Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-11-11
CHARITY AND HARMONY.

npv way attacked anyone VINO l'
friendly aud loyal % the law. etc. and
that at IS not vindictive. but chart
table: IL ls not antagonistic. but wishes
the most harmonious relations with all,
a. does not welcome strife. and engages
only in such activity as Is necessary TO
assert. vlndicate. and maintain the
principles of American freedom ano
equality before the law
But lest the readers of the organ p
responsible Cor this hypocritical plea
should be inclined 60 take It in any
other than q PickwiCklan sense, 10 is
followed BY another vindictive attack
upon the church. We hope however
Il win be perfectly clear now that
Tribune attacks upon the Church and
Tribune peryersions Of truth are evil
dcncos Of a charitable" disposition and
a desire for harmonious relations.
AS an ILLUSTRATION OF Tribune charity
and yoarning for harmony that sheet
neain saws that the Church leaders
have "passively" encouraged the pi7.c-
tice Of polygamy. and that the Church
therefore. has broken the pledge con-
tanned in the Manifesto. This is one OF
the Infamous falsohoods that were IN
vented. probably in the Tribune office
and promulgated 20 the world as an
excuse for the renewal OF the crusade
upon the Church. This is one Of the
black and baseiess charges that we're
made when the founders Of the Amer
scan" party decided to break faith Win
the people Of Utah and the Nation ana
use mormon" bigotry as a ladder
ON which 20 climb TO offices and con
troll Of public funds.
Facts have branded the Tribune suf-
fcienily already, but as time passes
the mark will be burned deeper and
deeper into It's guilt-crowned brow. The
facts arc that tho Church leaders. from
President Woodruff down. have done all
in their power 10 keep both the letter
and the spirit Of the Manifesto, and
that they have been faithfully sus-
tanned by the Church. The fact is that
the number Of plural families has been
reduced. until today there are great
deal less than 800. and in very short
time there viii be none. Facts prove
that the anti Mormon" crusade. In
which the American" party, in the
hands of INSCRIPTIONS politicians, be-
came involved. was as malicious and
senseless as the old "Knownothing'
crusade against the Catholic church
which also called itself American.
We do not claim that individual
cases OF iaw-breaking have not occur
red. Unfortunately, such are on record
in every state In the Union. and not in
Utah alone. Il would have been mir
acle. indeed, had this state been an ex-
ception. But we do maintain that no
plural marriages have been contracted
with the sanction OF the Church.
To any reasonable mind 1t VIII APP
near on reflection. that the Church
leaders we're placed IN a difhcult posi-
ton by the Manifesto Many Of them
had plural families, and some Church
members we're similarly situated. They
had families 20 whom they We're united,
lv sacred covenants, for time and all
eternity. Those covenants were not to
be broken. Further, when the Mani
festo first was accepted. there may
have been difference Of opinion as 10
the full extent OF It's scope Every law
and every rule seems capable Of more
than one construction, until its inter
probation is given boy proper authority.
But. difficult though the position OF
hn NfaH
Manifesto first was issued, they have
met the situation Loyalty and wisely, a.
the results prove. And We presume
results are what reasonable beings are
after
There was no need OF an American
party 20 night the Church because OF
alleged immoral marriage relations.
That question was settled by the
courts, and the loyal acceptance of the
court decisions by the church. The
American" party has 90 mission as d
moral agency. The party leaders them
selves know that. and am the world
ought 10 know o.. 700, FOR tho same
leaders announced themselyes through
their officials. as determined 10 make
INNHNINAAlhA a NV ANNilA NN|NNNH N'N"A
ness The American people are fair-
minded and when II once dawns upon
them that the howlers against the
"Mormons" are actually Interested iu
the social evll they win change their
opinion. They viii not consider the
constructors OF 'stockades' as proper
emissaries of purity 90 stand in The
vanguard against polygany
Way back ina Illinois the conspirators
against the Mormon spread ON man-
ner OF talsehoodf against them until
the minds OF their neighbour were
poisoned against them. Politicians were
also disappointed when they found
that they could not use the Mormon
vote Tor the furtherance cot THEN
schemes They did what They could
60 Keep The nres of hatred and stuf.
burning Apostates ana false friends
zoo. were active. And. hnally. ths
public mind wac wrought up 20 the
extent that the gathering OF "a murder.
ous mob became possible. similar
campaign has been carried on Ina Utah
And that campaign tho organ of All
evil tells us is an evidence OF charity
ANA "a desire for harmony.