The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-10
THEIR BROKEN FAITH.

The Tribunc has something more TO
say concerning the charge against tho
American party that "'Thcir campaign
was commenced by the circulation of
the most Infamous falschoods about the
church,
History viii show the Dcserct News,
IN that outgiyiug, 10 bo most malcvo'
lcutly false. Tho Tribune win be brief
about it,. but viii cudcavor TO discover
the church organ in its true light.
Years of strife occurred before the
National Government finally concluded
10 admit Utah 10 State sovereignty.
The outcome Of that strtc was brought
about only after there had been Ger
tain contracts, and these contracts are
sampled in ono particular pronounce
mcnt and covenant made by the Nor
mon church 10 thc people of the United
States in October, 1890. That was the
Woodruff manifesto. iuhihlting tho fur
lher practice Of polygamy. Upon the
strength of this manifesto The Nor
mou leaders sought Statehood for Utah.
They began their campaign in the in.
tcrcst of their dcsidcratum ms carly as
the year 1891 Knowing of the utter
uurclablhty of any promise made by
the Mormon leaders upon Il matter
wherein the contract WINS TO abandon
Germ to Themselves Tho Tribune op-
posed the granting Of Statehood aC that
time, and upon grounds which have
since proved TO have been well con
sidcrcd At that time this paper Oh
lcctcd that no constitutional prohlbl-
tion of polygamy could be successful
and cHTcctual, and ihat no effective
barriers against the practice could be
set up, as long as the people were dc
tcrmincd TO practice II And cspc'
cially would that be true il the church
authorities passivcly. if not actively
and actually, encouraged church mem.
bcrs TO break the law enacted under
such constitutional provision. This
paper also called attention to the prob
ability that behind the bulwark OF
Statehood, and with officers who would
be indisposed to enforce the law, but
who would rather protect than prose
cute offenders, there would be LITTLE
prospect that the Woodruff manifesto
would find truthful expression in prac-
tice.
Events have vindicatcd The Irib-
unc s position Of that time. The church
leaders have actively and actually en-
couraged the practice of new polyGamy
by maintaining in ecclesiastical Office
men who stand ready to perform the
polygamous ceremony. Thcy'havc pass
lively encouraged the practice by re-
fusing to disfcllowship men who have
engaged in new polygamy. They have
further encouraged this manner of law
breaking by putting every hindrancc 10
the way of individuals who have en-
deavored to uncover new polyg9my; re,
fusinr 10 give up the evidence of guilt
that was in their possession, and even
going so far as TO reward dclicrs OF
the law with material aid out of the
tithcs Even when polygamy was under
Federal supervision, and subject to
Federal punishment, IT was most dif'
fcult to get evidence IN cases of polyg
amy; and this with officers of the law
who were willing TO prosecute cases
where the known facts were such as
TO warrant prosecution. AS it is now,
| the officers have no such Willingness;
the church leaders continue TO hide
new polygamous crimes; they viii not
disfcllowship a man for having com
mitted that crime against the State,
The Nation and Christianity, while
they, at The same time, viii eXcommu-
nicate a member for merely disobcy-
ing the one law Of the church which
commands complete and unqucstioning
obedience TO the priesthood, whose main
object is TO conceal new polygamy and
protect new polygamists. All of these
facts arc apparent; and it was in oh.
lection to these things that the Amer
lean party began its fght-at least,
this was part Of the incentive.
The Deseret News is welcome to
point out wherein the American party
has promulgated "iufamous falschoods
against tho church, Everybody knows
that the charges made by tho American
party were and are true, and public in
dorsement of them such as occurred at
the last election merely serves 10 brand
the church organ as it should be
branded.