Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-26
CHURCH AND STATE IN IDAHO.

The Twin Falls, Idaho, News one OF
the most influential papers in the south
| eastern part Of our fair neighbor state.
| In strong editorial calls attention
! to the political activity Of various
churches in It's neighborhood during
| the last primary election. Generally
great cry has gone up 90 heaven
from the ecclesiastcal and political
camps because Of the alleged intsr-
fetencc OF the Mormon" Church In
the politics Of both Utah and Idaho.
IL Is not the Mormon church this time.
II appears. from the Information
furnished by our Twin Falls name
sake that the very ranks from which
the anti-"Mormon" cry generally
comes. furnish the most conspicuous
intermixture Of the kind objected to.
As is nearly always the case. the ac-
cusers are guilty of the very sins for
which they blame the Latter-day
Saints. This has never been known TO
fail
The Twin Falls News claims that
the churches influenced nominations
successfully because they had an or
ganlzation for that purpose Voters"
the paper says, were trained In some
Of the church buildings, according to
reports OF the defeated and frequent
~ yictImizod primary candidates, just
how to mark their ballots, in order to
vote for men and possibly women can
didates the churches wanted TO see
nominated"
The Church Of Jesus Christ OF Lat
ter-day Saints has often been accused,
by others, OF undue interference in
politics. The only foundation for this,
as far as we know, is the fact that in
huential men in the Church have, az !
times, exercised their prerogatives as |
American citizens 60 influence party |
policies and elections. But that Is
something every American citizen has |
a perfect right to do. Members Of |
other churches hereabouts are doins |
the same thing, and some Of them are |
not content with their own influence |
but they are trying to enlist the in |
nuencc and money of religiously IN
clined citizens Of other states. from |
the Atlantic to the Pacific, who have
absolutely no business in Utah, in |
their political schemes and plans. That |
goes without criticism, and it shows |
how insincere Is the howl Of anti |
'Mormons" about Church influence.
There Is very little foundation Tor
II. The church, by its standards of |
faith, by solemn declaration, and by |
constant teaching dfferentiates be {,
tween church and state, holding that
both are divinely sanctioned nstitu
tons for the education OF mankind, |
and that each has It's own sphere of
usefulness. This is the position OF the |
church, 1t has always been, from the |
beginning.
The Twin Falls News predicts that |
Idaho citizens may possibly have to |
line up on the question OF churches and |
state. - lineup on this basis" the
paper says, lis inevitable IN Idaho. ana
the birth OF IL merely depends ON how
tolerant vast throng OF Christian
yet liberal-mnded people may be" II
Il comes to that, we have no doubt the
Saints viii be found on tho
side that contends for keeping church
and state separate, for they are earnest
In UNFOLDING the principles I'm govern
ment and laws as enunciated in Sec
lion l34, Doctrine and Covenants. we
10 not believe it just to mingle religious
influence with civil government. where
By one religious society is fostered. and
another prescribed in its spiritual pri-
yileges and the individual rights OF It's
as citizens. denied"