The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-04-08
THE CHURCH CRISIS.


y business and the discipline Of
members is concerned. the present con-
ference OF the Mormon church is in
teresting bur not extraordinary. How
ever. it viii attract national attention
by it's action I'm sustaining Apostles
Cowley and Taylor for continuance in
their high Office
It VIII DE remembered that both Of
these apostles were accused in the
Smoot hearing of having violated the
law and the agreement by which Utah
secured statehood When they were
sought. they evaded service from the
senate committee by fleeing the coun-
try. Apparently they did not dodge
70 escape punishment at the hands of
the law, since they have both been
secure from any penalty at home: and
their flight could only have been for
the purpose of escaping appearance on
the witness stand, where their evidence
might have been injurious TO Smoot
Ia bis case if they told the truth.
Senator Smoot. himself it is re-
corded. said he would not vote TO suts-
tain them if the charges against them
proved true but he also has evaded
the issue by going to California. where
he viii not have the alternative of vot-
ing against the two apostles and BRAY
Ing church antagonism, or Of voting
Tor them, TO his own disadvantage with
the senate committee.
1t is impossible that the attitude of
the church toward these men should
escape national comment. to the in
y.f
refused 10 obey a senate command,
though that command did not reach
them in legal form; by their absence
they have admitted in essence the in
ference that they had done something
Or knew of something which would in
ure 10 their harm or to the harm Of
Senator Smoot. In the face of these
facts they are presented for high Of
lice by the church authorities and con-
frmed by the practically. unanimous
vote Of one of the largest gatherings
ever assembled in conference.
Without amy bitterness or iII-feeIing.
It would be cowardIy silence to pass
by the incident without pointing out
ITS consequences. The people of the
United States will accept the action
ar d direct challenge ana defiance. be
cause these two apostles represent the
very things that have been the chief
causes of trouble for the church and
the state They stand for polygamy
and pOlysamCUs living. not particular
~ among men who had contracted DO
lyEamous marriages i'm the old days.
but for polygamy among the younger
generations. the men of the present
Hay. who must presently be at the head
OF church affairs.
They stanC. moreove-, for an un-
willingness to meet demand for in
formation coming from the govern
ment and its highest representative
body. the United States senate.
Whether or not they are guilty of all
that has been charged against them,
they stand today as fugitives from the
authority Of the United States. and
vet they are sustained in the highest
offices within the gift Of the church
is Fl not plain that the confirmation
oC these two apostles viii be accepted
as an unconditional notice to the whole
country that the church purposes the
retention Of such men in Office despite
any objection there may be to them
ar de6ers of the law and the nation?
From the church point Of view this
may be wise policy, but to an outsider
who has no prejudice it looks as
though a serious blunder had been
made.
As for Senator Smoot. whose am
bition and election fired the whole
train of trouble in which the church
authorities find themselves, one is in
clined 10 think his star about set. If
he had had the courage of a man, he
would have been present at this con-
ference, whether he meant 10 vote for
or against the two apostles. If they
are martys to his cause and worthy
Of the Office to which they have again
been appointed, then they were en-
titled to his actual and moral sup
port. If they were not worthy Of his
support. then as a man it was his duty
TO stay here and protest against their
confirmation, as he promised the SEN
ate committee he would.
Still further, as an apostle, it was
his duty to be present when subjects
of such great import were under dis
cussion, and avert. If possible, the pos
sibility of a mistaken policy in the
greatest crisis of the church.
If anything is certain. it is the fact
that all these dissensions and difficult
ties would have been averted If Apos-
tie Smoot had not gone to the senate
He, and he alone. precipitated the
fight which is still raging. 1t may be
urged that the fight would have come
anyway and that Shoots opponents
are really responsible, but he was adj
vised amply in advance; il was not
necessary either TO his welfare or the
states for him to go into politics,
and he bears the onus Of the disasters
that have resulted. Having brought
on these results, his manhood should