The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-05
INDEPENDENT NATION.

The Tribune he demonstrates by In
eradicablc record that every prophet
seer and revelator, from Joseph f,
Smith back 10 Brigham Young, has
contended for and has praCticed
the doctrine that the Mormon
church is literal temporal king
dom OF God on earth, with all its regal
authority vested I'm the president. as a
viceroy. speaking Tor the king. and
that It's destiny is TO first subjugate
this republic and then to overthrow
all other nations of the earth
The Tribune had been well content,
and probably Mr.. Frederick NJ Smith
would have shared the feeling, TO allow
this appalling record to remain In the
books of the church without dragging
1t forth into the light Of day had 1t not
| been for the hypocritical falsehoods of
the News, It's editor, and other MEM
bers of the hierarchy, In seeking to
misrepresent the purposes of the Nor
mon temporal Kingdom In order to
mollify public judgment concerning the
Smoot case at Washington.
Nominally Christ is the king in this
monarchy. but In reality all the au-
thority is exercised by the viceroy, Jo-
seph F. Smith. who eXacts the adora-
tion for himself which the subjects
would pay TO the Divine King. He,
! Smith. claims to be the only channel
OF communication with the throne; he
declares the edicts Of the king, he en-
| acts tribute In the kings name; and
he eXpatriates and pursues with vim
| dictiYe hate, TO the point of ruin any
| subject who questions the authenticity
of the message which he protends to
deliver In behalf of the throne. In de-
livering communications i'm the name
OF the king he is absolute and arro-
CANT to the point of absurdity. He
holds that the subjects are denied. be-
cause of the obligations which they
have assumed, all right to question
MIN or his pretended message. In an
especial sense he demands from the
courtiers who stand close To him that
they shall be in absolute harmony with
the commandment which he utters. II
one of the apostles-who may be called
dares TO question, he Is deposed from
his office,
Consistency or harmony with the
laws previously given or accepted need
not be characteristic of the commu-
nications-the latest communication
must be accepted, and becomes law
scripture, divine command as soon as
spoken. without reference to the man
dates or provisions OF former law,
command or scripture. Constitutional
ity of law becomes as a myth or almost
as forgotten folklore.
The present Vceroy OF the Mormon
church, though so absolute that his
words must be accepted by his sub
jects as scripture, law, divine COM
mand." as soon as spoken, is excelled |
by no autocrat In his defiance of law
when made, even though that law may /
have come through n predecessor in |
the Vice-regal Office. This he has dem
onStrated in his practice and his tes-
tlmony at Washington. He sets aside |
laws of man (State laws). and laws
contained in previous communications |
purporting TO be from the king,
through former vIceroy. And follow
ing his example. his court is equally
defiant Of those laws.
This viceroy utilizes the power Of his
autocracy TO eXtort taxes from his
subjects for the support Of himself and
his vice-regal court He engages In
M
court, at the ruin of his subjects He
makes commercial war upon his "ene-
mics" and attacks them from his
throne. and enemies" with him In
cludes the people Of the United States
and the government of this country
dhe civil scoundrels'' spoken of by
one of his predeoessors)
He teaches that unquestioning obe-
dience 10 the will of the viceroy in
spiritual and temporal things Is essen
tial TO citizenship in this Kingdom"
and disobedience to or disrespect of the
viceroy is justification for dedicating
the recalcitrant subject to social ostra-
cism and financial ruin
All these things he does in the name
Of tho Christ whom he calls king but
whose sole representative In the king
dom he claims to be
The government is as definite as any
,ivll government In the world 1t has
is legislative, its judicial. and It's ex-
zcutive bodies. 1t determines upon
matters Of civil right, including title to
real estate; 1t cnforces its DEGREES by
such threats of prescription as To make
hem effective. And yet. with this
orm of constitutional government,
With its several branches. the kingdom
s still an absolutisn. because the vice
'oy can control the legislative. the tu-
licial and the executive branches of
he government of the church and
ungdom; he can know of their pro- ,
'eedlngs. and. by his single VIII, can I
make his mandate effective against
preceding law and can overthrow the ,
vill Of the entire body OF the subjects .
< oil Nv fha,. 10,