Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-09-30

n
OF /, candidate for office, we believe Y,
ali will agree that that belongs eS-s
! cIuslSely 10 the domain of politics. All
iiwilI agree, we believe, that tits one
| for the party leaders, conventions, ana
voters, 10 decide. The First Presiden-
cy and The Council of the Twelve do
not, as We understand 1t, presume TO
| pass npon5the expedtency, or propriety,
| of the candidacy OF anyone. II a po-
llitical party desires that any of,9their
linumber serve the party or the state
in any political capacity, is for them
to decide whether they can make salts
factory arrangement whereby his ser
vices in The Church office can be dis
pensed with either temporarily or per-
inanently. as the case may be, but IT
is not for them 10 pronounce upon the
propriety of the candidacy, except as
they, Individually as every other
American citizen, have a right to eS-
press an opinion In the proper place
and atthe proper time. We know Of
no instance In which the Authorities
OF the Church have gone beyond the
boundaries of propriety i'll their deaf
ings With questions of this nature. Our
honored correspondent seems to agree
with us in this, for he correctly states
that the First Presidency of the.
Church holds that every man shall. as.
far as they are concerned, be free to
engage in politics when he can be ex-
cused from the performance of his re-
ligious [official2l duties, and that to
take any other position would be u cur
Atailn,ent by them Of a mans political
rights and an interference in politics.
We cannot state the case any clearer
than Mr.. Moyle has stated 1T himself
The Church authorities do not presume
to dictate to political conventions or
parties, nor to interfere with the Con-
stitutional rights of any individual
Eut our correspondent gives several
reasons why, in his opinion, an APOSTLE.
for instance, should not be eligible for
office, The chief Of this is that his
position gives him an undue advantage
over all competitors. Our position on
this point is, that whether u United
States Senator is an official In our
Church, a Bishop in the Episcopal
church., an elder in the Presbyterian,
Church. or a layman In any church his
political leadership and policies are as;
such those of q United states Senator,
and not a church official. Our cores
5|pondent Is not so forgetful of current
events as to believe that the Senator
to whom lie refers was chosen to such
position because he was a Church Of
fetal, since this same Senatort2was n
prominent leader in his political party
long before he became II high officer
in the Church, being regarded at that
time aus a strong probability for Gov.
3ernor5 of the state. or u. S. Senator.
In this discussion It should be re-
.nenbered that the calling of members
of a stake High Council is quite as
much within the rule of divine selec-f
ton and inspiration in their Church
work, as that of higher official. A
member of the Ensign Stake High
Council, for instance. stands in rela-3
8tion to Church members in that Stake
precisely as member of the Council
of the Twelve does to all the members
of the Church; and IL exclusion from
politics is to be on that line, thousands
of the very best citizens of the State
will be disfranchised.
We hope our readers understand our
position on all phases OF this subject.
We took it UP as, a matter of instruc-.
ton, and not of discussion; hence we
have refrained from entering into any
thing of a controversial nature. We do
however, reassert With emphasis the.
view originally taken by the News. Z
{ Back OF the entire controversy, how
ever, stands the broader$and graver
question whether political agitators
shall be justified in Injecting into
American politics a foreign element. an.
element that belongs to the darker
ages and the countries over which the
light OF liberty has not yet burst forth.
1T is the question whether a mans re-.
aligion is to be made a political test in
this country and in this age. That is
the real issue in Utah, and we doubt.
not that it will be carried from here
to other states. in due time. in some
form or another. 1t seems to us that
the eXigency calls for the union of all.
good citizens for the defense of the.
constitutional rights that are 5assailed,
as they were in Missouri and Illinois.
1t seems to Us that It is a time in
which patriots may we'll eXclaim with
the great patriot and statesman; Give
mo liberty or give me DEATH For IL,
cVers%a time should come that this
country excludes good citizens because
OF their religion from the rights and
prerogatiyes Of citizenship, its sun
will surely set in gloom and darkness
BATTLE WITH TUBERCULOSIS.
AZ 5the opening Of the international
congress on tuberculosis on Monday.
Dr. Koch. the German scientist stated
In bn ,jea bS-frp,11 that