Salt Lake Tribune | 1910-02-11 | Page 6 | Roots out All Else

ROOTS OUT ALL ELSE. It appears from the account of tho temperance work of Mrs. Shepard down in Sevier county, that tho church authorities au-thorities there aro willing at tho very shortest notice, or at no notico at all, to throw overboard the tomperanco work completely on the slightest intimation that tho Mormon church has either' prejudice or resentment against; the cause or those advocating it. Mrs. Shepard got along very well with hor work down there, and was supported sup-ported b President William II. Seegmiller, until -he ivas reminded remind-ed that tho W. C. T. U., of which Mrs. Shepard is an exponent, had during the Smoot investigation; forwarded a petition peti-tion against tho seating of this apostle in tho United Slates Senate. Of course, thereupon ho immediately canceled tho work that Mrs. Shepard had done, and dropped out from all support,, or recognition recog-nition of it. This, .by the way, being a complete demonstration on a small scale of the domination of tho priesthood priest-hood of the Mormon church in temporal affairs. The president's act means, of course, that the interests represented by Mr. Seegmiller care far more for tho nursing nurs-ing of their resentment against, the W. C. T. U. than they do for the cause of temperance. They much prefer to sacrifice sac-rifice tho temperance cause than to come into any amicable rolalions with the W. C. T. U., on account of that old petition of tho W. C. T. 1J. against Smoot. In this thero is no hint, of lol-ting lol-ting bygones be 1 bygones, no suggestion that now issues can replace tho old, no progressive idea that, in spito of old antagonisms, an-tagonisms, there can bo formed a harmonious har-monious rolation between tho temperance temper-ance cause and the Mormon church. Tho bitter old hatred still provnils, nnd must bar all harmonious fooling between the church and these temporan'cc workers. It is as natural as life. It is simply another manifestation of tho old and well known proposition that tho Mormon Mor-mon church is exclusive, all-pervading, and intends to occupy in tho minds of its devotees every possible nook and corner, to rulo out everything else but its own propaganda from the thoughts of its membership. It is for Mormon-ism Mormon-ism first, last nnd all the time, including includ-ing its.lovcia, its hatreds, its resentments and its bitter memories. Anything running run-ning contrary to theso must be trodden down at once, so that Mormonism may remain the triumphant force, the only and exclusive thought above ovorythiug else in tho world.