Show CH V 00 interview with president woodruff and president cannon on the present political situation in utah oo 00 ABSOLUTE GOOD I 1 FAITH PREVAILS 00 the leaders of or the Chur cli in unequivocal terms declare that there is no desire to reestablish old conditions 00 oo 00 I 1 POLYGAMY IS A DEAD ISSUE 00 oo 00 will vill not at eit to alwo any A I 1 y Coitt control rol over iam Menil crt in iii Poll ticul oclin fremont or of AlI nirM a 00 from the salt late lake times of june ane ard the only argument put forward in opposition to the organization ot of parties on national lines in utah ie is that the peoples party la is not dot sincere in the dissolution that baa has been effected and that a plot has bm ben b m laid by which the liberals are to be divided and the political control of 0 utah placed la in the bands hands of the mormon people tor for purposes adverse to the interests ot of the gentile element it has been urged that the movement eo so far a aa a the mormons cormons are concerned Is being angine engineered ena ana gine ered by the church and the d demand a has been made that that the heads of the church should defies their position in connect connection in with the subject before the gentiles should be asked to believe that the members of the organization are sincere in brief it has been ch chimed lined that it is the purpose of the chorea to 0 o secure state hoA for and through the alleged political control of its members seize all the offices and carry on the government in the inte interest reit of mormons cormons and against tie vie interest of non mormons cormons ic it is held that the church claims the right to exercise absolute authority over its members in all mattes mattea and that this extends to di direct dictation ai as to whom they should vote tor for at all nimai we are told that those who have joined the democratic and republican parties have done so at the direction of the beads heads of the church that the peoples party was dissolved at their die aaion and that its members will be subject at all times in the future to their absolute control we are told further that polygamy has bag simply been suspended u ded to be re led in the fut future n re under the protection of state laws aws enacted by mamon legislatures and these legislatures elected by the decree of the church will pass other laws 11 to oppress gentiles and work virtual con ig cation of their property there are thousands ot earnest gin lies tiles who do not believe one word of he the charges of bad faith that are ore put fredi in a connection with this mattert rn atter jut but there are others who are frightened b by y the pictures painted pointed before heir their 1 imaginations find and who are honestly hone hore e I 1 looking ok g for further evidence evidences of g rood faith on the part of the tb mor mons before j lining into 9 the present movement the entire controversy upon this question of good faith as was shown by the organ of the ex wh when e a it declared in its issue of june 12 that it would yield to arty division if any evidence could earty a adduced that would be received in a court of law that a dissolution of the peoples party was sincere ein cere the times has held that the evidence of sincerity on the part of the mormons cormons is abundant and satisfactory but it has desired to satisfy all slue sincere I 1 to doubters and tor for that reason it determined it if possible to secure expressions pres pross lons from president woodruff and Pred president dent george Q cannon upon the dis disputed point such expressions sio have shave been secured they appear aati p e a r in connection herewith A and t they must clear away the laet last vestige of 0 I 1 doubt from the mind of every man maa who is willing to yield to incontrovertible evidence it is not often that these highest dignitaries of the church consent to undergo the modern pro ceis of interviewing but when the times convoyed conveyed its desire to them and represented the public importance of the uba subject ct which it wished to cover they consented to receive its representative senta tive when the latter called at church headquarters in company with a gentleman who had bad consented to in introduce him film president cannon stepped into the reception room to greet his visitors the newspaper man was invited to take a beat seat in att the office and state his business president woodruff was absent at abo time but president cannon suggested that the points which it was desired to cover dover might b be 0 P put at in the form of later interrogatories tog stories which could be taken up A and nd allow answered ered in detail this tills was done don and the questions which appear in the following folio wing interview were propounded the first counselor expressed bla his personal opinion that there was no reason why the queries could not be answered and undertook to lay them before president wood ruff when that gentleman should be able to again appear at the office the talk at again that time ran on for half an hour hourt and the times representative was impressed by abe be manifest earnestness ile and sincerity I Crit of president cannon it was evident t that hat he was deeply interested in securing the establishment of condI conditions tiona that would forever remove bis his church from the