The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-28
STILL A GOOD GUESS.

| The Tribune 1S asked. by an anony-
nous correspondent TO refrain from al.
discussion OF the apostolic succession In
the Mormon church on the ground that
mo man knows the things Of God ex-
ccpt by the spirit; and, as The Tribune
does not possess this spirit. its prognos-
tications are without value"
And still The Tribune will continue 10
consider matters OF public import with
the full assurance that II has guessed
the significant matters pertaining TO
| Mormon church affairs more correctly
| during the years than mas the Deseret
News. which is the official organ. In
the long ago, when the News insisted
that there was no polyGamy, The Trib-
une said there was-and there was. In
the long ago the Deseret News said the
Mormon church would not abandon po-
lygamy and The Tribune said II would
and it did. In more recent times the
Descret News said there were no re-
llgion classes In the public schools. and
The Tribune said there were-and there
were. The Deseret News said that the
religion classes would not be with
drawn and The Tribune said they
woodland they were. The Deseret
News conveyed the idea that Reed
Smoot's election 10 the United States
Senate would not create a ripple, and
The Tribune said IL would make per-
petua storm for the Mormon people
until the question of hierarchical inter-
ference In politics should be settled
and il did and II does. The Deseret
News says that no plural marriages
have been solemniZed since the mani
festo and The Tribune says that there
Deseret News says that all the COM
pactS made with the Government by
the Mormon leaders have been fulfilled
and The Tribune says they have not
and they have not.
If a record for accuracy be any justi-
fication for continued prediction, The
Tribune has all the advantage in this
case; and II should be the source to
which Mormons look when they desire
to learn the forthcoming events or ex-
listing things within their church At
the present moment a great many OF
the faithful who are associated with
the inner circle assume that The Trib-
une is incorrect in naming Major and
President Richard w. Young as a pros
pectiye apostle. Our critics within the
church. who think that they know the
things of the Mormon god by the spirit
of the Mormon god, insist that William
Bulge, Charles w. Nibley, Joseph NJ
Tanner or Brigham II, Roberts is sure
to be the man There are just one hun
dred reasons why they are wrong, but
Of the gentlemen named is a polyga-
mist, a defiant lawbreaker and the
church cannot afford to stand before
the country In the attitude OF giving
additional encouragement or authority
to the polygamous. law-defying cult of
the church. IT is restrained by no prin-
ciple, but merely by expediency. In
fact, Joseph F. Smith would prefer a
polyganist to a monogamist TO fill the
existing vacancy. But 1t is not easy 10
mist and 1t is mighty easy for him to
make a polygamist ont Of a monoga-
mist. So he will probably select a re-
puted husband of one wife and assure
himself of the Willingness OF the new
apostle to become the husband of more
than one wife as soon as opportunity
shall offer Just now every effort is to
be made to protect Reed Smoot in his
seat; and one of the difficulties Smoot
has already encountered has been the
selection of Charles w. Penrose. a po-
lygamist, to the quorum Of the twelve
The hierarchy are not likely to repeat
that error-at least not f1agrantly. They
will select 8 man, who If a polysamist
is not known as such or man who is
really a inonogemist with polygamistic
This is not to say that Major and
President Richard ". Young would
yield to the Establishments of the DO
lygamous hierarchy. Perhaps he might,
after succeeding to the apostleship, en-
ter upon a monogamistic propaganda
for the reform OF his church. and per-
haps he might not
There is no law to compel the hie-
rarchy TO retain their present opinions
and to execute their present intentions;