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Show WILL YOUNG UTAH SUBMIT ? When Joseph Smith was at the head of the Church in Nauvoo, he organized the nucleus of an army and had himself named as Lieutenant-Gen-eral. He further announced himself a candidate for President of the United States. His published idea was to establish a kingdom which should have control in religion and in temporal government alike. His idea was to subvert the Government of the United States and establish such a Government Govern-ment as the Hebrews were ruled by in the days of David and Solomon, under which the common people were but hewers of wood and drawers of water. This assumption was the greatest cause of the heart-burning against Mormonism on the part of the men first of Ohio, then of Missouri, then on the part of Illinois. His idea was the same as that once expressed in the Tabernacle by the late George Q. Cannon, when he declared that Vox Populi Vox Dei was not right; that it should read Vox Dei Vox Populi. That is, that the voice of the people could not be the voice of God in Governmental affairs, but rather the voice of God as proclaimed by his priesthood, must be the voice of the people. When Utah was admitted into the Union the chiefs of the Church, more especially and in a more pronounced way than any other, the present head of the Church, declared that this idea should be done away with; that there should be no further furth-er interference on the part of the priesthood with the political opinions of the people, "until He who has the right to rule shall come." It was on that promise that Statehood was obtained. The first direct breaking of that covenant was when B. H. Roberts was thrust forward as a candidate for Congress. That did not come through the First Presidency, but through certain ambitious apostles like John Henry Smith, Heber Grant and some others, who wanted a polygamist in Congress that it might serve as a precedent when they should become candidates for the Senate. The candidacy of Apostle Reed Smoot for the United States Senate, with the consent of his brother high churchmen, is another violation of that compact. Mormons may say "That deception was justifiable justifi-able under the circumstances, for our chiefs have a right to break their word with Gentiles whenever when-ever it is necessary to make a point." But there is a good deal more than all that to this matter. That pledge was to the President and Congress of the United States, to those who at that time were the Government There is very much more to It. It goes directly to the welfare of the Mormons in Utah. When a man like Reed Smoot, simply because he is an apostle, is singled out, set apart and elected a Senator of the United States, It is notice to every bright young man in Utah that he must give up any honorable ambition which he may possess to seek such honors as this country opens to all her children; that all such places are reserved re-served for the higher priesthood. Is Young Utah ready to submit to this? If It Is, let such read what the effect of such rule has always al-ways been when persevered in. It has never failed to culminate in the enslavement of a people; never failed to break the courage and perve. t the morals of a people until the men cease to become fit for soldiers; until the women cease to be worthy to become the mothers of brave sons. Every young Mormon who will this year vote a legislative ticket that ho knows if elected will vote for a man for Senator simply because he is an apostle of the Church, who knows that except for that position no one would have ever thought of him for Senator, that young man, consciously or unconsciously, degrades himself, and that preserved pre-served it will In a little while degrade a race, for the badge of servitude cannot long be worn by a free man without making him at heart a slave. |