Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-02

OGDEN PASTORS 4
STAND On POLITICS
Rev. EIderNn Says It Is Duty Of
The Church to Take q
Hand.
POINTS TO LESSONS OF PAST
-.--.------
In Utah Efforts to Better Condi-
tiOns Are Condnmnnd rs
POINTS TO LESSONS OF PAST
Elsewhere, As in cannon,s Case, APP
pliu'se Alone Follows Attempt TO
Secure Civic Purity and Law.

Especial to,the News,
''sa'<h Nov. lin a stirring sermon,
aetlRefed astanight by the Rev, Noble
strong Elderkin. pastor of the First
congregational church, discussed th,s
question of the right of the Church to
te active in politics. The reverend gen,
Stlemali declares with emphasis that t,n.
DER certain conditions tho Church nor
only has the right to enter this field.
p.it faces faces . DUTY Of entering the cam
palsns to better civic conditions.
me sermon has brought about much
discussion in Ogden and the Rev. Ell
derSin has furnished u luca ia per the
following statement over his signature:
end.aNo.ed at,last evenings serv
ICE 10 present the problem which con-
fronts us IN; Utah from the point 81
g'ieW Of Justice aud fairness | sought
10 snow tina foutsldc&of Utah when tI,,
church grew Interested In politics If
was sign Of hopeful vitality EVERY
Where the church seeking to lift the
moral statue of the community is com
inended, Only in Utah dol find tie
pfsnhelplG assaiIed. The Methodist
Gnnurcf has openly insisted that Joseph
et because he blocked certain legisla. 4
ton which that church In common
Min 0theF ct!irehes, $ot t course) fIesirel
aiid denaanded, 1t has thrown thef
;.weigf' Of that powerful institution
against II, We have not condemned
tbs Mathcdist church. /
.NoM, lahor nnIons and lodges ana
me LIQUOR in teiests q 10 All Iii politics
and lnostsof them for their own selfish
Interests What can We do for our
selves: they constantly ask
tlIiIfRt,fi4I1 t ( II N. A ~: 81 s55.g Fl Il.
The church has certain ideals or
righteousness. Justice and brotherhood
ltkmiiN accomplish much by the impress
II makes upon character. But. it 1t Is
Wise, u Viii set over against personaliE
W. and {ellytrpnGlent. The church has
. ret8niliS the right butt the duty to in n
! !, TESS ittseif tipotI5 sironficnt But The
NEST potent. changes In environment
as thu Socialist has graciouSlys taught
us--nlay be accomplished through ana
by the ballot. 4l
The church is heartily acpordet.
The right to minister to the wreckage
Of tbs saloon and the gambling house
and the brotheL These are openly i'll
politics to uphold their ideals. such as
they are. The church, too, has ideals
In order to realize those ideals of
brotherhood it goes into politics IL
fight the institutions which de-.
humanize and devitallse human life.
The old sacralnental idea OF tho
church has about gone. The church
is simply an organization believing
III the Righteousness OF God and it
ultimate victory,
HOW SOME VOTE
y pointed out that men Of other
denominations vote for those who by
association are Of the same faith. / did
not comend that. in fact l said, tina.
1t was just as vicious for gentle
To vote for a gentle simply because hug
was a gentle, as it was for q Mormon
to vote for a Mormon simply because
he was Mormon. If the Congrega-
tionalists vote for Mr.. Gideon simply
because he is Congrega tionalists they
are to be condemned lust MS roundly
as Mormons who vote for Mr.. Harris,
simply because he is a Mormon.
The Mormon has Il right to follow
his file leader blndly if he will. but
he isDl: wise if lie does. He ought
10 sludy the file leader If the fiie
leader is unscrupulous and violates
that confidence the trouble Is with the
file leader. People have asked me
how to vote, ! have told them de-
tinitely and explicitly we want Ger
tain things III our community. certain
men stand for those things. | have
told people how 10 vote tomorrow in
eDEbTl.. 10 SdiH LilJ'.c4 tubHsS. ittSll
ltIiou.>at Of myself, but | frankly con-
tess That l am thinking of my children
and the children Of others. That's
sentimental and Furthermore it's sell
fish. suppose But these people think
that | have studied the question and
that know certain legislation may
be obtained. II l lie TO them. use the
opportunity TO deceive them. the, gill
and they ought 10 lose confidence in
me
ISSUE Is CONFUSED,
"The issue is confused in Utah. IL
Joseph f. Smith is persuaded after
thorough study that certain men will
serve the righteous interests of the
more thar, others, he would Z
be coward not TO plead for their cleo
ton.
fight for the things which will serve
the righteous interests of the conf !
|, 100, would be a coward not (
10 plead for the election of these men.
II wished last night TO establish this
principle: That the Church has right
to be in politics wherever it may de-
stroy the evils which rob life of lis
and it's glory: that is, that
where moral problems are to be settled.
not only has the right, bur it has All
resting upon il TO fight for
those moral ends and ideals
4 tTlc issue the MoElu over is on lnS
question Of the right of lehumanizins
influences to deilumanize longer And
in that tremendous battle of righteous
ness with unrghtecusness the church
can do nauGht else but stand for the
things which belong TO the kingdom Of z
God.
THE SERMON IN PART.
At last evenings service, the Rev.
subject was. The Right OF
a Church to Interfere in Politics. and
u clear and mastery manner he
showed by examples and history thar
Utah was made an execution TO the
general rule.
He said that the American party
in its attack against the Mormon
Church and the Mormon people was IN
luenced by motives of vicious attack
alone.
At the conclusion Of his talk he called
for responses and Charles Smurthwaire
arose and made M American" party
lttacll against the Mormon Church, The
Continued on page two.)