Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-31
THE REAL ISSUE.

Prof. Charles Scanlon is reported to
have said. in his speech notifying E'
w. Chain Of his nomination for Presi'
dent OF the Prohibitionists, in part:
"There arc many vitally important
questions before the American nation,
moral. social. religious. Industrial,
economic, sanitary. scicntihc--all
pressing for solution. Among them
are the race problem, impurity, bad
literature. Mormonism, marriage and
divorce. the prevention and treatment
of crime, pauperism, insanity, degcn-
eracy, trusts, immigration, capital,
etc"
The gentleman is wrong in reprcs-
cnting "Mormonisni" as q question he
for the Nation, in the same sense as
some of the other issues referred to.
'Morrnonism" is no moro national,
or state. issue than is Mothodism, for
instance The batter-day Saints claim
no rights beyond those granted 10
every American citizen, by the Con
stitutlon. They do not infringe on the
rights of anybody They ask for no
special favors They do not aspire to
political control. They are, as rule,
loyal to whatever party they belong,
and they stand for good. honest gov
ernment and the purity Of public NOR
ais.
Various charges Of a more or less
grave nature were brought against the
Church by INSCRIPTIONS, political an
tagoniets of Senator Smoot. in the
. I,n 10,
him OF the scat to which he was
duly and honestly elected. Those
charges were thoroughly inves-
tigated and found not sustained by
the voluminous testimony offered. 1t
is a safe conclusion that they could
not be sustained.
The real issue is nti-"Mormonism."
That is a problem which demands a
final solution From the beginning
many well-meanlng religious men, not
withstandlng this country grants re-
ligious liberty to the fullest extent.
conceived the idea that it was their
duty to put an end to "Mormonism."
When they failed in argument, they
did not disdain 20 encourage brute
force, such Az mobs are ever ready to
WELD. Then certain politicians have
from time TO time. turned the pre-
JUDGES kindled by religious fanatic
ism and the passions of the rabbi
bent on spoil. to their own persona
advantage, Such are, broadly speak.
ing the elementary components OF
anti" Mormonism.' 1t is anti-Amer-
icanism. Wherever 1t has prevailed il
has set at naught the Constitution OF
tho land and made liberty a hollow
mockery. In its late outburst it had
Tho infinite impudence of suggesting
ON the floor of the United States SEN
ate, that the Constitution, which every
Senator is under oath to uphold, be set
aside for an alleged higher law That
should have been revelation to all as
to the true nature of nti-"Mormon-
ISM
Russia Is suffering under anti-Sem-
itism- All the world knows what that
sentiment is. 1t Is yearning on the
part OF Russian mob leaders TO plumber
tho Jews, and in order to find AN tx
cuse they spread all kinds OF false
hood about the prescribed race. par
ticularly that Hebrew capture chill.
dren and use their blood for ritualistic
ceremonies. They know that their
stories are false. But they also know
that they serve their purpose. Anti
"Mormonism" in this country is in
some respects, not very much different
from anti-semitism in Russia II is a
problem 1t Is first OF all. a local prob.
lem that should be taken up by patrlo-
tic citizens who are Jealous of the
preservation of American institutions.
But II local wisdom Is not sufficient
for its solution, as II ought to be. II
is not inconceivablo that It may be-
como national question.
1t is important TO understand.
though, that it is not "Mormonism'
but Mormonism" that is the
danger and the problem