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Show SMITH MAKES REVIEW- Joseph F. has broken loose ngain or somebody has broken looso for him, and so the Improvement Era contains nu editorial of which Joseph P. is assumed as-sumed to be tho author, pretendedly reviewing re-viewing and in effect abusing the Bpcech of Hon. Julius Cnosfir Burrows of Michigan, Mich-igan, on the Smool; cose. To show the kind of mixed condition of mentality in which Joseph F. was placed by his attempt to throw u countervailing coun-tervailing weight. uga.inst tho nddrcss of the chairman of tho Senate Committee Commit-tee on Privileges and lilections, Tho Tribune quotes herein one paragraph from Smith's Improvement lira: Tho Sunator's speoch wns mostly. If not entirely, dlrectod agnlnsl the Church of Jesus Christ of Gutter-day Snlnts. Its doctrines, and Its leading authorities, from the days of Nauvoo to tho present time ,Hin only objection lo Senator Smool was that he Is ono of the authorities author-ities of the church. His speech la a compilation com-pilation of unfavorable and mostly entirely en-tirely unjust criticism from sourroH nn-taKoniRtle nn-taKoniRtle to the Saints, and gathered principally from revamped tales published In our own State tales promulgated by a combination of minister?. assisted by a local paper whoce chief owners and writer are disgruntled politician!?. Scraps of sermons, ser-mons, remarks and statements by leading: church authorities nro separated from their context and made to show the position posi-tion of the church In a false light. Prejudiced Pre-judiced reports of former early Government Govern-ment officials, are repeated to prove his false contentions. Much that wns said and done in the early '50s, In time of frontlor excitement and contention, a great deal of It being Irresponsible slandor of the Latter-day SalntH, is carefully woven Into tho speech of tho honorable Senator, so as to apply lo the Latter-day Saints then end today. It will bo observed that thero are several kiuds of defense attempted hero: Senator Burrows vs speech is a compilation of unjust criticism from ''sources antagonistic to tho Saints; " and yet it is a compilation 4 'of scraps of sermons" by leading Mormon church authorities. It is a "compilation of tales" promulgated by a combination of ministers; and ycc it ia "a story of much that was said and done" in the early fifties and made to apply to tho Latter-day Saints of today. It is unjust un-just in that it is a compilation of "scraps of sermons" separated from their context; and yet it is composed of matters which are largely "irresponsible "irre-sponsible slandor." It is, too, revamped from talcs promulgated by ministers assisted as-sisted by "a local paper whose chief owners and writer are disgruntled poli ticians. " And finally, although this is the first point mentioned, tho speech of Senator Burrows was directed against the church of Jesu3 Christ of Latter-day Latter-day Saints, and his objection to Senator Smoot was that he is ono of tho authorities au-thorities of that church. And that is the inspired answer of a prophet of God to criticism by a mere man an inspired answer which cannot in two consecutivo sentences keep the case straight. The fact, is that Senator Burrows simpl' smashed the Smoot defense into smithereens, by demonstrating from history and from the public teachings of the Mormon church that every ground claimed by tho protestants against Reed Smoot was a fact indisputable indis-putable and overwhelming. Tt will bo noted that not ono issue can be successfully- taken with the protest which was filed against Smoot by the nineteen citizens of Utah; and not ono disproof can be offered to the testimony quoted by Senator Burrows in support of the resolution of the committee which ratified rati-fied tho Smoot protest and granted its prayer. If tho Mormon peoplo could only know in all its details tho testimony given by Joseph F. Smitfi at Washington, Washing-ton, they would regard his criticism of Senator Burrows as the most cheeky emanation, the most satirical thing, of his cheeky and bogus career. JoBcpMi F. Smith gave testimony before tho Senato Committee on Privileges and Elections which would damn him as a pretended prophet; before any intelligent intelli-gent jurj' in the world and would damn in public estimation any system which would sustain him. The most awful blasphemy against God and law flowed from his lips; tho most cruel and insolent, opinion of women was demonstrated by hjs languago; tho most flagrant copfossiou thnt ho was a fakir and was misleading his people was put into bruzen words by him and tho result re-sult was that every man who listened to him (except .a few Mormons who wore humiliated into the dust, as thej' have confessed in private conversation) was convinced that. tho wholo pretension, preten-sion, of prophetic leadership and of extraordinary ex-traordinary sanctification by tho hierarchy hie-rarchy of tho Mormon church was the most arrogant, cruel and brutal fraud of modern times. Smith's testimony and the public sermons ser-mons of other leaders of the church and the public teachings o the hierarchy hie-rarchy in t)ie Doctrine and Covenants, constitute an entire case against them; and thore. is no need, except to clear some incidental point, to look elsewhere for proofs. That iB tho inescapable horror of this situation for the Mormon church; and that is the dangor to Reed Smoot; tho history xf the Mormon church, its teachings and its absolute rule, constitute a. case which would condemn overy ono of its leading authorities au-thorities and condemn tho wholo system sys-tem before any intelligent jury in Christendom. Chris-tendom. Tho local critics of Joseph F. Smith receive his fako attention. It is a little lit-tle matter, howovor, whether they shall be ministers or disgruntled politicians; the only question is, do the' state the truth concerning Smith and his practices? And inasmuch jis their charges against him consist of the mere quotations from his own published words and a recital of his own confessions confes-sions the answer must he that whether they aro ministers or politicians, dis gruntled or othorwisc,- they aro not misrepresenting hiin, except as in his mad plunging from ono pit of falsehood false-hood to another ho may possibly misrepresent mis-represent himself. Joseph F. Smith makes but ono sound point in his review. It is that Senator Burrows opposes Heed Smoot because Smoot is ono of the authorities of tho church. Thar, is it exactly. Inasmuch as tho hierarchy constitute a criminal organization, leaching crime and protecting pro-tecting their members in tho practice of crime every member of ihat hierarchy hie-rarchy is himself responsible beforo the law: and opposition upon that ground is tho just opposition to an apostle of tho Mormon church who sits as a lawmaker law-maker for this Nation. |