Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-30
THAT TIMES" INTERVIEW,

grinding out a monotonnus wall '"'"'
the domination Of the church IN poh'
tics" with the accompanying dec'aiH-
ton that IT'S authorities entered INTO
compact with the nation by Whi'h
statehood was obtained. agreeing that
roygamy should cease. and tha'
"henceforth there should be no further
Interference by the Church IN m" poll
tics of the people This has be'n oc-
easlonally varied by asserting mat 'he
mormon" leaders agreed that No
more political control should ever
again be exercised over the rank ana
hle Of the church,
Notwithstanding the rank absufdi'y
~ the notion that "the nation or the
Government II the United states.
would or could enter into a polltlcal
Compact" with a Church, the ridicu-
lous statement is repeated from press
nnd pulpit We have pointed out It's
fallacy many times but tho inventors
Of the falschood dnd In II source "
perennial Joy, and do not seem 80 sense
how ldlotic they appear IN the eyes
Of thoughtful mNl when they are
challenged 10 produce the evidence OF
their statements, they airily refer TO an
interview between the Presidency OF
the Church and a representative OF
the Salt Lake Times, which appeared
IN that paper in 1891 and was copied
into the Dcseret News aud widely cir
culated. How much that has 10 do
with compact" between those gem
tlemcn and 'tho nation" IT is difficult
10 perceive
We have denied tho story that tho
Church authorities I'm that interview
or at any time. admitted the charge
that they had dominated the politics
Of their people. hut that only stirs
up the venom OF the confirmed de-
famers and causes them to repeat
their old, hackneyed and silly sem
tences. They never quote from the
publication that they claim contained
the admission. hut substitute their own
and then wind up With that elegant
and convincing reply TO the Deseret
News You're liar.' OF course that
settlers the question to the satisfaction
Of the scnlle antique with whom ii is
a fayorite ana final argument but may
not have similar force with Sane peo-
pie.
We apologize to those OF our readers
who do not care cent for that indi-
vdual or his vain repetitions, for max
Ing any reference 10 such a lettering
vacuIty, but We wish 10 present the
facts In relation to this subject. 50 that
our friends who have forgotten them
may have their minds refreshed. on
Saturday We touched on this question
and explained Il as follows
"A representative Of the Salt Lake
Times once waited upon the President
If thu Mormon Churh" at 81 Time
when political affairs were under dis
cussion I'm this city and REPLIES were
made TO n number Of questions. one
Of them was as to the desire and in
tcntion NJ the leaders Of the Church to
direct. control or dominate the politics
OF church members tie was assured
that they had no such disposition or
purpose, but that the members OF the
Church would be as they had ever
been, perfectly free IN the exercise Of
their political rights and privileges.
Tha, Is the position that has been taxi
on always both before and since that
interview,
at is possible that The ulmlnator Of
the nousense we here pay brief atten-
ton To may. through long usage, have
come To believe the truth OF his own
fabrication, re that as II may It is
entirely and stupidity false, and in Ut
terng IL ne simply proClaims his own
arrant folly and pcrversity. Tho de-
cayed chestnut ought to be burned
or buried
The response TO this from the chronic
calumniator is a reference TO AN an.
cestor Of his who met proper fate as
recorded in Acts w., with tho assor-
tion that IN the Interview spoken Of
The most direct statement was made
by Joseph F.. Smith" and that his
promise was
THAT the old rule being done away
with The people henceforth should be
free Ia espouso any political principle
that they pleased TO. and should vote
for whom they pleased until he who
has a right to rule shall come
To emphasize that uutruth il was put
in capitals. The beauty Of the asser-
tion Is. that Joseph F. Smith was not
party TO that interview. lie Uas moi
here at the time It was Presidents
Woodruff and Cannon who answered
the questions, and we viii here repro-
duce that part of the interview under
consideration, verbatim. az 10 anpeered
in the Times. II will be seen how much
of an admission was made by any,
body tltlt the authorities Of the Church
had dominated the politics Of It's mem-
bers
1T IS asserted that the Peoples part,
was dissolved by The direction Of an,
church Is there any foundation 10,
that charge?
Sfhe Peoples party vas dissolved. "a.
we understand, by the action of II.
leading members They have state,
TO us their convictions that the tim,
had come for a division ON natloua
party lines There has been q CROWNS
feeling IN this direction for long time
and the dissolution Of the Peoples par.
" Is the result of that sentiment. and
mt the fiat or instruction Of IN,
Church. The first lnumatou We har
of dividing on party lines came 10 Il,
from Ogden There iS therefore %,
foundation for the charge that ths
church brought about the dissolution
OF the Peoples party