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Show ''THE BEST PEOPLE." ' Apostle Hyrum Smith has Just made the startling announcement In public meeting that the "Mormon people are the best people In the world." ' After years of patient Industry in studying the statistics, this noted sociologist so-ciologist Is prepared to put forth his discovery to the world; and, as he speaks after the careful Investigation which is'eo characteristic of his studious studi-ous life, and also speaks under tho authority au-thority of his father, who Is a side partner of Omniscience, It might 111 become be-come any mero worldly person or newspaper news-paper to question his utterance In the slightest degree. The Mormon people are a good people; peo-ple; in the main they are law abiding; they would be loyal to the country and Its Institutions if they could be. But, after all, are they so much better than the rest of mankind that It is seemly for their leaders to boast their excellences excel-lences at every opportunity? Aro they really better than the rest of the world at all? Are Mormons of Utah any better bet-ter than Christians aro In other communities? com-munities? No one but the boasters of the church can answer that question In tho affirmative. Good people are good everywhere, and the Mormons are no better than the other good people, even .'f they aro in the absolute sense as good as their masters claim them to be the claim being put forward purely pure-ly as a part of the general deception. No sensible person will charge the sins of the hierarchy to the people, except as the people wilfully join In or support those sins. But there Is a general gen-eral community wrong in which nearly all Mormons have a share; and while that wrong stands as a community characteristic, it Is absurd for the preachers of the church to boast of the relative- superiority of tho Mormon people. The wrong is in tho utter contempt con-tempt which seems to be had for law by the muss of the people, under tho tutelage of the hierarchy, and the en-tiro en-tiro subjugation of the mass. to the worship wor-ship of the law-breaking chiefs. It Is not lorig since an average good Mormon (a man who pays tithes, a man who' leads personally almost a blameless. . llfc- sajd to the writer: "I believe Joseph F1. Smith is the best man on earth. We aro told that wo should not (Worship' men, and therefore I do not worship him; but I look upon him as being as near'unto Jesus Christ as a-mere man can be." Being? reminded that Joseph F. Smith had testified in Washington that he. Smith, was living in defiance of the laws of God and man, and that he proposed pro-posed to continue; and being reminded that if Smith spoke the truth he was a sinful wretch wilfully, defiantly sinful. and if he lied he was unworthy of countenance, not to .say imitation; thai good Mormon merely answered: "I think it is wrong to Bet up Judgment of men like J'resldent Smith, men who are doing tho best they can In difficult circumstances; cir-cumstances; for you must, remember that ho was surrounded by enemies who were seeking to entrap him." In this ono enso wo see the entire situation sit-uation exemplified. There Is nn Ignoble Igno-ble Idolatry of man evinced by the Mormon people toward this ignoble chief of theirs; and when his wretched character Is exposed by quoting his own words, there Is a resentful fooling on the part of Mormons toward tho Nation Na-tion as the enemy of Smith and ns tho enemy of "tho best people In the world." According to Apostle Hyrum Smith's Idea the Mormon people may ho better than any other human creatures. But until they arc permitted to comblno loyalty to tho Nation with their own manifest virtues, Apostlo Smith's word will not bo accepted by tho rest of mankind. In view of tho community wrongs which aro being perpetrated b" the loaders nnd, In part at least, supported by the mass, tho cry' of their own superlative su-perlative Gxcollenco sounds to ordinary humanity like the vainglory of the Pharisees. A llltlo less boasting nnd a little more regard for truth and loyalty would Improve even theso extraordinarily extraordi-narily good people. |
