Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-29

the United States, and whom they wish
to depose because they regard his ex-
pulslon as equivalent TO tho exclusion
OF every person who is an officer In
the Church OF which he Is a member.
This they have stated repeatedly In
different ways and arguments.
The answer to all their allegations Is
this: No one can produce evidence
amounting TO proof that the President
OF the Church has ever attempted Ia
dictate how member or officer OF the
Church shall vote on any public ques-
ton, or what policy in governmental
affairs he shall support or what per-
son or measure he shall oppose, IL
there Is man or woman living who
claims to have been thus Instructed or
advised. to say nothing OF being CO.
creed, let the witness be brought for
ward and LEI the testimony he scanned.
II should be easy to find somebody who
has been required, or compelled, or In
fuenced to act contrary TO his or her
own convictions.
President Joseph f. Smith has never
claimed such authority nor has he ever
exercised II within the knowledge Of a
living soul, Everybody acquainted with
him knows that he is n man OF such
strong impressions and undauntod
courage In their expression, that II he
claimed to have the right Of dictation
in the way that Is asserted by his petty
and venomous assallants, he would not
hesitate a moment to declare his posi-
tlon and act upon such authority az he
held to be his right, He Is no bragg
gard and he Is no coward He makes
no false pretenses, but he stands firm
as the rock Of ages in any position he
considers he Is called upon to occupy.
and he is not to be turned aside from
II by the blasts Of his enemies or the
tide OF popular clamor. SO far as he is
concerned, every man and woman In
the Church over which he presides is at
perfect freedom politically and In civil
affairs. and has full liberty TO support
or oppose any person or policy that the
individual may deem desirable.
But we need not pursue this matter
further. The stories that the alleged
member OF the council Of Seventy
palms upon the public will bo'taken, Il
AT all, with a good many grains OF
salt" when the fact is known that Ell
der" Don Carlos W, Musser has not
had any standing In the Church Of Je-
sus Christ Of Latter-day Saints for n
number Of years, but has been regarded
for what he IL and now acknowledges
himself to be, an apostate from the
faith, who casts blot upon the falr
fame Of the mother that bore him, ano
is trying TO make merchandise Out
of the talents which were fostored 10y
the influence Of the Church that he mis-
represents. and of which he falsely
claims TO hole 31lce In its Priesthood
lie is no "member of the council OF
Seventy" no Elder In the Church OF
Christ, not even holding any fellowship
In that body, having cut himself on
from association herewith, and turned
against II with all the craft and oasu-
lstry he is capable of using. We sym
| pathlze sincerely and deeply with his
father and the family from whom h'
has separated himself, upon whom No
blanc can fail for his course nor woulc
we have made reference TO his case. bu
for the publicity which he has given to I
himself and by which he hopes to maxi
pecuniary gain, while he defames an'
mnligns the men and the principles
which he once held In the highest es
teen and proclaimed to the world as tn
servants and doctrines of the livinl
| God