Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-29

and that they are now cndeavoring TO
establish precedent that would make
It possible for them 10 throw every
Mormon" out of Office. for no other
reason than his membership in the
Church. What, according TO the Arch
deacon's ideas of right and wrong. does
It take to prove antagonism TO Nor
mons" because OF their faith7 Must
they be murdered, before antagonlsm
is proved?
We pass by the blunder by which
Mr. LittleHeld Of Maine is called Lit
Teton. But we stamp as absolutely
false the charge that "an ecclesiastical
organization" If thereby ls meant the
Church Of Jesus Christ OF Latter-day
! Saints. aims at controlling tho politics
Of any state. whether near or far of.
rho history of the Church proves that
it's members as citizens, whether of
Missouri, Illinois, or Utah or any other
state. have always stood for the indie
pendenoe OF church and state OF each
other, and that they have carried out
this principle IN practice moro consist
entity than their antagonists. This
statement remains true. notwithstand-
Ing all the falschoods to the contrary.
BY the traducers OF the "Mormons.'
in one particular the Archdeacon lis
emtnsntly correct. To be frank" he
says, the leaders Iof his partyl are
not in every instance. as is so often
the case with reform movements, men
who have tho confidence of the com
munlty" This is not disputed. Bnt.
when he excuses them by alleging tina,
their principles are correct. he again
errs. 1t is extremely improbable that
men unworthy of the confidence Of tho
community can be the champions of
correct principles. The probability is
that their principles are In full accord
ance with their character. Both logic
and theology compels that conclusion.
II mas often been falsely asserted
that the Latter-day Saints are boycott
ting business men not of their faith.
and trying to form Emporium In i'm
perio. The Archdcacon repeats that
talsehood. This reminds us of an in
cldent occurring In 1866. when num-
Der OF Salt Lake business men offered
to leave Utah on certain terms. Presi-
dent Brigham Young. to whom their
communication was addressed. PROMPT.
iy replied that 1t was not true that
intimidation or coercion had been used
Toward anyone, but that every man
who deals fairly and honestly, no mat
Ter what his creed was, had found
friendship in the Church leaders. ITO
be adverse" he said, "to Gentiles be-
cause they are Gentiles. or Jews be-
cause they arc Jews, is In direct oppo-
sition to the genius of our religion
President Young then proceeded TO ex-
plain just what class of people had
found antagonism here. He said in
part:
There Is class. however, who are
doing business In the Territory, who
tor years have been the avowed enc
mics of the community The disrup-
ture and overthrow Of the community
have been the objects which they have
pertinac iousy sought 10 accomplish,
They have. therefore, used every en-
ersy and all the means at their COM
mand TO put into circulation the foul
est ISLANDERS about the old citizens.
Missionaries of evil, there have been
no arts TO base, no stratagems too vile
for them to use to bring about their
ncfarous ends While soliciting their
patronage of the people and desiring
their support from them, they have
In the most shameless and abandoned
manner used the means thus obtained
70 destroy the very people whose ia
vor they found II 10 their interest 10
court. With the regularity of the
al On h.nfts 1.ts .,..t,a l,n.
been formed; and we are warranted
by facts In saying that. could the
hearts blood of the people here be
drawn and be coined into the means
necessary TO bring their Vaccinations
to a successful ISSUE they would not
scruple TO use It. They have done all
in their power TO encourage violations
of law, to retard the administration
of justice, to foster vice and vicious
Institutions, to oppose the unanimous
ly expressed will of the people, to in
crease disorder, and change our city
from condition of peace and quiet
nde to lawlessness and anarchy. They
have donated literally to sustain a
corrupt and venal press, which has
given publicity to the most atrocious
libels respecting the old citizens And
have they not had their emissaries In
Washington 10. misreprescnt and vilify
the people of this Territory
This was written in 1866 but it is al
most IN its entirety applicable to con-
ditions now existing. There are many
honorable men and women outside the
Church. who have the respect and
friendship of the "Mormons. Unfor-
tunately, there is also another class,
small but boisterous, which is accurate
ly described in the letter quoted, II
is from that class that all the trouble
comes.