The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-28
NEWS ON PERSECUTION,

| NEWS ON PERSECUTION,
The Monday evening Deseret News
had leading editorial on the idea of
the separation of church and state 1t
proceeded TO state what in. its opinion
IS the distinctive difference upon this
point between Europe and America
and it carried the impression all
through that everybody in this Repub-
lie is in favor of the American notion
of the absolute and effective separa
tion of church and state, even includ-
ing the hierarchy, which strenuously re-
sists it, And it continues with these
words
political demsgogue stand up in a
political convention and attack the
Church OF Jesus Christ OF Latter-day
port, in the Colonial theatre in the So
called American convention on Sat
urday? BY what right does anyone in
this country under the American flag
turn political gathering into an anti
church. dcnunclation meeting? Is that
the way TO keep church and state sep
alate?
who prostituted the convention by at
tacking a church thereby proved either
their ignorance Of or indifference to.
one OF The greatest principles of American
government, and that the presiding Of
ficer who failed TO call them to order.
proved unfathful TO an important trust
Ii appears to US. further that the men
and women that follow the political
standard bearers who publicly disregard
what ought TO be a sacred inheritance
from the fathers. and In their blind,
TO shrcds, display a marvellous contempt
for American standards OF right and
wrong. II they had any regard for those
standards they would have loudly pro-
tested against the profana ton of q con-
vertion by the introduction into It Of an
element Of religious persecution. Shame
on all prosecutors wherever they are.
but double shame on those who under
the American flag assume the role OF
Prosecutors And the fact that they do
so merely In order to get offices and con-
troll of the money OF the people they are
defamine does not make their case any
more respectable.
Gentlemen. you are on the wrong
track. II you have any. grievance
ent But in stating these; leave the
church. and all churches, alone. Fight
Your fight on political lines like true
Americans. and do not sneak in false
hoods about the church merely to catch
the votes OF bgots and ieroramuses
Fight In the open and not like towards
behind the rotten rrsmparts of OF anti, anti,
TO make an attack upon tho church and
call il politics than you have TO attack
the Catholics or Jews. and call II politics
In doing 80. you brand yourself as
aliens and traitors TO the institutions of
this glorious country.
In what wav, we ask the church or
gan to point out, did anyone infringe
upon the rights of any church in any
thing that was said or done 10 the
American conventions of Saturday
last7 Vt is true that the speakers and
the platforms demanded the separation
of church and state, They demanded
that this separation should not be mere
ly nominal but should be real scpa-
ration in fact. made true and effect
i've, And they demanded that the
priesthood should keep its hands of
the politics aud civil affairs of the
people, and that all alike should be
submissive to the laws. This was the
whole tenor. purport, language, and
meaning of everything that was spoken
OF declared.
We gather, therefore, from the con
tention of tho church organ, that TO ask
that the separation of church and state
be made real aud effective is to invade
the province and rights of the Nor
mon church. To demand that the priest
hood shall keep their hands off from
the politics and civil affairs of the peo-
pie is to attack the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter day Saints; and to ask
that all shall be alike submissive and
obcdlont TO the laws is an invasion of
personal liberty.
1t is well TO have these matters fair
~ defined and concisely and exactly
expressed We know now precisely
where we stand The Mormon church,
therefore. does not desire real and
actual separation of church and state.
IT will not tolerate the idea that the
priesthood shall keep their hands off
the politics and civil affairs of the peo-
pie. II rejects with indignation and
contempt the idea that all shall be
held to equal submission and obedience
TO the laws.
Ii is always distinct gain when we
can come TO precise definition of the
points Of difference between contend.