The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-10-04
THE MIscHIEvoUs MEDDLING.

The second act OF President Joseph
+. Smith s political comedy for 1912
was also reproduced in full in these
columns Wednesday. 1t is an editorial
explanation in the Deseret News of
what the reverend gentleman meant in
his lmpro, cmeut Fra article Now il
the editor Of the Messenger will kindly
! tell us what 1T is all about, and the
Juvenile Instructor viii in turn explain
| that, the circle will be complete. which
may take us back TO the point Of be
ginning.
II must be humliatinR 10 Mormon
men and women. no matter in what
| political camp They are temporarily So
iourning. subject TO recall, TO witness
these biennial declarations and subse
quent reuunciatious by their inspired
leaders ard TO feel obliged to follow
them through all the tortuous windings
which mari; their course in every cam
raign. il IL is intended as a test of
their faith it is as severe as il must
he monotonous.
In substance. the president Of the
:
candidacy is tho ono he indorsos: that
no reasonable citizen can find fault. with
! the present administration: that every
issue has been met properly, that the
President has risen to every occasion
and applied the proper legal remedy
10 every evil; that he has handled the
trust question legally and effectively;
that his administration has been q de
Cided success; that his re election will
cause no regret, and that those who
support him are conducting themselves
in a way that is "wise, sensible, and
sound. - for which they Will receive
the writer's blessing accordingly As
The Tribune has already printed the
article in full, only a synopsis is neces-
sarv at this time
In its customary and inevitable eH-
plauation. the Deseret News expresses
astonishment that "some have con
strued it as an evidence Of church in
terference in politics - Surely not
How in the world could ANYBODY get
an idea like that into his head7 Who
would be so base as to find political
significance in snch an article published
in a religious Journal at conference
time in political campaign, Absurd.
1t is merely an invitation to "come
TO Sunday school and mind your teach
err Political signi6cance' Church
interference The very idea!
Besides, the News assures us that
- church members are r"v
have been, as free in their choice of
political affiliations as any other Amer
lean citizens, notwithstanding allega
tions to the contrary
Church members are just as free now
as they have ever been in the choice
of their political affiliations. Whatever
that may mean, we have the assurance
of the News. and doubtless the Improve
ment Era will confirm it, that this is
true. Even the president of the church,
turning from the columns Of the Era
to those Of the News, says further,
that there is no intention on the part
of the church authorities to interfere
in politics, nor would there be any
interference in behalf Of any political
party
tinent to inquire as TO the object of
the signed article in the Era. It may
have been merely q space filler, signed
absent-mindedly and printed in vain
hope that no one would read it or be
Influenced by it in the least. However
the News diselaims all responsibility on
the part of every one except the signer
as it SAYS:
President Joseph Smith, today, after
an interview with a representative OF
The News. authorized us 10 say that he
alone assumes the responsibility for the
views expressed in the article referred to-
Now that may mean that the views
expressed in the Era are shared by no
other official, or il may be an announce.
ment that it is the word with the bark
on it. direct. explicit, and unprofaned
by other hands, At all events it is
a significant fact that the Era edict
is signed while the News disclaimer is
not, To be sure the News says:
There Is no disposition on the part of
the church authorities to interfere In any
any member OF the church, and no OFF,
cial. or member. OF the church is auth
orzed Will be permitted to speak for
or represent the church In party affairs,
or TO interfere with their party freedom.
But il remains to be seen what use
will be made of the two articles by
gum -shoers'' who will undoubtedly
carry the Era over Utah Idaho, Wyo-
ming, Colorado Arizona and Nevada,
to spots where 1t will produce the best
results during this campaign, They
may heed this unsigned admonition of
the News editor, or they may prefer
to exhibit the Era. The choice is open
to them, no matter what assurances
the News may seek to convey to the
rest Of the world.
| The News says that cit is not meant
as declaration of the political faith
Of the church. > but there is no indi,
cation as to how 1.-The political faith of
the church may be recognized. In the