The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-29
SHALL THE PEOPLE RULE?'

The question, ''Shall the people
ruleqo which is propounded to ID"
,.o,tors nj the United States IN TINS
present campaign, has additional toree
and directuess in Utah over ITS use
anywhere else in the United ota'cs.
For here only is there real denial OF
the right of the people TO rule. nc
doctrine has been proclaimed openly
in the Tabernacle. from the rostrum OIL
The highest priesthood, that the Peop!e
have no right to rule; that IL Is lnvh
business to obey the voice OF 600 ln0
old maxim. vox popui, vox DEL
WAS expressly cited and the re-
verse of it given as the true
doctrine, vox del. voX popull Ihe
people were TO listen to the voice Oh
God, and not TO undertake to govern
themselves, nor to take the initiative
in their own affairs; they must hs'en
10 the voice of God and obey 1t.
And how would this voice OF Cod
come to them2 In what manner Wohla
they know that God was speaking
Why, the simplest thing in the world
All that they have 10 do Is TO listen
TO tho priesthood. The high priests the
chief leaders of the church. being sus-
tanned as prophets, seers, and reVelaIoEs'
as q matter Of course, are the ones 10
rive the "voice OF God to this people
And Joseph Z. Smith relntorces ana
makes this evident stating, the same
thing IN his own way. when he says
s.The fact of the matter Is, when a man
saws YOU can direct me spiritually, ouI
not temporarily, he lies in the presence
of God, - That doctrine is the hierarch-
ic doctrine today. II has alwavs been
the hierarchic doctrine. And that doc
trine emphatically denies the night OF
the people to rule.
The application Of that doctrine thus
wear takes the form of coercing Nor
mon members of the Democratic party
so that they shall abandon their party
fealty and vote the Republican ticket.
President Joseph 4. Smith, iu his clos
ing address at the October conference.
came out flat-footed IN support of the
Republican Congressional candidates
Local ecclesiastical officials arc openly
Jealous IN the same cause applying
their meddling interference TO the local
ticket. At Mormon meetings, Mutual
Improvement association conferences,
in ward assemblages, aud in every pos
sible way. the doctrine is inculcated
shat the priesthood has the right to
rule, and that it is the duty of Demo
Gratis this year TO listen to the voice of
the priesthood, abandon their party, and
vote for the Republican candidates.
1t is true that n good many leading
Democrats are openly resisting this
church COUNSEL But in doing so,
they lay themselves open TO church dis
cipline, and after election they arc liza
BILE to be called to account for what
they say and do. Then will come the
crucial time for them. They will be
required TO give up whatever idea they
have that it is the right of the people
to rule. They will be required, as they
have been required before, to oive up
the idea that they have a right TO their
own political opinions and TO take their
own political action. They Will be
dragooned into acquiescence IN the doc
trinc that il is the right Of the priest,
hood TO rule. and that the man who ad-
mits the right of the priesthood to guide
spiritually and denies the ripht Of that
priesthood TO guide temporarily, "lies in
the presence OF Cod and is on the
road TO apostasy,
Oh. no, whatever may be the practice
and the theory III other parts of the Re
public, IN Utah the dominant ecclcsiasti.
cal claim from away back. and con.
stantly enforced is that the people
have no right TO rule; that their chief
right aud duty is 10 follow their file
lenders, obey the voice of the priest
hood, and be guided in all things bv
the Voice of God as declared by that
priesthood from time to time in all mar
ters whatsoever, And that leaves no
room for popular rule or for the RIGHT
Of the people TO control their own pn.
htical and civil affairs. 1t is the ripbt
OF the priesthood to rule, and this RIGHT
is onenly proclaimed and strenuously en-
forced. And that is what Is the matter
with Utah