Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-03
"MoRMoNIsM" is THE QUESTION

Some of our contemporaries seem TO
have accepted as true the claim of
anti-"Mormon" prints, and the bare
faced statements of the attorneys for
the prosecution that the persecution
of Senator smoot is only in the inter
est of law and morality. Among the
papers that take this erroneous view
! Is the La Crosse Press. This
| esteemed contemporary devotes consid-
cradle space to show that there is no
reason why the Senator from Utah
| should not retain his seat in the Sen
ate. except that he is Mormon" We
quote:
Mr. smoot is not a polygamist. In
| personal character and bearing he
| is admitted by the investigation COM
mitteo to be beyond reproach. A man
| may believe that Joseph Smith was
inspired. that he discovered tablets
containing revelations from on High,
and yet be as good a citizen as though
he protested any other religion. With
the practice of polyganly eliminated,
the Mormon Church may do as much
good and flourish under American in
situations as we'll as any other church
Win eHudl opportunities
And yet the paper quoted believes
that the fact that he is a Mormon"
is sufficient reason for his expulsion.
1t says:
Reed smoot and other members of
the hierarchy should be slow in press-
Ing claims to high office under the
United States 1t Utah wants Mormon
senators, let them be men with clean
hands"
According to this logic. the hands of
the senior Senator from Utah are
clean" beyond reproach, but he should
not be permitted to retain his seat In
the Senate because only men with
clean" hands are wanted there. And
such logical jargon goes for light and
reasoning on one OF the important ques-
lions of the day
If there were any doubt as to the real
animus of the anti" Mormon" agitation.
II is dispelled by the Ubiquitous pro.
ceedings against Judge Alfred Bulge of
Paris, Idaho. He is in every way well
qualified for the position on the bench.
lie is an intelligent, we'll Informed and
respectable citizen. but because he is
u Mormon he IS challenged 1t is pro-
posed to dispute, in the courts, his
right to hold office. 1t Is not probable
that the contestants can make case
against him. It is not even probable
that they expect to do that, but the fact
that they have Instituted proceedings
against him without any cause, proves
what the spirit OF "Mormonism"
u.s. Were It successful. Latter-day
Saints would be deprived OF every civll
right
Speaking Of this remarkable case,
tho Pocatello Tribune says. in part:
Despite the fact that Judge Rich
ards chief counsel for the Democratic
state central committee, prepared two
complaints I'm the case for Chairman
I.0ukhart, To be filed simultaneously IN
the district court OF this district and In
the supreme court at Boise, and placed
these two complaints in the hands of
Judge LoclShart with explicit instruc.
lions what TO do the only complaint
filed was In the district court which
oven Judge Richards tacitly admits
has no jurisdiction 10 hear the case.
The reason for this conduct is given
by the Boise Capital News In the fol-
lhNllh lulkAhkts
""rhe committee does not want the
courts to settle the matter. They want
ed stil further 10 use their 0nti-Mor-
mon crusade to defeat the Democratic
party OF Idaho with. and they knew
they could not do this II the courts
should be allowed to establish the law
OF the matter By making bluff AT
the case, thoy hoped 10 Doe able 10 say
10 the people OF the state two years
from now We tried 10 Gust Mormon
official from Office undor the present
laws, but found We could not DO SOL tho
only thing for the people 10 do is to
listen to our claim aud return Fred Du-
bois 10 the United states senate"
Tho truth Of the matter is that the
agitation against Senator smoot IL part
OF conspiracy against every member
OF the Church. The aut-"Mormon" or
gan has thought 1t necessary TO deny
this but the naked truth comes out
In the Idaho case. Dubois supporters
went so far as 10 threaten every Nor
mon voter with prosecution for voting,
az the recent election, and the anti
thAIap,,,npff ,ro.,, h,,n .na,rg.a A. F,I