The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-26
TO THE APOSTLES.

dominant church are IN progress con-
cerping the situation III this State.
The imminent fear which prompts these
councils is that the American party
will carry Salt Lake county, obtain the
necessary machinery of law here, and
begin a prosecution of the violators
Of the statutes; and, accompanying this
fear and part of it, is the known
danger that If the American party
shall carry the county in 1906 it viii
control the State III 1908.
The Tribune is we'll advised IN saying
that without one exception the
hierarchs speak of the American party
movement as one prompted BY hate,
animated by the spirit Of persecution,
led by the individual sordid or po-
liticaI ambition of the leaders, and sup
ported by the excited bigotry of FOL
lowers. Will the hierarchs of the
church-those who are not too much
besotted with the spirit of Joseph F.
Smithism, with its attendant law
breaking and its defiance of The
decercies, with its disregard of the laws
of God and the statutes of man, and
with its horrifying injuries to the Nor
l. he
The Tribune TO present a few ohserva-
tions for their fair consideration:
The American party does not de.
sire to see any injury TO the Mormon
people. IT would that all might dwell
IN happy unity in due Observance of
law, in glorious patriotism, in State
pride within the confines of Utah. The
battle which is waged here is as costly
TO Americans as ii must be TO Mormons.
Americans. as A rule. belong TO the
class, and they wish that
they might give their best energies to
American progress; but under existing
conditions, for the sake Of home and
family, for the sake OF the law and
the State and Nation, they are COM
pelled to divert some share of their
best effort TO the waging Of warfare
which nowhere else in the Union would
be necessary or possible. Toward any
one of the individual leaders Of the
church the American party has no
if he be lawabiding man,
but only reprehends the oupport of his
who violate the law. II he
be law breaker, the American party
beseeches him, for the sake Of his own
people as much as for the sake of the
State, TO forsake the ways which are
pernicious and injurious and to come
back into the line which he promised
10 follow.
There is nothing arrogant in this
appeal by the American party;
here would be nothing ignoble in
yielding to it by the leaders Of the
Mormon church.
The case was once reversed; these
very leaders of the church, a few years
,go bending from their high preroga
i've, besought the Gentiles in moving
.erms to accept their assurance of
oyalty to country, Of fidelity to law,
# fraternity in civic life; and the Gen
lies yielded to this solemn appeal.
Mormon leaders, you promised on your
'aith and honor that you would not
inter into new polygamy; that you
would not continue polygamous living.
These things are in explicit terms in
5our own oath and in your own petit 1
ions; furthermore, by every honest
inference and iutimation that honest
men could convey to other honest men,
,ou declared TO the country your
Intention to cease your interference in
politics and your utilization Of church
,or financial purposes, which, associated
With church, are generally considered
n-American. More than that, several of
hose now most prominent in your
councils gave their own personal pledge
IN this latter point, Why not keep
al Che pledges and live within the
ave- Why not maintain the covenant
and live within the fraternity of Ameri-
IAN life? Instead Of meeting in secret
sonclavc inside your temple walls TO
pray that God will smitc your enemies
for demanding ful6llmcnt Of your
covenant, why not pray to that same
God TO give you strength 30 keep that