The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-31
USING THEM AS SHIELDS.

Again we have d conspicuous instance
of the proueness of the priesthood TO
drag in the membership OF their church
| as buffer to protect themselves. Moth
| ing is more common than for the cry
/ TO be raised when evidences are present
cd of the lawlessness, the lecbcries, the
robbcries, and tho treasons of the lead
! ers of the church. that the church is
| being attacked. In fact. this is the
regular stercotyped reply. There is
never any attempt either to deny or to
refutc the charges, because they are
from the record and are absolutely
fixed 1t is idle TO undertake TO claim
that there is any mistake or fa)sity In
these presentations, because for the
most part they are from the official re-
ports Of the investigation in Washing
ton before the Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections And az 10
those portions Of the proofs that are
not so derived. they are substnptiated
by ample local evidence and common
knowledge.
The latest instance in point is the
Dcseret News of Thursday evening,
where in considering The Tribune S
attitude towards ''thc young Mormon
vote the church organ harked back 10
q discussion OF the foulnoss Of polyg
amy rs derived from a consideration Of
Senator Beveridge' g speech in behalf of
Smoot. Senator Beveridgc undertook to
claim that there was a sharp division
in the Mormon church as between the
polygamjsts and the non"polvgamists
and we cited the fact ut that time and
in that connection that there is no such
division. AS matter of fact there is
not Any Mormon who would deny po-
lygamy and oppose 1t, as Senator Beve-
ridge claimed that certain ones under
the leadership of Smoot were doing,
would quickly be disciplined and disfel-
lowshipped. This is matter that every
one knows to be the case. A number of
instances of such action could be cited,
as in the case Of Mr.. Gibbs, Mr.. +. j.
Cannon, Mr.. Smurthwaitc, and others
who, by their action, put themselves
"out of harmony with tho predomi-
nant idea in tho church. including
polygamy.
The News now undertakes TO turn
that to The proposition that the young
Mormons should not be appealed to by
the American voters, because they are
included If in good standing in the
church, in the foulness Of polv~nmy. !
The argument is far-fetched indeed anu |
could scarcely be expected TO have any |
effect among intelligent people. The |!
very fact that young Mormons natural. |
ly should oppose polygamy. the fact |
that they ought to be working to the |
realization Of the forecast of Senator
Beveridger the fact that they ought TO
be free and independent in politics, is /
the very object to be attained Because I
they are enveloped in the foul mcshes
OF polygamous priesthood is no reason
why they should stay there. lhe fact
that the young Mornons have not made
themselves conspicuously effective in
breaking UP the old foulness and reno
vating their church, cleansing it of law.
lessness, robbery, and crime, is no rea-
son why they should always remain
silent and never take such action.
The very purpose of the appeal 70
Young Mormons is that they shall come
put from amongst the iuiquitics, retain.
ing what they choose of the clean. IoyaI
principles of their church, and elim;na,
ting the foulnoss and the lawlesspess
The plea of the Deserct News is that
Young Mormons must never 10 this
They must always remain in the font
mesh of the polygamous net. Tie fact
hat they havo not cut those ncshes
heretofore and freed themselves ia
irged by the News as q reason why ,
hey should never do so. We, on the
urge that they have been mn. :
rue to themselves as men, as Mormons. {
Is American citizens, in not breakipr r