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Show '-TmxKnmmmtmimmvmmmn itln' iwfwinwiwwt t i Iatiiijjde OF 'Nil; church. I'rcsiil.'iit Woolruff Charly X.-plrjins X.-plrjins Ins Position. Tile leumi-kl of I'n'M.li'iit Wilford Wuoilriill'iit the Provo Tabernacle Sm day afternoon, it nyliopsis of which wis published In (he Tribune of jesterday, were read with great Inleroat by (he piildle In orib-rthat they may create no iuiiiiiilerstaiidln,'. nnd to remove any poiiildc uiisapptchinalonriioTrib' lino on hiy mldrtrtc I ll.e followlne to Piisideut Woodrull: "Salt Lake City, Sept. 21, 181M "Wilford Woodruir, Piesidinlof lh Church of Jesus Christ ol Lnltcr-Day Salnta:--Denr Sir: Heretofore Tin-Tribune Tin-Tribune has reported jou nnd others In authority In your church ns giving ut-ternnce ut-ternnce to the aotitimenl Hint the Mormon Mor-mon peoplo might to devidu,iiou National Na-tional party lines accord lug to the political po-litical sentiments which each man might eiiterlnlu, without interference in nnj way from ulliclnla of your church in that matte r. frequently lias tlint uttcruiu'c lieen given, and the public has lomo to rely upon It aa fixed nnd final. Now, however, thia feeling of safety from church Interfercnco in politiis has been disturbed, nnd n fresh source of unrest Intioduccd by n report which appeared In The Tribuuo this morning of your remarks re-marks yesterday at Provo. Thu rciiort wnsmado by u mini in complete hj in-pathy in-pathy with jourbelf so far ns church affairs af-fairs go, nnd who, it la certain, would refuso to inlsreiort jou in any way. Subsequent inquiry develops that ho l conlMent in tho accuracy of his report of your remark as ho understood I hem The portion of that report which causes uucaeincsa is tlio following. "It ia generally thought tho first presidency pres-idency should have nothing to say n out politics," ho continued. I picked up n pnpir this morning sajing that wj had no business to meddle In politics. We haven right to lead tho pcoplo in spirit tial nnd temporal alTalrs. Wo have the same rights of leadership tlint Ilrighutn Young had, nnd that tho Prophet Joseph Smith had. In temporal uflalrs? Yea. In political affairs? Yes. Wo havo r right to adviso lioth Democrats and Republicans Re-publicans to lead n puro campaign. Wt havo a right to say to (he people that they inuBt be pure In politica na well nt In temporal affairs. We havo thousand! of children growing to manliccd in Zijii. I am Interested in their welfare, and would like to seo them brought up mulct proper influences, nnd not under tin , Influence of ruch n campaign as we had two ycarango." "Tho purpose of thia Inquiry Is to na-ccrtnln na-ccrtnln with exactness, "First, whether your remarks were precisely us reported, nnd, If not, wherein where-in they depart from precision. "Second, if tlio remarks wero na reported, re-ported, then In what eenso do you wish it understood: whether aa n claim to control tho political netiona of your poeple nbsohttcly, or only as n citizen so ndvlsu tho right. "Third, tho claim is apparently made in your remarks that tho church author. Ities claim the right to direct tlio people in their Lmalncss nnd politica, nud, in general tholr temporal affair a, na woll aa spiritual, Ittsdcsinibletoknow whether this claim is really made nnd Insisted upon at tlio tlmo, and ia to bo In tho future, whllo tho public has been led to I bclelvo that claim n thing of tho past, i Mot respectfully, I TlllUUNE PUDLISIIINII Co.' PRESIDENT WOODRUFF'S REPLY President WoodrulTrephcd totheabovo I quciieans follows: "Salt Lake Tribune; Cicntliuian: Answering tlio first question in your I note. I have to say that I believe the I extract you quuto Trim jour realtor I my remarks at Provo ia substantially I correct. "To llm second, my reply ia that 'the control of thu political netiona of oui people iilMolutely, ia not set up m n claim in my icniarks, nnd I certalnlv would not wish them to lo no understood under-stood . I hold tint it Is the right of the priesthood to ndviso at any and nil times nnd under nny clrcumstnuces those who profess to respect ltd powers, in nil matters pertaining to iheir temporal welfare and their spiritual salvation i If in tho mailer of politica, that tlio Latter-Day Latter-Day Saints should bo governed by puro pilnciplea, nnd in political affairs should rciilizunnd act tiiou their rcBponaiulllties us Saints and iltUcns. Thia is not to claim Hie right to ndvisu them how or fur whom they ehoiid vote, or which party they should join. We emphatical ly and sincerely approv the division of thu Mormon people on party lines, nnd we lecognize every mini's agency nnd lespect hia tight to choose In these malleus for himself. We have not nil-visul, nil-visul, and do not adviio out people how thfy shall vote; (lie elections tlint have been held in thN Territory since politica on National party linos was introduced, aie proof of tlda policy; we ask no Republican Re-publican to vote the Democratic ticket' mid no Democrat to vote the Republicai j ticket; wo linvonoer ndvieid theiii h I vote other than their convictlom punnptcil ilium, and have no inte'itloi. of giving biieh advice. At tlio saim time we duiin the rigid, botluls Indi vidualsanJ us leadera of tho church, t" j souncil our people tu keep aloof from the L1 --1-"-- "'"!'aMf VWLH ts fe lP ! (oirop'Joi ,iln. i, i, t .in. i tlio filth of JilKiLLa io1tties nO too (reqnei (!., pr.ulicvd tn the jiBELH vuiild, t,Kt.1T, 9 Dm a III rlH nlhar tilings, nii'l it i i ,. ii..-ii,at 9C I vvlsli to he un.li it . ! j i i ting (ha 1HpI rightofilie i.ne.'i , ,. I i l( c iuiij t? H iiipolltirnl i ffiirs A'mIh-vv bvo J the tight ol opinion hi I of c li.wo iH also have repousil.ili.i.M of iinties to wl ourselves ami to othirx. but before tho ' foregoing can boco'ia'imd ua uic Idling IkILLb In politics, I shall bu unnbio (o find ILLfl ground for tlio iitiensiiiefs of which jou .KtLH speak. However, In Hie hgbt of this ffifisiliiiiii statement of my meaning i id views, I fl trust theie can bono further cauao of ff!!!LB anxiety orunrtt;I nssiirojou there is HiH no foundation fori,. Youra rcspccifntiy, filLLa "Witromi WooliRUrr." BSbII |