Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-31

| tho Church have sought 90 evude The
/ rule adopted by her prohibiting plural
/ marriages, the plain answer So that
| IN every state and nation therC arc
| individuals who violate law in spite
/ ~ an The vigilance that can hc eNcr-
/ ciscdi but lt does NOT follow that the
/ integrity ~ a. community 1r % state
/ o. destroyed because of such individual
! transgrcsslons. an we ask ls that the
/ same common-seus9 Judgment bo exc
crclsei in relation 90 our community
that IS accorded Co other communitics"
This. os VIII be- seen Ga an oR,cial.
positive denial of the charge that the
church has broken any pledges with
regard to the practice OF plural mar
r.age And 30 stands true. ln spite OF
am luegatlons 90 the contrary.
The charge that the church has
broken any pledges by engaging In
commercial enterprises is nothing 90 not
silly. 10 IS made for the purpose of
inh3ming business mon 10 possible
against the Church The malice of 20
Us best seen when it BE- remembered
that the Church never was less inter-
osted in commercial enterprises than
it 80 now. when an the people here
were members Of the church. and it
was necessary for the Leaders 90 give
advice regarding the temporal welfare
Of the people, as vel as their spiritual
needs. for the simple reason that they
had 20 conquer "a desert and make 10
habltable. and that without any OF
the ordinary resources OF most settlers.
TO engage In and give advice as To- tenn
poral affairs was often unavoidable.
But conditions have largely changed.
and the Leaders of the Church have
been quick 10 recognize the change.
We quote again from the official de-
claration issued last April
'Tho charge then that the church
is "a commercial rather than O. religious
institution; that its aims are temporal
rather than spiritual that 90 dictates
JOS members in their Industrial ACTIVE
ties and relations ana aims at absolute
dominatiOn in temporal Bnairs-al this
we emphatiCaNy deny II has also
been the policy of the Church to- foster
home industries. Where there has been
lack OF confidence lu some OF these
enterprises, and private capital has been
afraid To Invest the Church has fur
nished funds that the practicabnlty of
the undertaking might be demonsuat-
ed. and repeatedly the wisdom Of this
policy has been made manifest. There
by the resources OF various localities
have been developed, community I'M
dustries diversified, and the people, cs-
pecially the poor given increased op-
portunity OF employment and "a better
chance 10 become scHsustalning
We think the course Of the Church ia
this regard needs no defense. no apol-
ogy. And there is nothing On the at,
tltude Of the church today that any
reasonable being. whether on earth or
elsewhere. can construe as pledge
breaking"
g. The charge that the Church inter-
feres In politics is false. Fortunately,
that question was thoroughly gone into
by the Senate committee during the
late investigation. and the Senate dis
posed Of IL by adopting the following re-
port:
while 90 is no doubt true that the
habit which the church and the meme
bers Of the church had followed for so
many years prior 70 the breaking up Of
the old parties OF voters receiving coun-
sci from officials OF the church IN re-
hhAA 90 AlAN aNlNh AlNAl ga COMMUNICATES ANIl
office was not at once completely brok-
en- of yet the evidence further es-
tablishes that the Improvement in this
regard has been very rapid ana that, Of
late years the Mormon voters Of the
state adhere more closely to party lines
than the nom Mormons do. We thiNr
the evidence establishes the fact that
since Reed Smoot became an Apostle Of
the Mormon church on the 9Th day OF |
April. 1900. the Mormon church has not |
controlled or attempted TO control cleo |
tions in Utah
4 The only charge In which there IS |
a semblance OF truth is this, that a few |
members Of the Church are still living |
with their wives. with whom they en- /
tered into sacred covenants for both /
time and eternity, I'm consccrated places |
before God. But can any reasonable |
being md any warrant for kindling the /
flames Of persecution against the I
Church on that account Some OF 4
these covenants were even prior to the /
enactment Of the laws now In force.
Such marriage relations are rapidly /
decreasing. II has been proved that at /
he time Of the Manifesto there were /
about 2i5l poygamous families. In /
May. 1902 this number had been re- /
iuced 90 s97 Il was estimated during /
the senate Investigation that about 600 /
remained at that time. and that number .
has undoubtedly again been reduced. Boy 1
natural causes. This proves beyond /
rational controversy that the church /
leaders have been sincere and that the /
Church has loyalty kept whatever I
pledges were made. IL d. through this |
loynlty that the results have bscn /
achieved. What neither prisons. nor |
mohs nor birotry could do. the faitn /
Of the Mormon people has accom- /
plshcd
The "Mormons' have broken uo /
pledges The piedeo-broakers arc the 1
'ssailants of the church who far poll /
deal reasons. started their infamous /
rusade. THE pledRe-breakers AFRO Tho |
guor5ut bigots who while protesting
90 Doe commissioned servants OF the Az |
mighty entered into uuhoIy alliance /
with shady politicians. duukards. keep /
ers of denT of iuiquity and all kinds of /
characters Boo political warfare upon I
u inoneudIug religious community. bon |
che hope of practically disrunchlsine |
the members and. Dog chat un-Amoric1n
method. breaking nap the Church. Thos. |
are tho pledge breakers. The mark De-