The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-18
BE WRITES ON THE WALL.

mate mission on earth.
He has been followed at intervals,
since that declaration of few months
ago, by his subordinate hierarchs and
by choice preachers of his community
speaking In his presence who have an
nounced the indivisiblity of the tenn
poral and the spiritual, and who have
ayowed. with his approval-as he ola
for himself-that the sphere OF the
church In temporal matters would
grow larger and larger.
Now he makes a pretense OF selling
some of tho business monopolies OF the
church to foreign syndicates; and ne
coolly announces that the members or
the church no longer need the business
guardianship and support of the
church. and, therefore, the object for
which the church entered into COM
mercialism having been attained, the
time has come to sell out!
Presumably this is the same reason
that he would give for the sale OF the
church farm to a Gentle corporation
that the church cattle no longer need
pasturage or hay. and therefore there
is no object in retaining the big graz
ing range end timothy farm as an ad-
junct of the general tithing office. Not
two years ago Joseph F. Smith was
warning the poor Mormons of the
Southern part of this State not to sell
their lands to "our enemies" the Cen
tiles; parading before the appalled,
vision of his followers the woe which
would come upon them II they dis
posed of their heritage In Zion. How
ever, at that time he had not been Of
fered $4,000 for a piece of the heri-
tage The thing is different now, at
least so far as he is concerned
What a cheap little pettifogger in
social leadership this prophet, seer. and
revelator Isl His reversal OF position
on commercialism is like several other
reversals OF recent occurrence-not SIN
cerely made, and really corroboratory
Of the charge of general community Of
fense on his part and hypocrisy to pro-
tect that offense.
Less than two years ago his mouth
pieces declared that religion classes
were not being held in the public
schools. and that If they were held
they would not be removed, as they
were strictly within the protection OF
the law. Both statements were false.
Religion classes were being conducted
in the public schools; and Joseph F.
Smith, by an encyclical letter to the
church, ordered their withdrawal. That
was for public effect. He did not utter
his dictum in support Of a principle,
but merely for policy. He knew all the
time that the classes were against the
law, and he defled the law until the
Senate committee began an investiga-
ton. and then he pacified public judg
ment by turning a complete somer-
sault.
His mouthpieces declared that no
apostles had entered into new polyg-
amy since the manifesto. Recently he
from the quorum for notoriously en-
gaging In this ofrense. Once more he
was not acting upon principle. but
upon policy, He knew all the time that
these men had taken additional wives,
and he encouraged them by example Of
polygamous living and by permission,
but when the Senate investigating COM
mittee pushed It's inquiry, he concluded
to yield-temporarily
Within year he has avowed that
tba ob,rcb would continue In comm
cialism, and now he beats a hasty re-
treat, He Is not actuated by principle.
but by desire for pelf, He gets a
good profit on his deals; besides 1t is
polite just now to pretend to be re-
firing from business, He knew all tho
time that commercial monopoly on
the part Of the church was an offense
against the civilization Of the age, but
he has refused to yield because Of the
gain to himself-until tho Inquiries
made by the Senate committee have
alarmed him, and until an opportunity
has arisen to sell out to the wicked
Gentiles at a profit.
INSTEAD Of helping his case before the
world these things only make his case
worse, for each yielding is but a con-
fession of the offense which has gone
before. The Tribune has insisted that
the Mormon church must come into ac-
cord with the civilization OF this Re-
public. 1t has insisted that all the re-
forms which he has pretended to make
must be really made. 1t continues to
insist that the additional reforms
which are required must be conceded
by him. They are demanded alike by
the needs of the Mormon community
and the safety and fair repute Of this
commonwealth and the Christian SEN
timent Of the greatest Nation In the
world
How he does hold on to his own self
ish partl And yet the reforms will
reach him: and Smith. marital monop-
oust, taker OF tlthes from the poor. Of
fender against the promises by which
tho country was induced to grant his