Show the antichurch anti church fight the senatorial fight is shaping itself more and more along the lines of an antichurch anti church fight some say it is the charch fighting moses thatcher it will be well to briefly review the thatcher contest so far as i relates to politics and see if what is said is true so far as moses thatcher is concerned with the church politically it started out with the declaration of president joseph P smith at i a at the october conference of 1895 that quorums bad no to enga gein politics or any other pursuits that would take them away from church duties without the consent of their quorums qu he further added that moses thatcher an apostle who had been nominated for acho united states senate by his party and B EL roberts one of the first seven presidents of seventies who was a candidate for congress had not consulted their quorums for a leave of absence and he deprecated such action president smith bufa stated an old principle of the church told of the claims of the priesthood on members of quorums qu one that has been paramount with the church from the beginning it is a quite natural principle also and is necessary to perpetuate any organization suppose a director on a board of any business organization should accept a call that wonlu likely take him away from the place of business operations for years what would be his duty ho would certainly be in duty bound to consult his business associates suppose now he was a manager of the business underpay under pay of the corporation po ration as moses thatcher and B H kobertz were under remuneration of their church would it not be doubly binding on men to consult with their associates but because referred to that well known principle of the church politicians began a great pandemonium and judge powers wrote his famous platform for the reconvened democratic convention ven tion setting forth what were the rights of politicians it was read in every city town and hamlet in utah and confused a great baoy members of the church as to wb athas been a plain principle of the church from the beginning so at the succeeding general conference in April JL the leaders of the church issued an address to clear away chemists the mists and restated the old principle that men who have dedicated their time and talents to the church should not accept of secular situations that would tako them away from church duties without first consulting with their quorums qu it was a necessary step in order to preserve intact their church organizations for if man can go hither and thither without a word to their associates how long will those organizations exist apostle moses leading priesthood said he could not subscribe to the principle he knew it fully as well as any latter day isains but bis pride had overcome him and he deemed it servitude thuei to show proper respect to his quorum the impression was given out that a new principle was enunciated by Q cannon op posed to moses thatcher in politics in order to harass the man who stood for freedom ant the truths isas is as before stated it was only an eld principle of the church affirmed reaffirmed re and Moses thatcher could not agree with it this and on which he could not agree with his quorum led to the apostles diefel shipping low aim now we submit the question in all candor if moses thatcher the bight because the rules of bis church outside and seek to tear down those rules through means of the state he announced himself a aba united states senate noton butto give i young freedom from organization i the such a campaign audit hasa right to itis it is clearly an attack on it there was no encroachment on the state whatever by the political address issued by the general conference nor does the principle thatah 1 dress promulgated divest the state of any rights and to seek to break down the charch rules by means of politics because of it is clearly wrong we hope the anti fight now on will not prevail |