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

"a
ment and political reasoning TO gain
their points and to get the plums and
the crumbs. They would rather not be
nut to the trouble or reasoning. FOR
that means real effort. something the
ordinary. trouble-m profession
al Is not seeking.
WHY BUILD BARRIERS
In order 10 arrive at definite con-
illusions we must first ask ourselves
definite questions. For instance, let
US ask.
What position should any intelligent,
patriotic. progressive, unprejuuiced
reasoning citizen take when he. or any
OF his fellow citizens. Is assailed pOlit-
ically or rergiously? should a gentle
take different view from Mormon?
should any OF US try to create classes
should we attempt TO build up barriers
for or again e any class az allF What
valid reason Is there for not doing
away with perstition and wilful pref
udice? why cannot we take Thomas
Carlyles advice and make as little OF
the faults" and as much as possible
OF the virtues" OF the other fellow
DO any Of US really and honestly be
lieve that Reed Smoot and the class to
which he belongs are a set of down
right criminals We believe they are
not perfect by any means. but ERIN
inals," no, that's "a joke-a political
joke.
DO any OF US believe that all OF the
American" party Is composed of
blacklegs and hOldups2 No, not Tor
minute. Most OF the boys want oftica
and they use temporary methods To
get temporary benefits.
Men and women. citizens and friends,
uront we who get no temporary, ana
surely no lasting benefit foolish, very
foolish. to be buffetcd as We have been?
We are doing lasting injury to oar
state and embittering our own lives
and not getting even the temporary
advantages.
Do you want to stop It? ] do. Is
there common working basis? l think
so.
THE CONSTITUTION.
Let us look into the history of our
country, into its customs and laws and
the traditions of the fathers to find the
answer, for as / said before, we have
no peculiar questions" in Utah; IL is
our foolish negotiations that have led
us to believe we have. As a starting
point let us take what is set forth IN
the national Constitution and then, II
possible, fnd the reason that caused
the people Of that day to put such Ian
guage in our fundamental law.
test shall ever be required as a quail
fication to any office or public trust
under the United States"
Amendment I. Congress shall MAKE
no law respecting an establishment OF
religion or prohibiting the free eKer-
else thereof
Why does our Constitution have such
provisions? Because, In all the il
colonies some form OF Christian pur-
pose was promulgated and advanced by
the state. There was, to a lesser or
create extent "a state church, for even
In Rhode Island, the freest OF all Cata-
olcs were DISTINGUISHED. Virginia lax
ed all the people TO support the Church
OF England. Massachusetts Bay taxed
an to support her colonial church and
kept out all Catholics. denied tolerance
To Quakers. and banished, and even
hung. some Of them, Pennsylvania
colony gave so-called religious liberty,
but barred out inhdels and atheists,
and DISTINGUISHED Roman Catholics.
George Calvert gave Maryland religious
freedom at first. but subsequently the
church OF England was made the
Colonial church.
NEW YORK'S CONSTITUTIONS
Up to 1916 the constitution of New
York, Art. VII. sec. T. read as follows:
And whereas. the ministers of the
gospel are by their profession dedicated
10 the service Of Col and the care OF
souls. and ought not 10 be diverted
from the great duties OF their func-
ton: therefore, no minister OF the goS-
pei or priest OF any denomination what
soever shall at any time hereafter
under any pretense or description
whatever be eligible to, or capable or
holding. any civil or military oftiee or
place within this state"
Eleven other state constitutions have
contained similar provisions and three
states still have such provisions. but
OF course they have become dead let
ters
Five state constitutions, Arkansas,
Mississippi. Texas and the two caro-
linas hold that no person can hold Of
fee "who denies the being OF the Al
mighty God or the existence OF Su-
preme Being"
In Pennsylvania and Tennessee ciu-
zens must believe I'm God and fu-
ture state OF reward and punishment"
II would be interesting, yet beyond
the scope Of this article, To trace the
complete history OF church and state