The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-16
A DIsPAssIoNATE VIEW.

10 Inc oalt Lake Herald: Allow me
to commend your editorial of this date
headed "Cui Bono" / heartily endorse
the sentiments it expresses, and wish
you would write oftener along the
same line.
The great objection to an anti-Mor-
mon or American political party is that
il forces a Mormon party and divides
our citizens on a religious line in poll
tics. which makes the strife so bitter
THAI we cannot secure that harmony
and cooperation necessary to build up
our state into a noble commonwealth.
filed with good feeling and brother
hood between It's citizens.
Salt Lake, June IL.
These words are written by a man
known and respected by the people
of Salt Lake, and they represent the
opinions of a very large proportion of
the people. whether Mormon or non
Mormon Coming as they do from
citizen who has formerly held office
and administered it most acceptabIv.
who has no axes to grind, who shirks
no civic duty. a member of one of the
evangelical churches and an ardent be-
lever in the need of peace in Utah. the
words should carry weight with every
thoughtful reader.
As he says, the great objection to the
American" party is thar it forces the
maintenance of Mormon party
Neither of these parties serves any
good purpose and both involve the con-
tinuance Of strife. bitterness. social.
commercial and political divisions or
religious lines.
The echoes Of the Ministerial asso-
cations address and the reply TO il
by B. H. Roberts are still TO be heard
from. Time enough has elapsed since
their delivery to measure in a degree
the results attained by those two eff
forts The only measurable outcome
so far has been the accentuation of
bitterness already deplora BILE, and a
wider breach between partisans of
either side II that were possible. If
the value of religion or religious eff
fort lies in its moral ana spiritual up
lift, neither address contributed a lot
to the real purpose of religious en-
deavor; on the contrary. both added to
the fund of hatred. of bigOtry and of
the prejudice which bars the progress
of spirituality and discredits the
teaching of the One who based His Cos
pei on the doctrine OF brotherIy love.
OF charity for wrong, of forgiveness and
long-suffering and Astounding patience.
To criticise others to resent criti-
cism from others is so human that one
expects IL OF frail mankind. II was
perhaps only natural for the Minister
isl association TO impugn the good faith
of the Mormon church manifesto at its
last conference. Equally was it hu-
man for Mr.. Roberts to meet bludgeon
with bludgeon and rapier with sword.
Yet the common layman, expecting
something more than human weakness
from spiritual leaders. is justified in
pointing out that neither side TO the
controversy has added anything to the
sum OF human happiness, made the
road of life one whit easier for the
wayfarer or brought the everyday
world one single step nearer the at
tainment of the Divine ideal. the
club ever made a genuine convert to
any religion and no sword ever
changed the convictions of an Anglo
Saxon. IL the religion of Christ teaches
any one doctrine, it is adherence of
violence and adherence to love as the
sole means of bringing men into har-
mony with their Creator.
X x
Doubtless the ministers who have
taken part in this agitation believe
they are achieving desirable ends or
they would not continue their efforts
But have they stopped to consider that
10 a goodly number in their congrega-
tions the whole controversy is distaste-
full, a diversion OF effort better spent
in evangelical labor. a dissipation of
energy that might bring richer rewards
IL devoted to the service of their own
congregation and friends? To the lay
man it is conceivable that the time and
thought given to controversial organi-
zation would be infinitely more valua-
BILE To the cause of Christianity if it
were confined to the upbuilding of such
organizations as the pastors nave en-
trusted to their charge.
Similarly, an outsider may well