Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-03
TWO SEPARATE SPHERES.

| Tho so-called American platform
j contains, In addition to Its appeals to
i prejudices,its falsehoods and hypocriti-
| cal pharsaisms, some twaddle aboutth the
exclusion of church leaders from secu-.
lar affairs and especially politics. 1t
4 is not clear whether reference is made
| to one church only. Tho language is
purposely ambiguous. But. as the or,
gan of the party IS a warm defender Of
| the political activity of the Methodist
bishops who are exerting their influence
to GUST Speaker Cannon from the
House OF Representatives, and setting
their church machinery in motion for
that purpose; and MS the Same organ Is
significantly silent OH the charges that
are being made against the Catholic
church by anti Catholics, to the effect
that the Roman hierarchy is even now
controlling some important depart.
ments of our Government it is a logical
inference that the denunciations arc
aimed at one church only. Is that fair
play? Is It American?
But, let that pass. Is there, let us
ask. any reason why American citi-s
zens should consider it wise, or expo
dent, or good politics, to exclude
church leaders from political positions?
We#canz think of; only one. II their
training. their ed,pcat1,n, hsls been:
along lines that make them pnft&fq
such positions. they should certainly
not be called upon to fill them. But
in that case their exclusion is not be-
cause OF their church position. but be-,
cause of their lack of the necessary
qualifications. and because would
certainly not be- wise to take them
away from the important callings for
which their mental and intellectual
equipment eminently qualify them,
A great many churches have a cleri-
cal class. from which their ecclesiasti-
cal officers are taken. These are from
their youth. as a rule given a special
training for ecclesiastical duties. When
they have passed through the colleges
and universities they may be learned
men, proficient in theology. in its vari-
GUS branches, They may be authors z
ty on ecclesiastical history. on dog
mates, hernpeneutlcs. or Scripture IN.
terpretation, ethics, ETC.; they may be
llngulsts OF rare ability; they may have
given considerable time to astronomy
mathematics. history, archaeology. OF to 4
whatever special branch of learning
they have felt inclined; but for all that
,thcy may be entirely unfit for a secular
calling in which executive ability and
a thorough knowledge of the business
methods of the world are of the great
est Importance. We do not admit that
all church leaders are unfit for political
leadership. The Catholic church mas
had many cardinals who have at the
Same time been mighty statesmen, and
even warriors. And we think the
craftsmanship OF the great Chulch
leader, Brigham Young. Will not be
disputed. But as rule those who are
from the early youth trained specially
for the ministry, are not well equipped
for the duties of legislators; cabinet
ministers, or secular offices generally
Many morally good man. many a
scholar, Is helpless as a child In the
hands or political plotters and sehem-
ers For that reason they should not
be drawn into the maelstrom of politics.
Tt Will be readily seen, that this OBJ
lection does not apply to all Church
leaders, without exception. because
there are churches who have no cler1-
cal class, no priest caste specially
trained and educated for that calling.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
day Saints is such church. The edu-
cation of It's officials does not differ
from that OF any other American citi-
zen. No special line of study Is re-
CURED before a member of the Church
can be given the Priesthood, or be
qualified for the position of bishop,
High Counselor. Stake President, or
any other office. The officials of the
Church are lawyers, bankers mechan-
les, farmers, merchants, and even fill
the lowly position of newspaper writer's.
There can, therefore, be no sane, no
logical, objection to their filing what
. ever secular office their felow-citizens
may call them to fill, provided that
they are qualified for such Office. The
question raised Is really narrowed down
to this: Must we exclude a lawyer,
merchant, a farmer. etc, from the
prerogatives of American citizenship
because he gives more or less ofa.his
time to missionary labor" That is the
only question to consider. In other
words. must we ostracize and disfran-
chise an American citizen because he
devotes part of his time to the service
{ -. -
of God: That is, plainly stated, the
so-cailed American issue In ~ tafl- S. Let
Christian citizens answer according
to the guidance of their conscience 4I
AS a stroke generally aimed at Rome
it has been urged that 1t is neces-
sary to exclude from the affairs Of
state the hierarchal influence repre-