The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-14

tions therein which, besides softoning
the criticism TINT is duo, load to a total
misapprohension Of the conditions ro-
| ferred to in the editorial
! The first is where it says, referring
to the Mormon church, "It is wise, in
practice, in remaining within the law. !"
But that is precisely what Brigham e.
Roberts and those who sided with him
and applauded him in his tabernacle
address, declared that they are not do
ing and have no intention to do. That
is the very "kernel in the NUT to
quote the expression of President Jo-
seph +. Smith.
But If these church leaders, in prac.
tice, had remained within the law, then
there would have been no such TRADE
as Brigham II. Roberts INDUCED in on
Sunday, there would have been no such
nauseating, revolving testimony as Jo-
seph +. Smith gave before the Senate
committee in Washington. Remaining
within the law. if they had done it,
would have left them no nauseating
confessions TO mako, nor defiance Of
human and divine law TO utter. It is
precisely because these leaders who rep
resent the dominant force in the gov
ernment of the church have determined
that they will not remain within the
law, have declared that they are not
doing so now, and have not done so in
the past; that all this trouble and con.
troversy comes
The second wrong assumption In our
Butte contemporary comments is with
respect to Elder Roberts where it says:
che is of the passing generation of
fanatics who once raised the flag of re.
belGon against this Government This
reference TO the Ffanatics who once
raised the flag OF rebellion against this
Government would be more accurate
if it stated that precisely that Same
crowd is still in charge of the church.
The Roberts war-cry, uttered in the
law, a defiance of control from any
source, human or divine. IT was sim
ply fanaticnl yell that polygamists
propose to do as they please, violate the
law at their pleasure, give full vent to
their lusts, bigotries and fanaticisms,
and a boast that no one could bring
them TO the bar OF Justice for their
offenses and crimes. Since this genera
tion Of fanatics is not passing, since
Roberts is a young man and is IN full
accord with the lawless and fanatical
spirit INDUCED in by that elder genera
tion; and since none Of the younger
generation which opposes this lawless
ness and treason. could for one mo.
ment receive the least consideration in
any of the Mormon gatherings, it is al
together too much TO speak Of that
spirit and of that generation as having
passed away or even showing the least
signs Mt the present time, so far as the
spirit they represent is concerned, Of
passing away. II has been the particu
lar care and programme of the polyg-
smous law-defers 10 raise up and keep
in control Of the church a sufficient
number of polvgamists and defers of
all forms of restraint to peTpetuate in
the church the old fanaticism, the old
lawlessness, the old evil hatred of the
people of this country; and to continue
the frequently expressed idea of Joseph
T. Smith that all of the people of this
nation who are not members of or sym.
pathizors with the Mormon church arc
- our enemies
And so. while the heart Of our Butte
is unquestionably right on
this question, its mind has failed to
take notice of the controlling events,
the controlling forces, and the con
tinued law.defying sentiment of the
leaders Of the Mormon church III Utah.