Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-01-14


especially, would be an unit person for
any position In the public school sys-
TEN, The reporter then asked II | did
not believe In the divinity Of polyga-
my and | answered that my belief was
none Of his business. He said he had
asked the question as a gentleman,
merely desiring to know my personal
Views. | answered that | would not
speak on this subject for publication,
but would have no objection on ony
proper occasion TO stating my Views.
Later In answer to his Inquiries | gave
him some information, which he has
changed IN meaning and then published.
The report makes me say that | be-
lleve In the divinity Of polygamy be-
cause God commanded Moses to enter
into II, What ] said was this II you
ask me whether God did wrong in COM
mandng Moses to take him a wife OF
the Egyptians, | should answer that
neither God nor Moses did wrong in
this case; but II you ask me whether It
would be right for me or you che
repOrter) to take another wife now that
the law OF the land is against II and
the Church has forbidden It. ! should
answer that 1t would be wrong The
reporter ridicued the idea that
certain times or under certain
circumstances, and held that IL
believed In 1t at all, ! must, TO be con-
slstent always believe I'm and advo-
cate II, Then | asked II he believed IN
the right Of revolution, and II so, why
he did not proceed to advocate rebel
lion. He answered that the cases were
not similar le next desired to know
whether / thought the Church had
really forbidden polygamy, and es-
pecially whether or not | accepted the
manifesto as a revelation / answered
that did not know whether the mani
festo was n revelation or not, but that
| held II binding upon every member
Of the Church. because Il had been
Issued by the president I'm his official
capacity, SO that whoever disobeys this
mandate disobeys the Church
THE reporter asked me whether |
had not at some time or I'm some man
ner, referred to polygamy In my lee
lures In the J.. d. s. University in
sue way as to give ground to the
charge that | was lecturing on the
subject My answer was that | had
never mentioned the subject I'm any
Of my lectures and that | could not re-
call that Il had ever been mentioned,
even incidentally I'm any Of my classes.
,"He then asked II had not lectured
upon or treated the subject In some
way I'm religious meetings. | answered
that | had not He then asked why
had not done SO inasmuch as he un-
derstood me to profess a belief I'm the
divinity of the doctrine. | answered
that years ago the home missionaries
Of Salt Lake stake. myself among
them, had been forbidden to preach on
~. II elaf.N eli
the Articles of the institution which |
represent declare that nothing con-
trary to the laws OF the land shall ever
be taught In the school I should be IN
contempt OF the authority Of the trus-
tees TO do So also that the Mormon
people as well as the Gentlles. would
regard me MS a foolish and fanatical
person, unfit 10 be trusted I'm tho
schools, II ont Of all the subjects on
which | have the right to speak. !
should select one that would do injury
to the people and TO the school
This, sir is an accurate summary
OF the interview with the reuorter TO
whom YOU referred me and | trust
that Won will publish IT,"
UNFAIR AND MENDACIOUS,
The paper was unfair enough to re-
fuse the publication Of the foregoing
letter The real situation is therefore
apparent The Tribune was trying to
make It appear as an element in the
case OF Senator Smoot that poygamy
was being taught In official capacity
by the president Of the Latter-day
Saints University When the paper
found, TO its chagrln and discontinue,
that It's assertion to that effect was to-
tally grouudless, II still refused to COR
rect the wrong It had thereby done to
an unoffendinE citizen and to an in
stltution of learning, Certainly no one
here can doubt that the mission Of this
school Is solely one OF peace and good
will aud that It's record has been,
like the requirement Of Caesar from
his wife not only purity itself but
above suspicion, It is clear that MOTH
ing a member Of the Church could do
or refrain from doing, and not even
the stainless course Of the university
itself, could shield either person or
an institution from the arts Of detrac-
ton and Islander at present practised
by that paper on this subject,
Truly yours
j. II, PAUL,