The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-02
Special 70 The Tribune.

~afNN'H@' ~ t''' AAONI'Ns
OGDEN, Nov. Choosing for his
| theme, "Has the Church the Right to
Interfere in Politics?" the Rev. Noble
Strong Elderkin, pastor of the First
| Congregational church. delivered a
thirty minute argument in favor of the
affirmative of the query from his pull
pit this evening. The speaker placed
himself on record as favoriug the in
! reference of church in both local and
national politics. He declared that in
Utah such interference by the Mormon
church is regarded by some people as
wrong, but said that in Illinois, where
the Methodist Episcopal church is fight
ing the reelection of Joseph c. Cam
non, such interference is regarded by
the people Of that state, and even the
people Of this state, as eminently
proper.
Mr.. Elderkin favored the position
taken by the Mormon church to allow
one Of lis apostles to remain in the
United States senate if the church mem
bers so desired AT the conclusion Of
his remarks be invited any member of
the audience who desired 10 take issue
with him TO come up to the Tostrum
Charles \. Smurthwaite accepted tho
invitation and spoke for forty minutes.
The congregation was large one and
spoke in part as follows:
Looking at the question from a uni
yersal point Of view, the Church OF
Christ came down from the apostles one
and undivided. but one ambitious man
gained control OF IL and used IL for per-
sonal political purposes. The church be-
came divided, and from that division
has grown many hundreds OF churches.
thereby doing the DEVILS work: therefore
the devil wants tine church TO interfere
In politics and TO dominate the civil af-
fairs Of mankind. Let me ask does the
church mean the man who stands al tho
head or the members composing Il? II
the members composing IL are the
church. then when the head OF the
cAurch goes into politics and the mem
bgrs don't like II, they can turn him out
OF power.
II Mr. Elderkin puts his church into
politics and his members don't like II.
they can cancel his engagement at the
END OF his term, but in the Mormon
church, II man objects to the church
SonS into politics, the priest cXcommu-
communicating the priest II the priest
Is the servant OF the church and he
didn't do the business as they wanted
him 10 do IL, and they had the power TO
remove him, there might not be much
objection 10 the church going into pol
itics. because In Utah that would mean
the citizenship would be In politics and
not the priest.
Mr.. Elderllin says that the great Meth
odist church OF the state OF Illinois has
the right 10 its mighty power against the
reelection o! Joseph g. Cannon To con-
Gress. but say that depends upon the
object back OF the opposition. IL the
purpose OF the Methodist church In I'LL
nois Is 10 protect social condition CON
trary TO the civilization OF mankind by
defeating MIR. Cannon. then It's opposition
is an American religion.
The purpose behind the retention OF
political power by the Mormon church
In Utah Is 10 foster a social condition
condemned throughout the Christian
world
AT thls point Mr.. Sfuurthwaite said
that tho church so feared an a,tact
upon us pet SIN that IL dare nor move
against what it was pleased 10 term tho
GENTLE vice, and therefore the red light |