Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-26
WILD ACTION BY WILD MEN.

Presbyterian general assembly at Des
Moines Iowa. adopted some rcsolu-
lions offered By S. +. Wishard. y. D.,
Of Utah. which appeared In the peseret
News OF Friday evening. They are
to be presented To the Unlted states
Senate IA the form Of "a petition for
the removal of Reed Smoot as Sena-
tor from Utah. II appears that the as
semby went Wild over this movement
and Scenes Of greatest excitement and
demonstration accompanied the ac-
ton Of tho body, composed Of pro-
fessod Christian ministers.
II Is not surprising that the rolig
fous functionaries who went into COM
pulslons at Des Moines became so
wildly excited over their desire to IN
ttrfere with matters Of civil govern-
ment for It is not the first time that
they have dabbled In affairs OF state
while loudly declalming against the
"Mormons" on the ground that they
were doing the same thing. Nor Is II
remarkable that s. II. Wishard, Of
mendacious fame. appeared as the au-
thor Of tho falsehood embodied IN the
document accepted without dis
scntlent voice or vote" which Is TO be
sent TO the President and Senate OF
the United States.
There Is not one statement In the
entire set Of pretended facts that is not
p wlful falsehood. known TO he such
by S, r.. Wlshard IL not to all his as
socIates. They place themselves on
record as hearing false witness against
Church and people who do not
agree with them Ia their religious the
cries and fantasies The first preamble
states that.
"Whereas. the Mormon hierarchy
claims the right and authority to make
constitutions. presidents and kings. al |
50 asserts that there IS no lawful or !
authorized government but the gov- |
eminent Of the Mormon Priesthood"
The authorized declarations Of tho |
authorities of the Church are IN d. |
rect opposition to the foregoing. There |
IL nothing in the written standards OF |
the Church that justihes the Presby- |
terrain assertion. Every revelation TO |
the Church and adopted as such by |
that body, proclaims the doctrine Of |
obedience to "thc powers that be" and |
submission 10 kings, presidents rulers
and magistrates and all persons in |
civil authority s. r., Wlshard knows
this just rs well as we do. Yet he
persists in his career Of malignant
falsehood. and induces others to Join
him In their endorsement. The next
preamble is like The first II says
Whereas It's teachers, claiming in.
spifatlon, declare that the govern
ment of the United States and all other
governments must be uprooted."
The Church Of Jesus Christ OF Lat
ter-day Saints, commonly called the
Mormon Church. declares that the
government of the United States is
founded upon a constitution inspired
OF God for the protection of ali its
people in the exercise Of civil and re-
llgious liberty. The teachers of the
Church believe ami testify that it IL the
hutA anu HllNA'k' VI VIC NdIllAs W
bear off that constitution intact. when
Il is assailed by reasonable hands and
TO save it from the foes of freedom
when the time ut danger to II comes.
S. y. Wishard knows that also TO be
true The spirit ~ II imbues the souls
Of the members of this Church and |
1t has been exhibited In their readiness
to respond to the countiy's call when.
ever made, and their desire TO become
fully Identified with this nation as ciu-
zens enjoying rights and privileges
and bearing duties and responsibilities
IN common with their fellow men.
The petition asking for the removal
Of Senator Smoot IS based on the false
hoods contained In the preambles. Ey-
cry Senator who has read the evidence
before the committee OF Investigation
into the case OF Senator Smoot, VIII be
able TO see The rank falsehood Of the
declarations Of the Presbyterian gem
er0l assembly. That body has placed It.
self IN an infamous light before tho
world, IN attacking a religious body
whose tcncts the Presbyterian prclates
are unable 10 controyert. The anlmus
displayed is ptpable 10 every WE'LL
informed observer ana indicates tho
presence Of the old diabollsm which fed
the flames ana inspired the tortures H..
tIctcd upon alleged hcrctcs in the dark
ages.
S. r. Wishard, ID, and persons OF
his Ill., viii quote isolated and garblol
extracts In support OF his misrepresen-
tations from the writings Of Mormon"
authors. which. taken apart from the
body Of their arguments might be- con.
strucd SO as TO bolster up his mon
suous assertions ana deductions II
we were % adopt the same tactics In
reference 10 the writings Of old-tlme
Presbyterian preachers on hell fire Tot
Lon-elcct nfant, tbe everlasting ago
rles OF the damned. the implacnble
vengeance and wrath Of the Presbyter.
ian god, and the frantic and violent
doctrines ana sentiments which could
be cullcd from the works OF leadlne
lights In that religious body. We coulu
throw into the shade an the picked.
out expressions and Isolated sentences
with which S. H. Wlshard rceales his
audiences, when h. toams and ful.
inmates his distortions Of Mormon
doctrine, But that does not matter
The Presbyterian general assembly
has no right 10 dabble IN the political
y -