The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-16
NO POSSIBLE DEFENSE.

The recent declaration of the Nor
mon church position, as adopted IN 'ne
April conference, is now more than ten
davs old. It's sophistries, false assumP'
tions, impudent claims, covert threats,
and tricky evssions. have been polntea
ont in such terms as to call for some
words of defense of that extraordinarily
absurd and illogical document. Ana
vet there has been no word of defense
spoken or written for it, and no
reply to the demolishing showlngs
made of the positions which 1t as
sumcs We might note one exception
to this cowardly silence, and thaJ the
objection fled by tho Deserct News 10
the word "newn in connection with
this declaration; the Nows's contention
being that there was nothing new IN tne
document. In making this claim, how
ever, the News indulged in its usual
evasion and falsehood As matter OF
fact, there was great deal that is new
in this document, and great deal that
absolutely reversed former positions OF
the church upon questions stated, 10
90 no further than this, it is sufficient
TO point out as nm example that where
as heretofore there has been constant
denial by every church speaker and
writer of any new polygamous mar
rages since the manifesto OF ls9o, TINS
declaration makes explicit confession
and admission that there have been such
marriages in opposition TO the command
Of God and the laws OF man.
Now, it will not do for the church
leaders. writer's. or speakers 10 imagine
for one moment that this declaration
is sufficient in itself, and that no de-
fepse of il is needed. The defense ls
needed badly enough, VIC all know, but
that there can be any such defense we
also know is impossible. 1t was ono OF
those bcggarly, shifty, wretched, shall"
low, ambiguous, cowardly, covert and
mean showings that none but tricky
and criminal mind could formulate.
There is nothing strag ghtforward or can
did about it, Even where 1T makes ad-
missions. il makes them in a shifty way;
where it makes assertions 1t makes
them cvasively and in ambiguous Ian
puagc: and when it makes threats, 1t
carries along with those threats false
assumptions and untrue imputntions as
reason for those threats. There was
never ANYTHING in the world so utterly
contemplate, supposed to come by di-
vine authority and from divine revela-
ton or inspiration, as this debasing and
criminal minded declaration. There is
nothing sound or wholesome IN 1t; moth
ing worthy of the alleged high cause 1T
assumes to represent; and nothing
worthy of a mass of people so numerous
as those which rally around the stand
ard of the Mormon church These peo-
pie are deceived and betrayed in this
address. They are, In fact, deceived
and betrayed every time tho church
speaks. because there is never anything
worthy of them or their assumed cause
In what is said. There is never any
thing patriotic. never anything candid
outspoken, uplifting or i'll any way
cheering to humanity; but all the time
it is the shifty. dodgiug, evasiye am
biguity Of one consciously imposing
upon the public to excuse or palliate
wrongs which the writer knows to ex.
ist, but has not the honesty of mind
/ cnuar n admit