The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-07-18
Not a Parallel Case.

1t is not expected that anything within reason
will prevail against the Jack -Mormonism of the
Lewiston Tribune. A newspaper like an individual,
that steadfastly defends crime is deal with
than the participant in crime, for it has not the
sense of personal guilt to impair its assurance.
Having taken position advocate of prac-
tces that wrong the Lewiston paper employs
the limit of absurdity in endeavoring to sustain it
self. For example,
The labor leaders expect to array their forces
for one and against the other political party, but the
losing party does not make the campaign against
labor, pretend to favor its dsfranchisement for
all that. The laborites also have criminals among
them; other sects than the Mormons have criminals
among them; they have Shylocks adulterers and
others of abominable practices STILL the church is
not assailed, the vast numbers of innocent
and worthy communicates held up to public scorn
and obloquy because of of individual trans
gression.
The parallel is drawn to demonstrate that the
Gentiles of Idaho have no more right to demand
the disfranchisement of Mormons than political
party has to demand the disfranchsement of labor
ing men who vote against that party. There is
scarcely any strength in the comparison for it is
not the act of voting against party or princ-
pie that constitutes the disfranchisab1e offense of
the Salt Lake branch of the Mormon church
If the laborers insisted on practicng a crime
against law and morality, and taught others to prac-
books, schools and churches, and if the law said
that laborers practicng and teaching that crime
not entitled to the privileges of citizenship
insistence upon their disfranchsement would be as
we'll sustained insistence the disfranchise-
ment of admitted polygamists
1t is true that 1aborers have criminals within their
class But the labor criminal is prosecuted and pun
shed and jury of his fellow laborers passes judg-
ment upon him and its members feel that right
statute has been justified when they confer the
penalty.
1t is also true that other religious sects have
criminals of various degrees among them. But
the criminals of other sectS anenabe to the laws
that apply to the criminals among laborers and they
made to suffer for their wrong doing.
If the other sects practiced crime under the cover
and protection of sect organization if they taught
crime in their religious publications. in their
churches and schools, if, as sects they dehed law
and the code of morality upon which christian socie
y is founded -insstence upon the disfranchisement
of the members of such sects would come swiftly
and would be sustained
The laws of the state and of the nation apply to
all individuals all organizations all sects and the
laws enforced against every Individual against
every member of every organization or Sect with the
exception of the members of the Salt Lake branch
of the Mormon church
If the Lewiston Tribune is able to advance any
reason why class of persons that form part
of community or a commonwealth should be ex-
empted from the punishments for crime that are
visited all other classes of persons within
a commonwealth, the public will give
respectful attention while it delivers itself of its
explanation
If it is because these unpunished criminals are
able to associate themselves into so compact and