OCR Text |
Show JOSEPH SMITH NOT RESPONSIBLE Editor Tribune'. I noticed an article in last Sunday's issue from the pen of one "Maxwell." posing as tho "friend of the people." Such "friendship" Is akin to another "friendship" wc havo heard of that of killing a man to have him. Maxwell has been a student of and mingled with Urlghamlsm so long that he is blinded to all things else and thus exhibits his weakness by going to tho other extreme, by attacking Joseph Smith and his works, instead of Urlghamlsm, of which he lias been so long a student. This never was Mormonism, nor is Joseph Jo-seph Smith responsible for it In the least. If the writer has nuuie a truthful statement that he has thoroughly "investigated "in-vestigated Mormon Ism from Seneca Lake to Salt Lake,' ho must know that Joseph Smith or any of his posterity are not now or ever were mixed up with or contributed con-tributed to. directly or indirectly, any of the unlawful, law-defying actions of P.rlghatnlsni. from Prlgham to Joseph V. Smith; and to connect Joseph Smith with the actions carried out In Utah, under e religious garb, by any or all those named, Is verv weak indeed. Maxwell must be Ignorant surely, or he Is presuming on tho Ignorance of your readers, for the federal Judges and the greatest Jurists of the nation have long since passed on Hint question and the supreme court have settled It rorever. that Joseph Smith was not a polygamlst nor the author of It. fi-iiu n.-i-ni-iiinrr in ihe bookn and all the ovldenco that could be produced in Its favor, and II is very evident that the courts had access to all the evidence that could be produced. Maxwell'u :10 years of study notwithstanding the decisions, are that Urlghamlsm Is responsible for polygamy, blood atonement, Adam God and all the kindred evils that have grown out of il. which has caused the "truth to be evil spoken against." And Ihe courts hold that Brighamlsm was an apostasy from the true order of tilings as established by Joseph Smith However. How-ever. Maxwell charges Joseph Smith with all the fruita grown in this grfiit field of apostasv. We challenge Maxwell, or any other "man In Utah or elsewhere, to produce one sentence written or sanctioned sanc-tioned bv Joseph Smith, or the church. In anv hook or books, that makes or in- ' Hntates hlni to he chargeable in any manner man-ner with violating any law of Jod or man, morally or spiritually, as charged In tho onslaught of Maxwell, that was published prior to ids death in ISII. All the evils o charged are lo b found In the writings writ-ings of Brlgham Young. Pratt. Kimball. Hyde. Taylor. Wood ru If. Snow, Roberts and others, as published in the Journal of Discourses and In books and pamphlets of the rtah church while In a state of Ihe darkest and most wicket apostasy the world has ever known since the days of old Israel We are in perfect accord with The Tribune In Its fight against lawbreakers, law-breakers, self-eoiivlctod priesthood domination domi-nation In civic affairs, ecclesiastlcism in politics, nnd believe it was no part of the Christ mission on earth and should bo eliminated from every pulpit: but wo are out of harmonv with Maxwell's unwarranted, unwar-ranted, misguided effort lo atlrlbuto present pres-ent church evils and present conditions of the I.'tah church to Joseph Smith, who was dead and burled almost a decade before Ulah was dreamed of A parity of reasoning would make Christ responsible respon-sible for every crime under guise of religion re-ligion from A. D. 1 to 1H00. Of course, tlio church here will not answer Maxwell, for the reason they are handicapped by their own unlawful actions; but there are no strings on me; nor have, wc pussod through the temple and sworn lo avenge Iho blood of Joseph Smith; nor arc w afraid of any man who sails under a. nom do plume and dare uol sign his own name If needed, wc can be found at ft Lf South Sixth East, street, and we remain yours Tor fair play. T. W. CHATBUKN. Salt Lake City, August JS. 1000. |