The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-08
THE BAPTIsTs DO WELL,

And now the Baptist church in Utah
has Joined the ranks Of tho unregen-
crate. At the State Baptist convention,
which ended on Thursday evening,
set of resolutions passed, some of these
in the nature of declaration Of prin-
ciples Ono Of them reiterated the
former Baptist protest against the
manifest and continued interference
OF the Mormon church In political and
"against the continued aw-breaking
on the part Of the hierarchy and
stated the belief "that Reed Smoot, as
member Of this hierarchy, necessarily
Endorsed this policy, and is therefore
unfit TO be a Senator Of the United
States
There can be no question in the
world Of the absolute truthfulness and
timeliness of these declarations from
the Baptist convention; nor can there
be the least hesitsncy IN the mind of
any patriotic citizen in stating that the
resolutions are both proper and appro-
pirate. The fact of the church inter
ference in politics is 80 omen and motto.
rious that any one who denies IL sim
ply exposes either his own lack of in
formation or the imbecility or dishoD
esty of his mind. The necessary infer
ence which the convention resolution
draws with respect to the implication of
Smoot as apostle IN the law breaking
spoken of and in his consequent unfit
ness TO be a Senator Of the United
States, is absolutely fair and just
Undoubtedly the church spokesman
and organ will denounce the Baptists
for their very proper and timely decla-
rations on these two points. But the
Baptists will be able from time to time
to bear up under the weight of the
dishonest and scurrilous condemnation
which ell receive equally whenever
they give forth manly declaration
stating the truth Of tho situation in
Utah Is it not singular, by the way,
that every one OF the church denomine-
tions in Utah recognizes the same set
Of facts as existing in Mormon church
political and civil control and equally
condemn the lawlessness which exists
under the patronage and participation
of the Mormon hierarchy, which al
WAYS has insisted on being a law unto
itselfi
The earnest and conscientious out.
giving of pious members of the various
denominations which make these de
clarations of truth cannot be disre-
garded. The fact that all state the
can't that its weight cannot be argued
away When the Christian sentiment
of a community unites as to given
statement of facts and persistently re-
iterates the same things, and when the
patriotic non sectarian sentiment of the
community recognizes the same facts
as the controlling factors in the situa.
tion here, there is no reason whatever
for doubt as to the validity of those
facts and the genuineness Of the state
ment as put forth.
We commend the Baptist convention
for its faithful and earnest diagnosis
of the troubles which exist here. There
is no mistake but the keynote was
struck in the resolutions spoken Of.
The Baptists have shown themselves to
be earnest, patriotic citizens, who un-
derstand the conditions that surround
them; they have courageously met
them in the terse and forceful manner
above quoted. The apologists for the
hierarchy find it rough shedding these
days in undertaking to deny the truth
and to attack those who tell it. The
light is coming from all around the
sky and the darkness must presently
disappear,