The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-03

fundamental principle OF absolute separ-
alton of church and State in matters Do-
litical-princiDles absolutely essential 10
the maintenance of Republican form OF
Government, as every American worthy
OF the name must acknowledge.
On the other hand. the American party
does ont antagonze the religious bellet
of the Mormons as such. taking the
position that every man in this country
Is free 10 hold whatever beliefs or non
beliefs he chooses but that he has no
right 10 practice these beliefs when they
arc inimical TO the welfare OF society
as a whole as we'll as the best interests
example n man may believe in polyGamy.
but he must not be permitted 10 put
that belief into practice. because the
consensus of opinion OF all civilized and
Christian communities. outside of the ad-
herents OF the Mormon church in this
country, corroborated by experience, is
that IL Is subVerSiVe OF morality and
hindrance In the progress Of the race.
Church Breaks All Promises.
Furthermore. as condition precedent
TO the admission of Utah TO Statehood,
the leaders of the Mormon church SOL
emnly promised in accordance with the
professed revelation 10 President Wood
run. TO ahjure polygamy. while the Con-
srituIion OF the State Of Utah in as posi-
tive and as emphatic language as # is
possible to conceive Of. declares under
the heading. Religious Liberty" Article
l. Section !. There shall be no union
OF church and State. nor shall the church
dominate the State or interfere with It's
functions" And Article 3, First: Per-
feet liberation Of religious sentiment is
guaranteed. No inhab!ta1t of this State
shall ever be molested In person or prop
erty. on account OF his or her mode OF
religious worship, but poygamous or plu-
raj marriages are forever prohibited
And yet today many of these leaders and
their followers, from President Joseph r,
Smith down, are known 10 be living with
plural wives and are the fathers OF emil
dren-the progeny OF shis illegal union.
defending themselves on the ground mat
these marriages were contracted before
the PRONUNCIATION of the Woodruff mani
festo In 1890, and the ratification OF the
State Constitution In 1896.
But It is chiefly of the danger that
rhreatents not only this community. but
the adjacent States and Territories, from
the fact that the hierarchy of tie Nor
mon church has constituted itself n po-
litIcal and commercial close corporation,
arrogating 20 itself certain powers that
the Roman church In Its palmiest days
to the body polite that only We who
dwell here can have any adequate concep-
tion Of
So far as the practice of polygamy is
concerned we might leave IL with com
parative safety to the erlightenins and
permeating influence OF the surrounding
o-called Gentle. i. e.. Protestant and
Roman Catholic populatlon-to first make
disreputable and hen Gestroy-but TO en-
courage and foster. directly or indirectly:
an Emporium in impeIio" is a political
Jolly WnlCn is AKIN 10 CElIne-
AS to President Roosevelt.
When President Roosevelt and his ad-
visers, and the Republican or any other
party, for the sake of securing United
States Senator here or Congressman
there. exert their influence 10 attain their
end, Irrespective OF the moral and pollt-
cal consequences involved, therein they,
are guilty. unccnsciously let us hope, OF
an act of disloyalty TO their professed po-
litical and religious principles that makes
the words OF Scripture peculiarly appllca-
BILE 10 their case. who "as Esau for one
morsel Of meat sold his birthright. I'M
agine, ii you can: the Indignation tnat
would be aroused by, and the denuncla-
church on the one hand. or the largest
and strongest Protestant body In the
oountry-the Methodist church-on the
other. II either OF these ecclesiastical or
ganizations were 10 attempt as organi-
cations, &c influence in any way the votes
of their members. and especially II they
were to attempt TO elect a bishop, priest
or minister OF their respective denomina-
tions TO a seat in the United States Sen
ate or House Of Representatives.. Yet
this is just what the hierarchy OF the Nor
mon church have done and the new tri-
ulnphant Republican party of the recent
present have been encouraging them TO
do.
This IS plain language. but it is true,
and / wish you and all the readers of
this letter TO take 1t TO heart. when you
and they alike do this you VIII realize
IUat pTtStHA NiNLplS iicg iiiSNNIi q 'N'NhN
The Republican party in its inception:
was a party that stood for a great moral
principle and it tnumphed in its advo-
cacy OF this principle. One OF the p!anEs
in its first platform Of 1856 was an en-
phatic protest against chose twin relics
of barbarism. slavery and polySamS:
Also, chow have the mighty fallen"' In
this section OF our country at least. II
II is TO remain in power it must continue
to stand for moral principle. whether in
nc,gl,- with CanltOl graft. In
New York State, with It's insurance and
other scandals; or In Utah and adjacent
territory. with Its Mormon hierarcnlcal
and oligarchical claims and pretensions
Decision in Smith Case.
Since writing the above lines, the deci-
sion of the court in the trial of Presi-
dent Joseph F. Smith for unlawful cohaoi-
taton with his fifth wife-which was ad-
mitted and proved by birth of child,
the issue OF such union, in April last-has
been made public. "unlawful eohabita-
tion," according TO the Constitution OF
Utah, is ''nsdemeanor." and punish
able by a fine of not exceeding 5000 or
BY six months Imprisonment or both;
The trial was to be held in a District
court presided over by Judge who was
known to be in favor of the strlctest in
depreciation OF the law. The case was
subsequently, transferred by request, II Is
said. TO another branch OF the same court.
and tried at an hour when II was known
that the attendance would be small.
The only penalty imposed by the court
was the maximum fnc of S300-a paltry
and almost farcical sum to Il man Of the
rcputed wealth of President Smith, who.
in addition 10 his private means, has
the ttthes OF the whole Mormon church to
draw upon-when II should have been the
full penalty prescribed by law II IT was
10 act as deterrent TO other offenders
occupying a less exalted position than
President Smith.
For If the prophet seer, and reyela-
tor" OF the Mormon church is permitted