Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-01
WRONG AND IRRATIONAL.

AS a final effort to square the Nor
mon Church with the public opinion OF
the country--a desperate resort to save
Senator Smoot from losing his seat az
Washlngton--the first presidency of the
church instructed the annual confer
ence of Latter-day Saints at Salt Lake
City to vote for deposition of Apostles
Matthias r. Cowley and John w. Tay-
Tor. The conference obedlently did so.
These are the two Apostles, out Of the
whole board of Twelve who are unmis-
takably proved to have taken plural
wives since the publication OF the man
ifesto abollshing polygamy. As soon as
the Smoot investigation was COM
menced. subp0enas were issued for
these two men, and ever since that they
have been mysterlously missing. II has
! nd'er been possible for the subpoena
servers TO discover their whereabouts
When Smoot was put on the stand, he
was asked II he had ever protested to
his fellow-Apostles against their vio-
latlon of the laws OF the Church and OF
the state, and he was Obliged to CON
feFs that he had not--a point whose
unfavorablc effect the defense realized
AT the annual conference a year ago, IL
was considered sufficient for Apostle
Smoot TO be conveniently absent when
the characters OF these two were APP
proved along with the rest of the apos-
tolate. But this year, as matters
looked far worse at Washington, II was
deemed necessary to cast off these in
cumbrances, and Senator Smoot is now
given the credit for having ousted the
two defiant absentees. II Is hoped
that this VIII convince some OF the
Senators that he IL not involved In the
transgression of the outlaws. But UNI
fortunately for the Mormons, the pub
lie announcement of the vacancies was
made In terms stating that the two
Apostles had resigned which OF
course implied that they are In COM
, munication with the first presidency.
:, Thus President Joseph +. Smith and hts
Immediate colleagues unwlttlngly
bring upon themselves the odum OF
concealng the whereabouts OF the Of
Tenders. and shielding them from the
call Of the Investigating committee at
Washington as well as from the Sc
verer processes of the law"
The foregoing is from The Interior,
n paper published in Chicago but which
has not reached the interior" Of the
subject of its remarks Like most OF
its contemporaries Il has slid along
the surface OF the matter, and taken for
granted the superficial instead Of in
qurng into the real. depending upon
the misrepresentation OF the enemies
of the Latter-day Saints instead of the
plain statements given by themselves.
1t Is a miserable, unsafe and unjust
course to pursue, but It Is common to
a large body OF writer's for the press
J, when the "Mormons' are IN any way
concerned.
Now as to this alleged effort 10
square the Mormon Church with the
public opinion OF the country" It ls
charged upon the Presidency of the
Church that they Instructed the an.
nual conference OF the Latter-day
Saints to vote for the deposition Of two
Apostles. And Il Is stated that the
conference obediently did So" Il is
further affirmed that those two Apos.
ties were Enthusiastically proved 10 have |
taken plural wives since the publlca.
ton of the manifesto prohibiting 20. |
lygamy,"
Everybody who knows Of the course |
pursued by the Mormon" Church from |
the very beginning. understands The |
folly Of the assertion that the church |
either now OF at amy time has endeav- |
ored to square itself with the public !
opinion Of the country" Il has nj. |
ways proclaimed IT'S doctrines and COM |
Quoted It's affairs irrespective ana often |
IN the face OF the public opinion of the |
country In the case under consll- !
Grafton the action that was taken oc. |
CURED on the 2Sth Of October. 1905. Il |
was not made public unit, the confer. |
ence was in session on April Sth. 1906. |
II the purpose had been such as the |
Interior intimates, why were not e. |
forts made at once TO influence the |
public opinion OF the country" when |
II might have had the effect supposed |
10 be desired II was a matter of |
Church discipline, and was attended TO !
after the order and methods Of the
Church. ON this point we quote the |
following from the argument OF Mr. A.
s. Worthington before the committee |