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Show A CLEAR CASE. Ono might be quite certain that Dr. Thompson, editor of the Northwestern Christian Advocate, would take an intelligent in-telligent view of "The Monaco of Mor-monlsm," Mor-monlsm," which Is the able article from the pen of Senator Shelby M. Cullom which appeared in the current number of the North American Review. Like Senator Cullom, whose long and early acquaintance with the question has brought him en rapport of its peculiarities, pe-culiarities, and later and close study of its history and proceedings by Dr. Thompson, has mado him one of tho best Informed of commentators. A recent controversy not to be forgotten, for-gotten, the particulars of which appeared ap-peared In these columns, In which Penrose Pen-rose of the Deseret News appeared on the ono side and Dr. Thompson on the other, demonstrated that Dr. Thompson Thomp-son can hold his own ground logically in the polemic field upon the subject of Mormonlsm, with the ablest .of the hypocritical church sophists. In commenting upon Senator Cul-lom's Cul-lom's creat contribution tho Northwestern North-western Christian Advocate says; "The Mormon people as a whole were never in large numbers guilty of polygamy. Tho proportion of polygamlsts was very small, but its practice was, and Is today, by those who dominate the church and control Its Influence In all of Its affairs, both civil and ecclesiastical. ecclesiasti-cal. The Mormon people are, as a class, an Industrious, lawabldlng, worshipful worship-ful people. Their loyalty to their church and its doctrines is an evidence of their sincerity. The menace to the Nation and to society is not from the Mormon people, but from the hierarchy, which havo broken their pledgo given to the Nation to abandon tho teaching and practice of polygamy, and their defiance de-fiance of the laws of tho State of Utah prohibiting polygamous cohabitation. Senator Cullom's article may well causo the American people and their representatives repre-sentatives In tho Senate of tho United States serious thought. The conditions are such that the Senate should exclude from that body Mr. Reed Smoot, who is one of tho rulers of tho church, and connives at the violation of law by his ecclesiastical associates, and submit to the people an amendment to tho Constitution Con-stitution of the United States, prohibit- ing polygamy and polygamous cohabitation." cohabi-tation." It has been our contention for some time that able men all over the United States wero opening their minds to the state of facts as they exist In Utah. Mr. Smoot is no longer looked upon as a martyr In the causo of a religious faith, but as a willful accomplice with criminals crim-inals who defy the law and who shield themselves behind their political power in the State; a vast difference, Mr. Smoot, as y.ou will ascertain when you come to confront American Judgment before the Senate and the country in the ensuing contest. It was all well enough for Mr. Smoot and his friends to cry out: "Ho is not a polygamlst; he Is a lawabldlng citl- X zen; he Is as pure as an Icicle from the polar regions; he has never offended against any of the principles of morality, moral-ity, Justice or statutory enactments. To punish him by excluding him from the Senate would be to punish a man for being immaculate and for possessing posses-sing all the virtues. He Is being assailed as-sailed solely because of his religion; and prosecution for religion's sake Is nothing but persecution." Tho Tribune takes pleasure In drawing draw-ing occasionally from thoughtful Eastern East-ern writers, showing that a large and well-informed class of publicists Is engaged en-gaged in giving the facts to thoughtful readers. This Is their ground: "The question of Reed Smoot's religion Is not Involved; the question of tho treasonable treason-able and criminal practices of his sworn associates Is involved. If Reed Smoot chooses to give his supreme loy-alty loy-alty to an organization which deliberately delibe-rately sets Itself up In defiance of the Government of the United States, which organization claims his first fealty and would punish him If he failed to give that first fealty, then he cannot be a true Senator of tho United States. If Reed Smoot belongs to an organization, the leaders of whom practice prac-tice flagrant defiance of the law nnd maintain a secret ritual for that purpose, pur-pose, and If he support them by his oath and vote and shields them by his power and Influence as a citizen, then he cannot be Justly a Senator of the United States." It will thus be seen that the Christian Herald, (he .Northwestern Christian Advocate, and many other great educators edu-cators of the East, are presenting this matter in Its proper light. There Is no danger that tho public will be misled. The verdict In the Reed Smoot case should be a verdict of dismissal from the Senate. We say that as knowing all the facts; we bellevo the Nation will say It when tho Nation knows the facts; and wo do not bellevo that any one living can truthfully provo that such a dismissal would be religious persecution or martyrdom for religion's sake. |