Show GREAT CRY AND LITTLE WOOL THERE is a new attempt on foot to conLe ct the leading authorities of the church with the political affairs of the territory the republican victory at logan is made the immediate excuse for the cry of church influence it is claimed that certain individuals went about 11 among the people of logan before the election and told them that the high church officials were interested in a republican victory there among those named is beof gibbs who is described as the well known clerk and stenographer in the office of the first presidency these complaints have come from democrats who seem to be smarting over their unexpected defeat but they are entertained by others and the matter assumes proportions serious enough to warrant some notice of the charges if it to is true that the first presidency have authorized these or any other persons to advise the people in logan or elsewhere re what ticket to vote then those church dignitaries have not kept within the limits which they have defined for themselves if it is not true then all the nelse that is being made is a much ado about 11 1 but the is that nothing dg question one concerns both political parties and is of as much moment to the republicans as to the democrats and in our opinion it ought not to be evaded or ignored we have authority from presidents wilford woodruff and joseph F smith president george QC annon has been absent from the territory for some weeks to state emphatic emphatically ily that they have not authorized or instructed anybody to advis eor counselor intimate to the people at logan or directly or indirectly how they should vote or what party they should support this statement mean means not lust what it says in letter and spirit therefore if any person has been doing what to is claimed it has been without authority from the church leaders leaden and Is to be ae condemned by all sincere people of of every party I 1 brother george F gabb to in answer to queries from this writer stated that he went to cache valley to visit relatives and attend a is funeral that he was invited by republican friends in logan to to over to that city and make a speech or two just preceding the election that he did so but was not sent bent there by the church leaders or either of them nor did be receive any instruction or permission to speak for them on political matters As a matter of fact he says chedid he did not use uee their names in the manner charged As to the other persons named the presidency have had no communication with them anthis matterand matter and it if they have used the names of any church leader in the way described bed they have done so wrongfully and without justification it is difficult for those who know them to believe that they have gc gene ne to the lengths which are pointed out against them in the case of brother gibbs thereto there is the shadow of a slender thread apparently connecting him with the presidency and politics with the others there is none he is employed as a clerk in the office of the presidency he is a republican he made some speeches in logan he may have used his personal ii IL fluence influence in aid of his bis party Is there anything wrong in all abie are the sentiments of a clerk to be taken for the views of his employers or must a clerk in a church office eschew politics and be come a political nullity why try to make a mountain out of a molehill or to terrify the publio public with apprehensions of a monster evil which is nothing but the ghost of a small shadow we admit that if the presidency of the church have done all that is claimed the situation is serious but with the slim evidences claiming to toco ca hect them officially with party politics we think some folks are greatly exercised over a little and false alarm |