The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-14
AN OBSERVERS ANALYSIS.

| observer" has a telling article in
| this mornings issue OF The Tribune
under the title: END Justifes Means, "
With the greater part of his recital
and argument there must be accord by
| every one who knows the proceedings
| OF the present hierarch and the history
| of the movement which he now repre-
sents. Only upon the dangerous and
| destructive theory that any means Is
righteous, when used for the end at
which the prophets, seers. and reve-
! lators may be aiming, is 1t possible to
| account for their utter abandon In
falsehood and In offensive living. The
chief of the hierarchy misrepresents at
Washington and misrepresents to his
people from the pulpit-and accounts.
to his own satisfaction, for his wander
ings from the truth by the absurd
statement that he wanted to escape
traps set by his enemies" And that
is but a type. 1t would be wearisome
to go through the long list of evasion,
falsehood, trickery and trcachery to
demonstrate that observer" is correct
In his argument, According to the
practice of the present hierarchy 1t Is
no sin to lie to the Nation because this
Nation has nothing but an illegal and
fraudulent eXistence-and 1t Is no sin to
lie to the people of this country nor to
the people of the rest OF the world be-
cause they have no rights which the
people OF (the Mormon) God are bound
to respect.
But The Tribune must take issue
with observer" wherein that writer
analyzes the manifesto issued by Presi-
dent Wilford Woodruff. That notable
document is to be construed In the light
of the Interpretation given to il off,
cially at the time of It's promulgation,
in the light OF the acceptance accorded
10 1t by the Gentiles OF Utah and by
the Nation, and in the light OF the
practice Cor the professions of practice
of the chief men of the church at that
time
First the manifesto was construed to
the Mormon people and by the Mormon
people to be an absolute inhibition of
polygamy.
Second, the Gentiles of Utah and the
National Government accepted the
manifesto as being an utter abandon
ment of polygamy by the Mormon
church and people.
Third, every leading man Of the Nor
mon church set his household in order
and thereafter, for q time, at least,
lived with but one wife (or professed to
set his household in order and to live
with but one wfe).
In countless ways these interpreta-
tons and constructions were confirmed.
The Tribune has printed the record on
more than one occasion, and IT is i'm
possible now for the church to escape
from the fact that the manifesto was
pretended. If not intended. as It was
received by the country-to be an an
nulment OF polygamy as doctrine and
practice of the Mormon church forever
more.
The fragrant violation Of the mani
festo as construed by Joseph F. Smith
on oath, his restoration of polygamy
and his dedication of multlfarious con-
jugal living, do not change the mani
festo Itself. All these offenses only be-
came the more gross In view of the In
depreciation which Smith himself gave
to the Woodruff revelation.
observer" has some ground for his
argument on this point. but he must
get that ground from the columns OF
the Deseret News. which sheet has al
ways (under It's present edItor) held It
self in readiness to make the claim that
the manifesto was not binding docu-
ment And In order to preserve that
position the News has practiced Its
usual cunning in dealing with the
question.
Whatever may have been the lam
guage of the manifesto, Wilford Wood
ruff and Benjamin Harrison both
thought 1t meant cessation Of polys-
amy and polygamous living. And Jo-
seph F.. Smith and his compeers who
have renewed the offensive mode of
conjugallty are transgressing against
the word of their dead Mormon presi-
dent as we'll as against the mercy eX-
tended by the immortal American
President.