Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-10-23


tion under the law circumstances may
furnish need for.
s. The civil power may not make
any distinction among Citi1ess on &C
count OF religion or lack of religion
The law against crimes must be ad-
ministered against individuals by the
regularly constituted courts.
NEITHER THE RIGHT TO VOTE
NOR TO HOLD ANY OFFICE Is 10 Zoe
invalidatcd because Of opinions ON the
matter OF religion or otherwise, or on
account of church position. high or
low, or lack OF position In clubs or
societies Nor again ls "a citizens right
90 bear witness or 20 inherit property
20 be called In question for reasons Of
religion
ENGLISH IDEAS.
might with profit here give the Eng
fish established church idea so az 10
show what we have departed from
and from which we ever wish 10 keep
free
J. The supremacy Of the crown. An
high Offices In the church are matters
OF royal gift,
. Complete control Of parliament
over the church. as TO articles Of faith
order. worship and discipline.
3. Membership OF bishops, as a mat
ter Of course, In the upper house Of
4 National support Of the church
O. The broad membership i'm the
church conditioned on citizenship and
not on personal faith or character.
6 Patronage in the church the
right OF presentation 10 livings with
out regard 10 the wishes OF parish
toner's.
II was not alone England that had
an established church. but until recent
ly. as Mn Sanford h Cobb of New
York says "The old world idea, de-
Veloped and Illustrated in the passage
of sixteen centuries had in all lands.
both those under the Roman See, and
those divided between the followers OF
Luther and Calvin, this common prin-
ciple-a root out Of which came many
variations-that the state should leg
islate for the benefit or the church
that the church should look TO the
state for support and defense; and
that the state should recognize and
establish a particular church as the
representative Of the only legally au-
thorized form OF religion and worship
SOME PERTINENT QUERIES.
Il was hard for the people OF the
old world 20 understand that freedom
is a good thing for others as well as
themselves, and II seems as hard in
this day for us 10 fully understand.
At this point let us ask:
l. Has Utah now. or has she ever
had law respecting an establishment
Of religion? No.
Q Is there compulsory support of re-
ligion by taxation or otherwise by the
state? No
9. Compulsory attendance No.
4. Restraints upon the free exercise
Of conscience within the law? No.
5. Restraints upon the expression Of
religious belief No.
g. Is there protection for all, fayors
to none? Yes.
Can you truthfuly answer these
questions differently? Then, II YOU
cannot. there is not, nor never has been,
a minglmg Of church and state in Utah.
Well but I hear someone say that
the president Of the Mormon Church,
together with the apostles and the les
| ser officers, turn elections as they see
fit Another says that there are no
| politics IN Utah and that II IS the aim
| Of the Mormon Church officials to
| dictate the politics of all the western
| states. and finally OF the nation, and
| that they are a bad lot Of conspirators
| and an the other evil things imaginable,
| II an these assertions are true I'VE
know they are ridiculousl what should
1 we do and still act according to law and
| precedent Shall We change our form
Of government?
CITIZENS RIGHTS.
While respecting both the motive and
, the right 10 agitate the question, IL is