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Show MINISTERS FOR LOYALTY. The Dcseret News on Monday evening even-ing had a long editorial under the head, "Preachers iu Politics," which quoted' authorities to tho point that ministers- had taken a loading part in moulding tho political opinion of tho people from time to time in this country, coun-try, that they had preached loyal sermons ser-mons and had oven been elected to oflices. All' of which is very little to the purpose. The point primarily is as to the . sort" of sermons that they preached; whether they were loyal sermons ser-mons or disloyal sermons; whether those ministers announced themselves as adherents of the law or as breakers break-ers of "tho law; whothor they lived blameless lives or lawless lives; and whether their Leachings and examples were in fact patriotic, law-abiding, and exemplary,, or lawless, lascivious, and unscrupulous; The News, after giving its citations, says: "Iu ovcry important crisis of tho history .of tho Republic wo find ministers active in tho service of the country." That is just it. They were active in the service of the country; their voices were loyal voices; thoy were active iu upholding the power, the dignity, the supremacy of the law and of the Republic. Let us imagine, for instance, any of the noted political preachers of this country on the stand before nn august, committee- -like tho Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, and swearing that they were living adulterous lives, violative of the laws of their State, that thoy had not kept their pledges with the Government, Govern-ment, that they lived iu defiance of the laws of God, and that they preferred to take their chances against the laws of their State in living criminal lives. Further, let us imagiuc any of those loy-al political preachers referred to by the News, as quibbling like President F. M. Lyman did and being held to the point as Senator Hoar held Mr. Lyman, finally cornering him in the admission ad-mission that ho was living a life in defiance de-fiance of the laws of God and man, and intended- to keep right on so living. Does not the church orgau see the in coiigruity of its quotations as applied to the'Mormoh church leaders? It is undeniable that tho preachers of this country, loyal 'men; fervent patriots as they, were, law-abiding citis:eus, lifted their voices up for their country in the various crises that have come upon it. But whero is tho Mormon leader who raised his voice in behalf of his country during tho war of the Rebellion? Rebel-lion? In the war with Spain what was the Tabernacle teaching? It was voiced by Apostle Brigham Young in warning warn-ing tho young men of Utah to keep out of the army, that others should do the fighting and they should stay at home. Aud when it came to making up tho batteries that saw servico in that war, although the population was easily two to one Mormons, as compared with the non-Mormons, tho membership member-ship in the batteries was exactly reversed, re-versed, being two non-Mormons to onc Mormon. Evidently the Tabernacle doctrine, as voiced by Apostle Brigham Young, took hold of the people and hold thoni back from the servico of their country. Now, what senso'is there comparing the intrusion of the Mormon hierarchy in politics and civil affairs with the preaching of tho loyal, .patriotic ministers- jef erred to by tho News? Not one of tho preachers was n member of any governing hierarchy claiming the right to" rule men temporally us well' as spiritually,- us - President Joseph F. Smith, the present chief prophet, seer, nnd revelator of tho Mormon church, claims tho right to do. Not one of them but led blameless lives- Not one of them' ever proclaimed that he preferred- to keep on .living a law-defying life, or stated that he preferred tj).. take his..cii:inccs iu criminal .. living, -as against the law. Not one of them over mado the blasphemous admission thnt .he was living a life defiant of the laws of God. Not onc of them ever had the effrontery to testify that ho obeyed or disobeyed God, according to his own will and pleasure To cite those patriotic preachers who did loyal service to their country at various crises in tho life of the Republic Re-public as precedents for tho lawless and treasonable attitude of tho Mormon loaders, of their usurpations in politics and in civil affairs, of their claim of temporal supromaoy, is a shameful mockery of patriotism, a wresting of truth in favor of a lie, that is worthy of a direct emissary of Satan, and of no other crcaturo in heaven, earth, or hell. |
