The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-04
1T is a PERIL.

The Chicago Chronicle is a leader of
progressive thought 1t has the cour-
age OF it's convictions and usually a
nice discrimination in arriving at those
convictions on public questions. Upon
occasion It has commented on the Nor
mon question. and this morning The
Tribune reproduces an editorial article
under the interrogatory title, "A Nor
mon Pcrll?"
There are many self-evident truths
stated by the ChroniCle-such as viii be
Instructive no doubt to the people In
Illinois and merely Corroboratory of
knowledge long since acquired by the
non Mormons who have TO deal with
the hierarchy In Utah. But there arc
some statements from which fallacious
inference Is bound TO be drawn by the
uniformed.
For instance, the Chronicle says that
Gentle sentiment in the Rocky Noun
tain States is prone to credit the Nor
mons with deeper and darker plots than
the Saints themselves ever dreamed Of"
Let us see. The following is an au-
thoritative declaration in a book of the
Mormon church printed in 1884 by one
OF the apostles, a member of the hie-
rarchy:
The kingdom OF God is an order OF gov
crnment established by divine authority,
II is the only legal government that can
exist I'm any part of the universe. All
other governments arc Illegal and unau-
thorized. God. having made all beings
=1.1 10 hFaa4 TiaT h
crn them by his own laws, and by officers
Of his own appointment. Any people at
tempting to govern themselves by laws OF
their own making, and by officers OF their
own appointment, are In direct rebellion
against the kingdom Of God.
This is stnl the teaching of the
church. Perhaps upon reading 1t the
Chicago Chronicle will he willing TO ad-
NIT that nothing possible to the con-
ception of the Gentle mind constitutes
Il deeper and darker purpose TO over
throw this Government and establish
the rule Of prIestcraft in Its stead. than
is evlnced by the teaching and practice
OF the hierarchy themselves.
Also for instance. the Chronicle says
that the Mormon has all the rights of
other American citizens so long as he
does not break the law"
Before the Committee on Privileges
and Elections at Washington Joseph F.
Smith, president of the Mormon church,
testified that he was living I'm defiance
Of the laws of God and man and In
tended 10 continue his practice. The
next man I'm line of succession TO him.
Francis NJ. Lyman, president OF the
quorum OF the apostles. testified to the
same effect concerning himself. Apostle
Charles w. Penrose. editor Of the
church organ. testified that he was dis
obeying the law. So did Apostle John
Henry Smith. So did every other
prominent church official - except
Apostle Reed Smoot. and Reed Smoot
by his own testimony and by his own
official action at the church conference
next but one following. demonstrated
that he was a covenanted upholder of
the organized lawbrealtlng by his chiefs.
As proved by his own acts and his own
sermons at the conference and by the
sworn testimony of Joseph F. Smith,
Reed Smoot is-it not polygamist
himself-so allied with and obligated TO
the polygnmous cult that he has never
questioned or reproYed and dare not
question or reprove any of the law
breakers with whom he is a copartner.
The Chicago Chronicle hits the nail
on the head when 1t says that the Nor
mon has all the rights OF other Ameri-
can citizens so long as he does not
break the law"
And the Gentle contention in Utah is
based upon the distinct proposition that
every member OF the hierarchy, includ-
ing Reed Smoot, is distinctly a law
breaker and teacher Of lawbreaking.
nnnbT rnTTNTD