contentions tent ions of politics and that would leave its people free to ally themselves with the national parties ue Us told the story of the agitation within the church that led up to the vie renunciation of poly polygamy gAlay and it was made apparent that that renunciation could not be otherwise than absolute a and ad final president cannon promised to have the matter taken op up at the earliest possible moment and to to notify the times efm when the answer answers to the questions be ready th the L e iles were laid before president ld aodra and be he and president I 1 t I 1 44 4 1 4 h 1 cannon jointly give tha the times t the he following as their deliberately expressed views on every que question tion touched upon it ia Is asser asserted ted that the poop peoples I 1 a I 1 8 party wa was dissolved by direction of the church Is there any foundation for that charge 7 the peoples people party was dissolved as we understand under stan bv the action of it its leading cembara mem bara they rh have i stated bersi to ua us their convi convictions c I 1 0 no ej that t the time e had come for a division on national party lines there has been a growing feeling in that d direction for a long time and the dissolution of the peoples pl ie party ia is the result of that son sentiment t in art aej i not the fiat or of instruction the first intimation we had ol 01 dividing on pirty party lines cane cavie to us from ogden there is therefore no I 1 foundation oun dation foi for the charge a that t ha the church bought about the dissolution 0 of the peoples party does the church claim the right to dictate to its members in political matters the church does not claim any such ouch right the times tim es hai bai held that the appearance pe arance of church management 0 of I 1 the peo peoples I 1 a I 1 a par party t daring recent times resulted T purely from am the tact fact that the party was composed almost entirely of mem members lers of the church with prominent churchmen I 1 taking aking partin part in its affairs and that there ha has not been church rule as charged Is this view correct the times has correctly stated the facts connected with the appearance of church management of the peoples party that pirty party having been composed principally of members of the church and self defence having compelled tied L them to consult together and to decide concerning the best steps to be taken to preserve their rights some color has been given to the charge that it was a church pirty pArty bat but this ha has not been done in a ihn church ach capacity men have had influence in that party and been lis teaell to according to their experience and not became of their official position in the church that being true are we to under stand that the church will not assert any right to control the political action ol 01 its members in the future this it id what we wish to convey and have you understand As officers of the church we disclaim the right to control the political action of the members of our body will there be any reason why members of the church should come together and vote solidly eol idly it political condition conditions here are similar to those which prevail elsewhere we cannot perceive any reason why they tie should should do this in a the future if ai y you 0 a nay say political ca cn kitiona should exist here as they prevail elsewhere I 1 would leaders of the church counsel the support of tha the church members irrespective of party affiliation it is not probable that the leaders 0 of I 1 the church would give any counsel upon u 0 such subjects and certainly would wo uld not discriminate against agal a ste equally suitable men because they were not members of the church we would be in favor of voting for suitable men regardless of their religious religions beliefs or associations do you understand tand that those who join the Ite republican publican and Damoc democratic ratio parties will vote and work for gentile candidates of those parties as freely as tor for mormon candidates this ia Is certainly our understanding and we fully expect that former farther diem members of the peoples party who join the two national parties will ba be true to their party arty convictions and sustain the nominees no M ees of their respective parties though they may not be mem main bars of 0 the mormon church 4 Is it your intention to a advise members of the mormon church w when hen the peoples party in members a dithers have divided and after the liberal party has been broken up to unite in favor of the mormon church and against the gentiles do you know of any intention or on the part of the beads heads of the church to advis advise the members of the church if statehood should be bg obtained to unite and operate cooperate co in respect to the interests of the church against the gentiles ti leg we have restrained from interfering in political matters because of our n we ourselves ours elvea not having a vote bat awe we would consider it the height of tolly folly even if we had a disposition to direct the members of our oar church upon political matters to advise them to unite in favor of our church and against the non members thereof it the present political movement should continue we see no good reason if it the liberal party should braik bra ik up tor for any duch