The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-16

1
, other class be entirely immune that
commits the same offcnse.
We have seen nominating conven
tions swayed by sectarian influences
to precisely the same extent that q
church convention or conference would
be. We have seen delegates who of
fered resolutions in favor of restrain
ing ecclesiastical influences in politics
denounced upon the floor of a party
convention as Fapostates from the
church, for so dong; and the storm OF
opposition against the resolution bur.
led it out of sight
Now, the way to peace and harmony
in Utah is to do away with all these
things, to keep faith to observe the
law, and see that equal justice is done
to all men. If a bigamist or polygam-
| list, who is not a member Of the church
is to be sent to the penitentiary for his
offense, let the courts also send mem
bers of the church to the penitentiary
for the same offense, without being
decried as prosecutors of religion. Let
the pledge made in the petition for am
nesty, and the, showing for the restora-
tlon of the escheated property, that the
law would be faithfully obeyed and
enforced, be carried out in good faith
Let the church in fact lift its hand
from politics and let civil affairs alone.
1t is not enough that the church deny
doing these things; let it in fact quit
doing them. 1t is idle to say that these
things are not done by the authority OF
the church, for they could not be done
at all except by such authority. To
say that those who object to this sort
OF thing must show that the church in
some authoritative way, in conference
or otherwise, has ordered the act is to
mock at free American citizenship be.
cause every one knows that these
things are done, every one knows that
they could not effectually be done with
out the sanction Of the church authori.
ties, and the sanction of the church
authorities, as long as those authorities
are sustained by the church, is the
sanction Of the church AS applied to
polygamy, this church sanction is alb.
solute, because only by and through the
church authority is polygamy possible,
or would be defended anywhere 1t is
the church that is responsible for it
all, and it is the church cloak that hides
and protects it all. The church leaders
who go into politics have the advan-
tage of the church organization behind
them Thev use that organization for
their political purposes, precisely as
politicians elsewhere use political ma
chimes to help their campaigns.
But do the leading authorities in
Utah desire peace7 If so they have
but to decree it, and TO decree it on
terms of their own making. That is to
say, on the pledges which they them
selves publicly put forth TO the people
Of Utah and of the Nation, as those
things that they were determined to
do. Let them come within the law,
let them cease interfering with the
courts, with civil affairs, and with poll
tics. Let them cease railing at their
neighbors are merely trying to help
them, and would gladly help them into
better ways Of both public and private
endeavor. Let us get right down to
business on this proposition, and get the
right basis of peace and hold to it, |
But we can never get there as long as
the church politicians persist in deny
ing self-evident facts, in railing at
their neighbors who object to the
church politicians misdeeds, and con-
cuted, when in fact it is help that is
offered, and not attack Let the church |
leaders come into line candidly, honest. |
ly, and honorably on the precise line
of their own protestations and volun.
tary pledges. Let them abandon their |
usurpations and their claims Of politi-
cal and civil rule, leaving the people in
fact as well as nominally to conduct !
their public affairs in their own way;
and let them conform to the law In
their daily lives, as they solemnly
pledged themselves to do.
The way to peace, therefore, has al |
ways been open; the Tribune has point
ed it out many times in the past That
way is open now, and The Tribune
points it out now. There has been no
change in the American position in
this matter from the first The Ameri-
cans have simply asked that the church
managers shall do what they them
selves voluntarily agreed to do. II
they will do this honestly and in good
faith, all will be well, and there will
be no more contention in Utah than
there Is in the other States Of the I'm
ion. But to put on an offended air, to
claim grievance, to make false accu-
satIon against those who are merely
trying to make Utah State in the
Union such rs other States are, is no
foundation on which to proceed to a