Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-15
4 QUESTION or MORALITY.

.
who may hold ecclesiastical positions III
The various religious ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
yided they live blameless lives lhat
IS now. with the paper mentioned, the
only consideration. 1t is no longer tile
ecclesiastical position that is under re-
view but the morals. They may pTeaeii
notifies and hold offices as long as theS
are law-abiding aud loyal to their
country.
This is n noteworthy admission after
the insane assaults made on the Church
for years. We hasten TO acKhoWieose
our obligation before the sheet sil'tii
take it all back and assert the contra
~. as is its well known habit. When
all shall admit that an American cltlIen
is not disfranchised because he deVo'eS
some of his time to the service OIL ms
Maker, the controversy in Utah VIII DC
narrowed down to more reasonable
basis. RI that truth We're generally
understood and admitted. there would
be less misunderstanding. less hatred,
less elimination and recrlmlnation
among the people. But II Is not IN
derstood, generally Through the con-
fusion of terms. false impressions nave
been created, sometimes wilfu!ly ny
designing politicians, and words ana
acts, perfectly natural and lawful IN
every other state, have been branded
as criminal here. II 1t were genefaiiy
admitted that ali American citizens are
equal before the law and that no re-
lieious test is required, If 1t were gen
orally admitted that the only demand
that can be made Is that the AFFAIRS OF
church and state be kept separate, so
2 that neither the political machinery OF
any party is used against any church,
nor the ecclesiastical organization OF
any denomination IS employed for par
tisan political purposes, politics IN titan
would be very much slmplifed. we
therefore note with some satisfaction
the admission of the chief assailant of
the Church, of the correctness of our
contention.
But, our adversary excerpts from the
n-is,''cges of citizenship the ministers
who do not live blamelcss lives. Such
ministers should not talk politics, nor
accept offices. May we ask, In this
connection what about layrnen9 Arc
gamblers, 6runkards, adulterers, pro-
figatos, fit for the public service just
because they are laymen? What about
r,.,fters and brbe- takers? Is there one
moral rule for the American citizen who
holds an ecclesiastical office and an
other for those who hold no such off
cos? If not, the Tribune argument IT'S
to the purity of the morals Is mating
If 1t IS made to apply to all ailke, u
is good 'Mormon" doctrine, for we. too,
believe that good men only should be
elected to offices in tho state. AS we
have said before, we care not whether
they be Republicans, Dmocrats, or even
"Americans'' as long as they are men
on whose honor and integrity the peo-
pie can depend, men who are willing to
serve the people and who are not In
the employ of interruptions, selfish
de1nagogues.
We freely admit that we do not trust
the present ,'Amcrican" party dicta-
tors. Even If they secure good Off
cial they do not permit him to do his
sworn duty to the people. He must do
their bidding, right or wrong, and to
them there is no right, only political
expediency. That is one reason. An-
other is that the moral sensitiveness
of their organ is most peculiar afflic-
ton. We venture the assertion that
IL Utah were represented In Congress
by any OF the Tribune idols it would
raise no question whatever as TO the
past record" 1t might, possibly, over
look even a great crime, or two. in a pet
with plenty of money. A morality blind
on one side is absolutely useless, eX-
cept for purposes Of deception and
plunder The hypocrites that strain al
gnat and swallow a camel are not Il
be trusted
OF course, the insinuation of the Tri-
bune is aimed at the leaders of tbs
Church. In answer it is only neces-
sary to say that we do not fear al
Individual comparison on mora
grounds, between the leaders of th'
Church and the leaders of Other
churches; nor between officials. or rep
resentatives OF Utah members of thu
Church. and those who are not mem
beers, Bring forth the entire array from
the assassins of the Prophet Joseph e
the chief plotters of the present tim
and place them OH one side; place OF
the other side the prominent men OF tn
Church from the first Prophet down t
the present. and everyone of their as
sociates, and we fear not the result o
a comparison on moral grounds lie
the leaders who pay for the anti MOI
mon" crusade today come forth int
the light; let those who cianor for tn
imprisonment or exile OF innocent me
come cortn into the light. If they care
and let the public judge between thel
and the victims OF their assault
While on this subject we take pleas
ure in quoting another instance. or tw
proving our contention that minister
have IN the past exercised the right
OF American citizenship. Among sue
ministers are Rev John Wise, who
credited with being the author of son
of the most precious sentences in II
Declaration of Independence. Re
Jonas Clark, whose ardent teaching
IN. ripened his congregation for the rev