The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-23
PLAIN TRUTHS, TOLD BY
CANNON, CHEERED TO ECHO
Continued from Page One.

present chief OF the church, into safe
| exile In some OF the colonies of the
church The sorrow and the anlietion
which were upon the people here were
| immeasureable, Under the cscheat pro-
| ceedings the property OF the community
| had been seized and Was held in posses
| litical rights, we had practically none on
| our side. Ii is true that the monogamists
OF the church stl held their rights to
vote in local elections. Still we could
had the absolute power OF veto, The
Judges were men who were sent by the
national government To adjudlcate oven
IN our local affairs. and practically all
the jury service was within the custody
OF the minority population.
| point them 10 three things. there was
rigorous prosecution Of those men who
had entered into marriage relations which
We're held sacred by their church and by
themselves. but which were offensive to
the laws OF this country and antagoni2ed
by the civilized nations OF this world.
There was an escheat Of the property OF
the church. because IL was deemed in
the wisdom OF congress that The prop
erty of the Mormon church was being
against the institutions of this country
and as for politics, we we're only clti-
zens of territory.
Citizenship Restored.
I assisted. with others OF the power
OF the kingdom. to carry us through our
ship. claiming authority from on high
TO administer in spiritual matters. also
claimed TO speak by the voice of the AL
mighty in temporal affairs. and again
and again in the dark hours I heard the
leaders Of the people say "thc Lord Will
care for his own. This is his work Trus,
In him and he will take care OF us"
And then I saw when VIC were all in
danger Of determination that the lead
ers Of the church and kingdom OF God
on earth turned TO the American nation
and asked for mercy. and received II.
and when ! put up my hand and accepted
amnesty, | became a citizen of the re-
public, and so did they become citizens
of the republic under covenants the
obtain an estate. in order To obtain
restoration of civil rights. In order to OBJ
tain gift back to them OF the property
which had been eacheated TO the govern
ment.
when Benjamin Ilurcson wiped out the
offense. blotted 1t out. no more prosecu-
tions. no more breaking up OF families,
no more sending of husbands to prison,
no more exile for the wives who were
afraid 10 testify. and no more little chill
dren going around and denying the name
OF their fathers lest their fathers suffer
for T.: 4 gift so vast. so splendid. so
that those who had been present. those
who had been witnesses OF tie cruelty
and persecution. as we call u. ot that
time. can never forget in this world aor
the world 10 come.
Chiefs of Church Get Property.
And as for the property, IL was given
back by the nation to the chiefs OF the
church / myself wrote the last bill by
which the last vestige Of real estate
was restored and when men said, 1--WE
fear that the sentiment of the United
States would not applaud us II we were
TO restore Il unconditionally," ! begged
of them NOT 70 insult these men OF
honor by restoring tho property on a
nd on nr1 nf
which they would give and which
preached; the property was restored with
out condition.
Not so sacred in my eyes was the Civ
TO me that some Of the parties at the
head Of the street were more grateful
for the dollars they got back from the
national government than for the rcsto-
ration of their political rights.
The Man Of Broken Pledges.
When amnesty was given. every man
IN the church so far as I know resumed
his citizenship. Thereby there was
gift to the people here which
fellow citizens OF the republic. Then
In the great tabernacle AT Salt Lake and
in the conference. the man who said that
which he had broken to the world. and
asked If any man could testify OF a
broken pledge, l testify TO one. He
signed a petition for amnesty 10 Presi-
Benjamin Harrison restored him 10 his
on condition that he should
not longer offend against the law. lie
pledge, No doubt he would dispute that
my word was good. On one occasion
his word was good. for he testified In
Washington that he had broken the
pledge. but lest YOU should not be will
Ing TO accept his word on that point,
and you cannot always accept 1t. the
record stands imperlshable.
In the darkest hours OF the history OF
the Mormon church its chief men pledged
their honor and the honor Of the people
TO an obedience OF the laws. Benjamin
Harrison issued the manifesto on condi-
ton that the laws should be obeyed-
The citizenship was taken into the keep
ing OF the men who heretofore had been
prescribed, and they are exercising not
the right OF citizenship OF the whole mass
Of their people today.
Politically even in the territory we
was restoration In so far as a gem
erous nation could give, OF all the rights
which human creatures can enjoy.
Ought to Be Best People.
This people ought to be the best In
the nation. for no people In any othar
has had such tutelage as we had. Sow
ereignty came to Utah under extraor-
dinary circumstances and associated
with extraordinary responsibilities. Never
been n state in which had existed such
local strife as had prevailed here, Never
In any other instance has so much been
forgiven upon one side and forgotten
on the other. Never In any other state
had the people been elevated from such
lowliness 10 such splendor. l refer again
TO the inquiry which I made of you. It
is the groundwork OF any description OF
political conditions in Utah today What
is the chief political power OF this state
OF Utah? II the promise be correct that
the Mormon church Is OF the chief po-
litical power within this sovereignty.
then there has not only been a violation
OF the covenant made in the past but
there is hopelessness for the future. until
that fact shall be corrected.
Does the chieftaiuship of the Mormon
church carry with IT In this state the
in the temporal affairs of
our government? There has not been
since 1896 elected senator I'm Utah who
did not previously have the approval of
the president Of the church. not one In
1897 Joseph l.. Rawlins was elected sena.
tor from Utah. Ably and well he flied
that splendid station. and what ] shall
say Is no reflection on his personal or
his political integrity, but every one In
this audience who was an observer of
those times knows that the Mormon
church transferred a Republican into tho
Democratic column when Joseph L. Raw
Inns was elected over Moses Thatcher
In 1899 another vacancy was 10 occur
in the ScnatOrShiD and go Apostla Crant