The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-04

| In this State. because our Christian
friends and neghbors have not always
| been willing that the Lattcr-day Saints
| should enjoy all the rights and privileges
! accorded TO citizens by the laws of the
! land From Dcserct News editorial, May
| L. 1909.
As sny candid person will see, that
is certainly whopper. But the organ
of the law-brcaking poiygamists has
evidently come TO the conclusion that
il might as we'll bc hanged for sheep
as for lamb,
All that "our Christian friends and
ncighbors' have demanded was that
the Latter-day Saints respect the laws
under which they claim all of their
| rights The most fanatical among
thcm-aluding now, to the highest
authority in the organization--ha pre-.
sented to the whole world what he con.
siders TO be his "rights and privi.
legcsn in the following manner:
The Chairman-Thcn you could educate
your children (polygamous) and clothc
them and feed them without having new
Joseph +. smith-wolI. yes. possibly
could. but that is just exactly the kernel
I IN the nilt.
The Chairman-Ycs.
Joseph r, Smith, have CHOSEN not
to do that, Mr.. Chairman.
The Cbairman-fou have chosen not to
Joseph F. Smith-That is IT, am re-
sponslble before the law for my action.
The Chairman--.Ind In not doing it, you
are violating the law?
Joseph F. Smith--The law OF my state?
The Chairman-Yes
Joseph r. Smith--Ycs, sir.
100. nN. fa ,s,l.
tion published in the Book OF Covenants
here that you shall abide by the law OF
the State?
Joseph F. Smth-It includes both un-
lawful collabitaton and polygsmy.
Senator Ovcrman-Is there not rove
lation that you shall abide by tho laws
OF the State and of tho land?
Joseph T. Smith--Yes. sir.
Senator Overman-If that is a rcvcla-
ton. are you not violating the laws OF
Joseph F, Smith, have admitted that,
Mr.. Senator, q great many times hcre.-
From Testimony In Smoot case volume /.
pages 33f and 33O.
This is bui sample of the conduct
of the hundreds of fellows in whose be,
half the News utters ITS hypocritical
wall. And these arc The "rights aud
privileges thc church organ demands
for them, and which it complains
their "Christian friends and neigh
bors' are not willing TO accord to
them. 1t would be precisely rs con.
sstent for the organ of the polyaa
mists 10 say that its 'Christian
friends and neighbors were unjust he.
cause they refused to countenance
thief continuing his thievcry because
ho hnr h,I oil al
himself, out Of free choice, to become
a thief.
Besides, as the News we'll knows,
there have been some ''sporadic cases.
of newer criminaIity the evidence in
whose proof the apologist for crime has
declared to be mere "gossip" and
"scanda lous storics,'' in which no
eredence should be placed
Does the Dcseret News mean
TO say that it is the right of Jo
scph Marion Tanner, for instance,
to parade the streets of Salt !
Lake in his pulchritudinous brazcnness
while ne knows, the church organ
knows, the county attorney knows, the |
sheriff knows, and everybody else |
knows, that he is criminal of the |
new polygamous stripe9 Does it have |
the effrontery to complain against its
"Christian friends and neighbors' be. |
cansc these good citizens object to a |
condition wherein it is possible for the |
Tayors, the Cowleys. the Tanners. the |
Newtons. the Brimhalls, the Eccleses, !
the Hickmans, and the scores Of other |
new polygamists TO swagger down. and |
up and along the streets, and TO practi-
cally say, ''I am a law breaker, but |
touch me, if you dare!''
The truth Of the matter is that the |
Christian people in this community are
mighty lenicnt with the men in whose
behalf the News appears as chief ad-
vocate. In reality they have no rights,
because by their conduct they have for
feited them; and yet they are per.
mitted TO move in all freedom, and en-
JOY more "rights" than anybody else,
including the "right - to defy the laws
at their own lecherous will.