The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-31
TIE TROUBLE rs FROM WITHIN

| that time TO the present VI" ~ ~ %,a,craI
etoru was not brought about ny men
! from among ourselves, processing ,no
| name, membership and p,ieStnoHu ol nn
! Iattor-day Saints, traitors 10 Inc ceusc
! that they professed 70 believe ms WE
tho direct means Of the suffering, a',u "a
! the breaking up. or the cotiinn,nits -.
| Kirkland: OF the breaking UP, OF the COM
muuity in. snd The expulsion o. them
rom. Missouri. II was the direct means
/ OF this last persecution which LED TO tne
martyrdom o. the proPne,: Imsrs Nsarmon aIse m Of
| Pnrlev p Pratt in salt Lake tabernarlc'
I March 27, 1858; Journal OF Discourses'
volume !, page So.
! Here is bit Of history that ought
to contain great interest for the Latter
day Saints; and il should serve them
as a guide by which they may be aole
TO extricate themselves from what
they must know is predicament that
is daily growing worse, but for which
they as a body arc not mahciously re
/ sponsible.
Once again in It's history the church
! is involved in n wrangle with the
American citizenship of this country
This turmoil has been brought about
! through the Vaccinations of design
ing and ambitious men within tho or
| aanizatiop, lust as Farley p. Pratt de-
clared was the case when troubles came
upon the church in early history-and
| Mr.. Pratt is q competent witness, for
the reason that he lived in those early
days and in his sermon spoke Of the
| events OF those times while yet his mem
ory was fresh concerning them.
Let us make brief recital and then
ask tho Mormon people If they are not
able 10 discern the existing treacbcry
among them and the identity of the
traitors who are seeking their dcstruc.
ton.
Setting aside the other conditions to
the Statehood compact, it is histor-
zeal fact that there was a promise made
by the church leaders that no longer
should high ecclesiasts in the Mormon
church attempt TO influence the pol
itical action of their followers; that
they should refrain from interference
with the operation of political parties;
that In the future they would faithfully
observe their sacred promise not to
seek to dominate the aggregate pol
itieal activities of this community.
This statement is true, as every honest
Latter-day Saint will admit.
Now. this particular part Of the
Statehood compact has been ruthlessly
broken. In the year 1901 Reed Smoot.
an apostle Of the Mormon church.
knowing of the sacred agreement BY
which the church was bound-delib-
crately determined TO personally repu-
date tho agreement. He became pol.
itIcally ambitious. He wanted to be
q Senator of the United States, and
he appeared TO care not what the re-
suit 10 his people might be if he per
sisted in a course to satisfy his desire.
He laid his plans in secret until he
was prepared to thrust himself upon
the people. He conspired with other
ecclcsiasts who were equally thought
less Of his people 8 interests to quietly
gather together his forces among the
willing tools whom he found in the
church--and some outside of it, we re-
gretfuily admit. Having thus strength
ened his position he announced himself
as candidate for the United States
Senatorship. He was repeatedly warned
against putting his plans into practice:
and some men who could foresee the
dangerous consequences which would
entail upon fruition Of his political de.
sires begged him to desist But he Was
obdurate-deaf TO the appeals of good
nd nd u h.,
which wiser heads discerned would be
precipitafed upon the entire citizen
ship OF this State. RccklessIy he forged
ahead. cajoling here, threatening there.
yonder and smashing right |!
and left He used the influence of his !
high ecclesiastical office upon some, |
while with others he held out induce
ment in promise Of political prefer
ment, By these means he schemed (
plotted and wrought fo- bitter strife ]
.or woe unto the Mormon people and
for retaliation upon all the citizenship
who had determined that henceforth
AmeTlcan conditions should prevail in
Utah.
Ever since Apostle Smoot thrust him.
'en INTO poIitles-wrongfully and de.
iberatcly. in defiance Of the under
standing by which he knew Utah had
secured Statchood-strife has been onr
portion here, And through all Of This
turmoil the Mormon people have hoo,
ne greatest sufferers. Smoot has
'rousht them into disrepute in the Ma. n
lon' because he placed them in tbc
'osition OF supporting his evil DESIGNS
'gainst the peace and dignity Of the
hurch, the honor of the State and tbo
integrity Of the Nation. He has csuscd
xposure Of the family affairs of Nor.
non leaders, much TO their embar,aso
nent. His political conspiracies havo
eeessltated the useless expenditure IF
asst sums OF money out Of church funds
n defense Of q position which finaI,,. n
e VIII be compelled TO abandon. He
as brought enmity upon the Latter.
ay SAINTS whom they were in n fai- |
'ay TO have achieved tho ,.,,.