Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-30
FALsEHooD DIES HARD.


Some OF our eastern exchanges make
reference to the speeches delivered at
the Mothers Congress recently held In
Washington. when that immaculate
promoter Of "The Purity Of the Home"
Fred t. Dubois, of Idaho notorety re-
tailed his stereotyped falsehoods about
the Mormon" Church and its leaders
and impressed the lady president OF the
assembly, Mrs sohoff, SO that she reiter-
atod and emphasized some OF the un-
truths which he presented. She de-
olared that the doctrines OF the Nor
mon" Church are being taught In all
the public schools Of Utah,and referred
In support Of her assertions, TO the tes-
timony given by the State superntend-
ent Of Public Schools before the COM
mittee on privileges and elections, OF
which Senator Dubois is a member
What the demonstrating Senator
from Idaho may say In the presence OF
the mothers or the daughters In the
East In regard to our people and their
character we care very little about
II Is a pity, however, that ladies ike
the president OF the Mothers Congress-
should be trapped into endorsing and
repeating his libels. Also that reputa-
bic public Journals should be led into
copying such untiuths and thus become
the means OF disseminating egregious
errors.
A little fair investigation VIII show
beyond doubt that neither Mormon
ism" nor any other religion or religious
tenet is taught in any public school In
the entire State Of Utah. The testi-
mony given by tho state Superintendent
~ schools before the committee was to
the effect that in many OF the schools
houses, what are called Religion Glass
es were held, after school hours and en-.
tlrely separate from school tuition; that
once week such classes were held, in
number Of places. composed Of child
ron who chose to attend, This was
where the school trustees gave permits
sion for the use Of the schoolhouse, as
they might for a lecture or entertain
mont without any connection whatever
with the public school tuition, But for
one unfortunate expression, the word
schools instead Of schoolhousea being
spoken by the Superintendent, neither
Senator Dubois nor Mrs schoff could
ind IN the examination the slightest ex-
cuse for the use to which they have
put the testimony
Even the inference that might be
drawn by people not acquainted with
the facts in the case, that somehow the
holding Of these classes once a
week after school hours, with
voluntary attendance Of such
children as wished to be present had a
tendency to mix religion with secular
teaching In the public schools-a very
far-fetched deduction, II Is now put
entirely out OF the question by the
withdrawal Of those classes from the
school buildings 50 that no possible
excuse can be found for confusing the
two separate and distinct things in
any manner Those classes are now
conducted in places entirely separate
and distinct from the district school,
houses, and 30 the nonsenslcal notions
that have prevailed to some extent con-
corning the matter are completely dis
PEELED
We do not charge any Of the Indies
associated with the Mothers Congress
with wlfully publishing falsehoods
concerning the people Of Utah. But
by repeating such untruths as thorC
that were spoken by their President
who might have learned the facts from
the record II she had been disposed
to do 20, lhoy are engaged In bearinl
false-witness and In echoing the Sian,
ders Of malignant politicians, who ar,
using them and the funds which they
manage to obtain Tor the purpose. ant
are thus doing the work OF him VIII,
was denounced by the Savior OF man