The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-16
A FUTILE DESPOTISM.

In a strong editorial on "Dowieism
Repeating History" the Chicago Chron-
icle alludes TO the Mormon church as
being of the same texture as the Dowie
movement 1t speaks OF the ism" as
being blown out Of existence and van
ishing like a soap bubble when the
strong personality of a great leader is
followed in the church's affairs by one
without the qualities for command.
Communistic experiments Ike that at
Zion aim at the theoretical democracy OF
absolute equality among men, proclaim It
with n Vehemence that reveals that they
trying TO convince themselves, and
all the time they are practicing an un-
mixed despotism and go to pieces like n
house OF cards when that deSpotSm is
withdrawn
1t is one OF tho strangest things in life
that men go on age after age putting to-
gether futile framework to accomplish
the impossible. to strike out some fat
form OF society in which everybody shall
be absolutely free, and yet everybody
shall have his own way-a condition that
is obviously an impossbility.
Those paragraphs from the Chroni-
Gle evince philosophical and sociolog-
ical appreciation OF the futillty of fake
church or under the name OF merely So
cial communities. II the Chicago pa
per had been writing solely OF the Nor
mon church hierarchy 1t could not
have better defined the existing stua-
ton than to speak of an unmixed des-
potism which may go TO pieces like a
house of cards when that deSpotism is
withdrawn. One would not be so reck-
less as TO accuse Joseph F. Smith OF
having any knowledge of history. any
acquaintance with social movement.
any perception OF philosophy. and yet
he seemingly understands by instinct,
that his sole resource is In the main
tenance of absolutism. The intrusion
| OF reasoning inquiry. the recognition
of equal rights among his deluded peo-
| Dle-in fact the recognition OF any
right for those people except as he
may benignantly bestow In the name
OF God-would be Immediately de-
structlve With a right to choose their
rulers and with strict accounting by
those rulers for the power which they
| exervise and the funds which they col
| lect and disburse, Mr.. Smith, the presi-
| tdent Of the Mormon church, tyrannous
| collector of two million dollars per an
| mum, polygamous defer of law and
morality, autocrat In politics and in 80
| clety, dominator In commercial affairs,
would be reduced to the low level of his
| own merit, and would be OF no more
| Importance in the community life than
any other Ignorant, irreconcilable, self
ish offender against the statutes OF his
! State.
Dowieisn rose swiftly because OF the
marvellous personal influence Of Its ELL
jah Joseph r. Smith found the Nor
mon community already great power
| built by the genius OF his predecessors
and held together by the devotion
| which its adherents paid to the proph-
cts OF the past, Smith never could have
| created; he could only seize the work
of others But even the devotion which
the mass Of his people would have Will
ingly paid, his administration is fall
ure-now perceptibly so, and soon TO be
| proved ruinous failure-because oi
the complete unenlightenment OF hlc
own mind and his determined attempt
to ignore intelligence among his fol