The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-28
TO THE MOlMONS.
dates

church, and yet it has the common com.
munity right of expressing sentiments
which are shared by many OF the best
friends Of tho dominant element in this
State, Let us tell little story; 4
young man, representative of the Nor.
mon church, went to President Grover
Cleveland at time when the so.called
raid against the polygamists was at its
greatest height, and said To him: II
think there are some signs of q possible
break from within the church-a posi-
bic change, but none can come while
the present external pressure exists.
Now, every man who has been sent TO
Utah IN recent years as Federal Off
cial with any large authority has be-
heved that he could solve the Mormon
question aud he has adopted the plan
pursued by his predecessors. So far
none has been successful. Suppose, Mr..
President, you were out West with
wagon train and you came TO the banks
of river; you saw that the tracks led
inward and none led up the opposite
During forty years wagon trains have
been going IN at this place and none
have come up on the other side; they
have all sunk Go down the river with
me piece and / can show you pos
sible ford at least you can do no worse
than your predecessors, for all of them
in forty years have persisted at this
place What would you do, Mr.. Pres
ident7 Would you take his advice or
would you try new way' My plan is
TO adopt certain conciliatory measures,
with Wow to bringing settlement Of
the Utah question.
However much mistaken that young
man may have been in the efficacy of
the plan which he proposed for the u
innate settlement of the Utah question,
the advice was accepted, the plan
adopted, and the beginning Of a chap
ter Of peace was writton. 1t took the
more effective action of President Har.
rison and ii required the superb gener-
osity Of the Gentiles OF Utah to write
the chapter, but the beginning was as
stated
Now it is fair to suggest the same
kind of an illustration to the Mormon
people themselves. During more than
seventy years they have been antagon-
izing the world; and during more than
seventy years they have received tho
world s autagonism in return. They
profess to want to be at peace with all
mankind; they have insisted that they
arc the special bearers of message
from the Prince Of Peace. Why not
change the policy proved to be unforce-
full aud fatal for another which may
give more chance for its acceptance by
the world and its fraternity with the
world 1t is folly to say that they do
not desire such peace and such frater-
nifty Their prophets proclaim the day
of its coming President Wilford Wood
ruff, IN the most moving address that
ever fell from his lips, preached at the.
opening of the Temple in Salt Lake
City that the time of peace had come
for the Latter-dsy 6aints-that was in
prophet of Israeli proclaimed that
the people would grow and flourish os
never before and have better opportu-
mites for the accomplishment of their
duties in the world because they would
have the good will of mankind
Then why, Mormon people. persist
in supporting criminal leaders when
you know that such support arouses the
world S antagonism and leaves you
without sympathy and without a hear.
ing2 Why persist in violation of The
covenant by which it was promised
that the Mormon leaders would with
draw from political direction, when
you know that the maintenance Of po.
htical authority by high ecclesiast5 is
antagonistic TO the institutions Of
America, and that you Will not be &C.
cepied by your felluw-citizens of this
Republic while you are thus alien 10
the sentimentalities Of the countryl
Both Of these things arc still character
istic of your system, and you know it.
You know that Joseph i. Smith lives