The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-13
THE MORRIS DEFENSE. -

THE MORRIS "DETENSE'
With an cvasiVc sophistrv that is as
"childlike and bland as the cheating
of Bret Hartc s '"Fcathen Chinec, the
church organ comes 10 the rescue of FL
/, der Ncphi l.. Morris on his Sunday ad-
dress in connection with the antagouis-
| tic points in that address TO Morris S
church political campaign last fall.
Much use has made the News an adept
in plausible cvasions that dodge the
point and that steer the reader away
from the dangerous points under discus-
| sion, over into smooth waters where
there is no controversy.
Elder Morris in his tabernacle speech
of Sunday, arraigued the political boss
and the political machine, evidently in
memory Of his defeat by that boss and
his smashing by that machine We
showed that Morris himself had done as
an ccclesiastic, claiming guiding author.
iiy over his flock. precisely The things
that he charged upon the political boss
and the political machine; that he as
president of a stake had usurpcd author
ity over the peoples political libcr-
ties precisely as he claimed the boss
and the machine had done; and that as
an invader of the political rights of the
people he himself is in precisely the
same class as ihc boss and the ma
chine, and indeed far worse offender.
The fact of Morris as a ruler in the
church claiming direct authority over
his flock to direct them in voting last
fall. being impossible of denial, The
church organ gives that invasion by
Morris of the political rights of his pco-
pie this twist:
And why should not the proper OBJ
scrNancc Of the obligations OF free citi-
zcnshiD he q religious duty? Why should
not love OF country be part OF true re-
ligion? The earth is the Lords. And
the children of men are His children
The great civic reform wave that swept
the country under the national leadership
OF Roosevelt, and that is stil rising. in
dicatos that the time will come when citi-
zcnship Will be considered sacred. when
II Will mean something, infinitely more
than partisan politics. IL is claimed that
In Japan citizenship is almost synony-
nous with religion. American citizenship
should be siill more sacred and should
never be bent TO the service OF selfish
ness. or unrigh,cousness. Such are the
views OF the l-atter-day Saints. and their
entire history proves their loyalty TO
their country as 10 their God
The latter clause being naked false
hood, while the preceding has moth
ing TO do with the case. 1t is
not "thc kernel in the nut AS
a church leader. Elder Morris did
not enjoin upon his flock TO make
their political duty a matter of prayer
and of conscience That was not his
idea or his demand. He assailcd his
people on the idea that it was his prov
mce TO control their votes aud require
lican'' ticket; and he hstly denounced
any who might refuse 10 do this as ga
traitor TO his church He told in his
intiammatory harangues how he had met
with the other presidents of stakes in
this county. for the purpose of controll
ing the votes OF their people. He told
how one of these stake presidents sug-
gcsted the idea that the church vote be
given 10 the Democratic local ticket, but
that he was overruled. 1t did not occur
to either of those stake presidents that
they had no right to be undertaking to
control the votes of their people nj all;
nor yet was there any doubt expressed
chat they could control that vote and
give ii to either party they decided
should have il. And the result showed
: l,.I kn nF 81
stake presidents that they could control
the votes of their people and have
them cast as they should direct. was not
in the least misplaced.
Al this was a matter Of public noto-
riety last fall. Just before election day.
The facts were not only notorious, but
were openly proclaimed By Morris him.
self. But what has the oily homilv of
the church organ 10 do with those facts!
What bearing has il on them? None
whatever.
To bring the case within the infantile
comprehensions of the News let us sup.
pose that q Christian minister Of any
sect had held up his congregation rs
Morris held up his. demanding that they
should vote a ticket which he named
beratiug them as traitors if they did not.
and had them undertaken 10 square him
| self by urging inc commonplace hom-
| lily that ''thc obligation Of free citizen
ship may properly bc ga religious
| duty and that .thc love Of country
may well be ga part of true rclig-
ion;' how would the News have re-
ceived that explanation! We can
well imagine the vituperation and seorn
with which such an explanation would
have been received in that quarter, es-