Mormon
has any business in the Congress of the
United States as long as they preach
and practice pOlygamy and declare that
| they are determined to continue it, Mr..
SmCot does not have but one wife, but
he believes it is all right to have
| dozen, if he wants them. I would vote
! to unseat him and 1 hope that the Senators
| from North Carolina will be found regis
tering protest against this nefa .ious
set that is striking at the very vitaIs
o. our civilization. A religion that vio-
lates decency may be all right in the
sight of the American people, but 1 don't
believe it.
What are we going to do about this
| Mcrmon question anyhow? Of course
we must not resort to violence against
their ministers, but we must do some
thing to counterfeit their influence 1
| think that if our various churches would
set down little closer to the unlettered
dwellers in the byways they could de-
| prive the Mormon of materia! upon
which to work. The ignorant and the
neglected are the victims Of the Mormon
missionary Suppose our preachers get
as close to these people as the Mormon
dc es. If they will they can stop the
progress of Mormonism.
IT IS REFRESHING.
After such exhibitions. of judicial stu
pidity as were recently made in Missouri e
l: is refreshing to find court in which
CRATER gets justice. The conviction
OF the postoffice grafters in Judge Prilch-
I'd <
that the courts and the jil.y system
are all right. Then too the anti-iug
decision of our own Supreme Court gives
people fresh confidence in 4 disposition
OF judges to decide according to law
AND not according to sentiment. l think
it is probable that cur legislature in
tended to apply this law to only four
counties, but it did not write it that
way and the court construed the law as
it is. That is right. 1t is a bad business
for judge to undertake TO guess what
the Wmakers meant. It is best 20
take them at their word. It is a good
remedy for careless law making
IHE ATLANTIC AND NORTH CARO-
LIMA RAILROAD.
1 don't like the easy way some Judges
have of granting injunctions. The IN
law would be very defective without it.
But the way it is resorted to for wrong
purposes inclines one to the oplElon that
we should be a little more careful in
:ecting judges. But shat is another
story. 1 do not think that anybody
who is capable of thinking about the
matter will contend that the A. and n.
| c. Railroad is now or ever has been
managed as well as it could be 1t ought
to pay, and if properly managed it would
pay. The fault is not altogether that
| Of the men who have been selected 10
run it. 1t is partly the fault Of the
powers that appoint these men. 1t is
not Jones fault if Smith appoints him
| to a place he is not capable OF filling.
That is Smiths fault. But what business
| is it of Mr.. McBee's whether the State
| is managing its business we'll or not?
Well, but you say, he has right to
| ask the State TO manage his business
better. He is stakeholder in the road.
That sounds fine. In fact it is a fair
proposition. He has the right 20 EXPECT T
| the State to manage his property better
| than 1t does. But the way he w9ny about
! tbs thing casts suspicion upon Mr.. Nc
Bees motives. II he is so terribly dis
satisfied why did he not come ;ut in the
open when the Legislature was in session
and make his fight like man? There
is something wrong with his scheme. 1t
is too dark. 1t was done in too rluch
of hurry. But it will probably do
SEINE good. If there are people who want
this road bad enough to sit up all night
preparing an injunction it looks to plain,
uEsophisticated citizen like the State
ought to begin to run this road for
business The people do not wish it
turned over to Mr.. McBee, and they do
net intend that it shall be if they can
prevent it, 1t will not be done. But
this little judicial whack will wake some
body up.