Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-03-05
REPETITION Is NO PROOF.

'h'A anu NHfA nNNIIIN NI a. AN"N va fANH
legged cases Of infraction Of the
Manifesto. The paper is an implicit
believer In the virtue OF repetition.
The intervals II nils out with various
versions of Individual cases picked
from the same list Bv this contri-
vance 1t manages 90 keep the mat
ter before It's readers pcrpetually. like
red rag before a bull No doubt.
many Of them are under the impress
sion that an endless number Is fling
past them. when. i'm fact they only
see the same names again and again.
This may be ingenious. hut II Is not
original IL was the method Of the
preacher with very limited supply Of
sermons. who turned the barrel and
began at the other end, when he had
cdihed his hearers by reading the last
homily of the stack. 10 will readily
be seen that by this simple method
the store OF information, though con-
fined 90 the smallest possible compass,
was made lnexhaustible. II was only
"A question OF turning the barrel Lead
ers OF military expeditions have been
known to dispose of their followers
in such manner as to make the
enemy believe that their handful OF
men were hundreds. Judicious re-
petition has done the trick.
But we humbly submit that repeti-
ton of "A score of names, or half a
hundred Of names even II the allega-
lions were true. does not prove what
the Tribune wants 90 prove. II II
proves anything at an n proves that
the sheet Is wrong. for we may de-
pend upon It. II Il really had any
proofs Il would not Zoe under the
necessity Of rcsorting 20 such a
transparent trick. The very trickery
proves the weakness Of the cause.
Let US suppose for @ moment that
the list OF the paper is correct. We do
not believe IT, We do not believe any
thing the paper says against the
church for the sufficient reason that
IL is not and cannot, in the nature
of things. be an impartial witness
against a people it is paid TO pcrse-
cute. But suppose the list is correct;
suppose that during the twenty years,
since the issuance Of the Manifesto,
there should have been nifty. or even
hundred. cases of infraction OF the
Church rule, among. say $4,000 peo-
pie. would that prove that such in
fraction is the general practice of the
Church? We think not. II there is
any truth In the maxim that the sx-
ception proves the rule, then these
remarkably few cases. considering az
the circumstances, prove, from the
fact that they are the exception, the
prevailing rule that the church loyal
~ keeps the pledges made.
Apply the Tribune reasoning to
other churches. and they an must
stand condemned.
We take tho opportunity to say again
that the church has faithfully and
Loyalty kept the pledges made I'm the
Manifesto regarding plural marriage.
No such marriages have, IN recent
years. been entered into. and
none can be entered into with
the sanction Of the Church Au-
thoritles. No matter what the Tribune
says of secret marriages. or secret
records. there are none such-a propo-
sition that is sclf-evldent 20 an who
reflect that II they were secret tho
Tribune could not know anything
about them The Latter-day Saints
have done an in their power 10 con-
form 90 the laws Of tho land and the
sentiment Of the American nation. We
have no desire TO defend or condone
any nfraction of the laws or the
rule OF the Church by anyone. But
those who remember that the practice
had been long Ia vogue under the
silent consent Of the Government
and that families had grown mp un-
der 10. that the belief was held that
20 was founded on divine command,
and that the saints are very strong
and conscientious IN their beliefs. will
admit that it cannot be considered
strange II they az the time Of the is
su8ucc of the Manifesto, had different
opinions regarding lis real force and
purport. and that 10 took some time
To- adjust everything TO the new rule.
But this has been done. and plural
marriage is n practice Of the past as
far as the church is concerned
But, even if this We're not so. we
contend that the salt Lake Tribune.
the paper that advocated the estab-
Ishmout In this City Of houses OF M
fame as agencies OF liberty IN which
To- lihorate young "Mormons"--- the
paper that is the organ OF a party re-
sponsible for the "stockade" has abb
solutely no right 10 preach morality
TO the "Mormons." Saul with an evil
spirit In his soul, was less out OF
place among the prophets than that
paper IS among the moral agencies
Of a commonwealth. And, further
more. those who can swallow the
policy OF the Tribune, have no right
20 md fault with the "Mormons"
Let them tear down their own temples
Of infamy first, let them cleanse their
augean stables from which the stencil
OF immortality ascends 10 heaven day
and night: let them sweep outside