Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-06-21
4, nor 3 UNDER CHURCH u d INrnUENcE

NOT UNDER CHURCH INFLUENCE
I'm the reply (not answer) TO the
| Tribune's presentation of facts on tne
| Church's pronounced and active hand
| iii politics, in last falls campaign, the
Deseret News, in its publication of
| last night, put in a specific denial, not
of the facts. but of their relation to
the Church" Tribune, June l9.
The Tribune, the other day, with
its usual reckless disregard of the cor
rect meaning of words, asserted In the
same breath first that the Church last
fall elected the local ticket, and then
that the Church authorities elected
it; we emphaticallys denied both propo-
sitions and repeat that denial now.
There is no truth in either of the as
sertions. They could not be proved be-
fore any court, or other impartial
body.
The Tribune offered in substantiar
ton of It's falsehood a story about the
part some of the stake presidents In
this county took in the campaign.
The stake presidents met; they decided
upon a line of policy, assuming that
they would be .'obeyed;" and they de-
nounced as traitors those who did
not obey, the Tribune says. "a
The News admitted that promin-
ent Church men took an active part
In the fall campaign, because Am-
erican" leaders threatened to prost-
tute the county offices, II they could
capture them, and make them serve
the ends OF fanaticisln. 1t is not true
that they assumed" that they. would
be .,obeyed.n nor that they denounced
anybody as traitors for not obeytng.s
But it il true that they counseled
together and concluded to advise the
concentration Of voting strength upon
one ticket as means Of defense of:
American institutions, that We're
threatened. They gave that advice
freely to all voters, and not only
Church members What we deny Is the
assertion that the Church, or Church
authorities, elected the ticket, or any
candidate on it.
The Tribune pretends not to be able
ITO see the difference between the two
propositions. And yet, J { the PRESIDENT
and other officers OF the commercial
club should happen to take part in an
..American love feast" and someone
should on that ground. make the
claim that it was the Club that elect
ed the American" ticket the.
babsurdity Of 1t would appear at
once. The officers of sS q bank ban
ing institution might have been active We
in that campaign, and yet 1t @ '''.l y
ba absurd to say that tho bank had
elected the ticket.
The distinction is real and very I'M I'm
T,ortant 81 To speak only OF the case
under discussion, Church influence in
notifies is not desirable. 1T Is against
American ideas justified by mature cS-s
pcrience. 1t Is against the declared
policy OF tho Church, in which the two.
spheres are recognized as separate. But
there is no reason why American clti-
5zens should consider themselves barred,
from exercising their duties as citizens
because they hold an ecclestasticalposl
ton, particularly in a Church that
Knows OF no t'hierarchy," no priest cast,
hut which recognizes the equality o.
ali before their Maker.
1t is no wonder that the Tribune
fears the exposition of the fallaey of Its
Recommendation on this point, for 1t is
the corner stone OF its so-calleas Amer
lean party. They are crying Church