Show ROBERTS ON THE MANI FESTO AND CHURCH discipline Is IN last fridays issue of 0 the deseret news is published a letter from B H roberts in reply to one written to him by a brother from ogden whose name was withheld the broad ax does not propose tu to say say anything with reference to the ogden letter or that portion of the letter of mr roberts which deals with church rules and regulations ecclesiastics can discuss those for they are strictly within their province speaking of the late manifesto mr roberts says after classifying the anti manifesto men to the second class who say that the practical wor workings kings of the regulation will be to bring to pass church i interference n ter in in politics I 1 would say that they should be willing to accord some honesty to the gentlemen who promulgated what they assert is a church regulation merely and wait until it is demonstrated demonstrate d that in its operations it interferes with the political rights and liber ties of the citizen the people have waited long and patiently for the demonstration of the fact that the cc manifesto was intended and would operate only as a church regulation patience may mav become no longer a virtue mr roberts and others may IE sv proclaim with all the vehemence men ce of their souls that it the I 1 manifesto was and is meant to be a church regulation for the good order of the church alone but that make it so mr roberts does not condemn the news the official organ of the church for haying having said that the election of moses thatcher to the senate would be an in insult sule to the church but on the contrary he defends the above named sheet in such action achion and goes so far as to urge his defeat has mr roberts EL forgotten the fact that he ran for congress on the democratic ticket and did his best to be elected when at the same time he knew that he was acting without the consent and against the approval of his ecclesiastical superiors i pen peri ons ors the famous priesthood meeting had been held and brother roberts robert reprimanded for his waywardness yet did he withdraw himself from the congressional n race the rule of which the manifesto is only a written expression had always existed it was and had bad been an established 1 ish e d law every man is presumed to know the law of his church as well as the law of his state mr roberts being well posted in church matters it is only fair to presume that he knew the law why did he pers persist I 1 st in the race did he not know that he was acting contrary to the law of the church chuich would riot not his election have been a flagrant iti insult sult to the church and m fact to the democratic party for it we must remember is ia largely cum composed posed of mormons cormons Mor mons who like mr roberts are presumed to know the unwritten as well as the written law of the church consistency thou art a jewel but bat few there are who find you but bat mr roberts ea elected how fortunate for no insult was waa made the democratic party abiu lives mr thatcher is ia a candidate for the I 1 senate as he was when mr roberta erta was a for corae the house the common and long existing eidath i g law kw of the church has bili taken taxa on garrit 4 ats afis ten form mr roberts swears allegiance to the same while mr thatcher feels that he cannot do so without stultification mr thatcher has therefore been deposed from the apostleship he no longer holds a high ecclesiastical position vea yea he has been stripped of every ministerial power and hence if there is a single member in ohp mormon church to whom tle the manifesto is not a applicable moses thatcher is the me member m for it must be remembered that the manifesto only applies to those holding high ecclesiastical positions and whose duties are continuous the quorum of apostles and the first presidency over their printed signatures 8 igna tures have said in the most positive language that mr thatcher has no priesthood duties whatever to tb perform how then mr roberts is it that thatcher is is virtually asking their the peoples representatives to elect him to the senate because he is appo opposed ked to a rule which they in their capacity as church members have accepted by a free vote vate as a rule of their church can he be opposed to a rule which is not applicable to him if he can has he not the right to be so without violating a regulation of the church mr roberts is driven to this po point nt that if the manifesto is is applicable to moses thatcher it is is applicable to every member in the church and if it be applicable to every every member ip in the church hurch oc then the people have been fooled by bv a false interpretation and their political liberties are swallowed up by a deceptive designing and insidious rule cloaked under the guise of religion we will admit that the greater portion of the people have accepted the manifesto but only in the sense that it is a church rule and not a political measure at all then how can it be said that although mr thatcher cannot accept it his election would be an in insult suie to the church or to the mormon democrats it cannot be unless the rule is perverted from its intention if however its advocates maintain that the I 1 rule a applies then the only legitimate conclusion is that the rule rale is a political measure measure and every democrat is pledged to defeat it mr roberts included doea mr thatcher ask to be elected for his opposition to a church as roberts alleges Q we know not for in express terms he denies it and further asserts that he would oppose the election of any person who would attempt such a thing would thatchers thatcher election be improper mp roper because he is seeking it on an issue W ue which was not in the campaign we are not awake aware of the fact that he is i asking an election for the issue suggested he is a candidate because he is a democrat of unswerving integrity of unquestioned ability and because cause e there are thousands of loyal democrats who are desirous that he should run for the senate would his elec election tiou be impolis tica we w are willing wiuf to leave that to the legislature mr roberts |