such division an has heretofore existed between mormons cormons and non cormons have deplored the existence ot of 6 class close feeling fooling and believe it has been a fruitful source of trouble we shall hall with unfeigned gratification the time when t the be people of 1 utah without regard to their religious views can unite as its and labor the advancement and prosperity 0 the territory it state statehood I 1 on on id e ever ver be obtained all the influence a I 1 1 I 1 1 1 11 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 could one use to breakdown tlona which have created ouch such bit terne n m in the past would be ex estea do you believe that if utah should be admitted ai as a state the cormons will unite in selecting members of the church to the legie legislature lature and that the will make laws favorable to the and unfavorable to the non cormona As we have already intimated what influence we can use will be exerted in ina favor vor of legislation leei elation that will be in the inter interests es to and tor for the benefit of the whole people it would be most u it if any attempt were made to pass laws favorable to the mormons cormons and unfavorable to the non mormons cormons Mor mons any euch such attempt would be bare sure to bring upon the mormon evils which they are desirous deai roua 0 of averting it is to our interest to tarnish furnish no do pretext for the formation of an anti mormon party which would no doubt be the result if members of the church in the legislature were to attempt to discriminate by legislation in favor of their core co re unionists 11 Is ile it your that the peoples party hag has honestly and in go good faith dips dissolved olred and that they will unite with the democratic and republican publican Ke parties according cordine ao to their convict convictions ionn of what Is right thir certainly is our understanding we can perceive no reason why the representatives ol 01 the peoples party hould have taken their recent action unless it was t their heir honest in onto to unite ti themselves with the national part lep do you know of f any intention on the part of the church or any of its officers or members ever to organize a political party with respect f the conceived of the mormon church we know of no euch ouch intention on the part of anyone and can see bo DO object to be attained under the new conditions which now surround und us by organizing any such a party do you understand that it is the wish of the mormon church to maintain a separation of church and state with respect to all political questions Illo however wever much appearances ma kiy have indicated that we have favored gvore the union of church and state and the many assertions which have been made of this nature there is no real disposition among the people of our church to unite church and state in fact we believe there should he a separation between the two but in past times the situation in this territory was such that officers of the church were ire frequently bently elected to civil offices if it g abe ato 0 pie availed themselves of the best beat itt talent s lent leat of the cm community they were ivere under the necessity very frequently of selecting officers of the church to fill these positions you must understand that nearly y every reputable male member of the mormon chorea church holds office in the church Oc of course ourse where the people aa as waa was the case in many localities were all mormons cormons Mor mons if they elected any of their own members they bad had to choope choose leq who held hold position ia in the church men were selected for bishops because of their superior ability to care tor for and manage the affairs of their wards they were then the practical and experienced men of it their several command tier and in the estimation of the people Is were suitable for legislators etc their their election to civil es led to the ajea tint that there was a union of church and state ID dodou you believe that itin the wish of the mormon people to unite with the great reat national parties and to conduct politics in this territory ai as they are conducted in an other states ill that is the impression we have received from conversation with the men among us who take the greatest int interest arest in political matters Is there any reason why the members of the church should not act f freely reely with tha the national parties ai at all t time mes we know of no reason why they should not would the leaders of the church under tinder any circumstance circumstances countenance defiance of the laws against polygamy ly gamy 7 0 speaking for ourselves in view of the experience of the past no they would not I 1 11 would leaders of the church it if placed in official position wink at violations of the anti polygamy laws 11 we cannot say what others might do but bat lor for ourselves we say we ne would not wink at violations of the law 1 I would there be beany any desire among church leaders to abolish the laws against polygamy or to make them lees leas stringent if utah were admitted to statehood yo yon a may a I 1 rest assured that church leaders im would neither attempt themselves nor advise others to attempt selm to a abolish lab those laws if it utah were to become a state la Is it your understanding hat that if a member of |