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Show "A NATIONAL FALSE PltE-1 PltE-1 ENSE." Thk Denver Jt'j-ulAicatt, because of its consistent opposition to the extraordinary and un-American legislation proposed agalnt the "Mormons," has drawn down upon itself the wrath of several public journaLswhlcb manifest more prejudice preju-dice than information and more Ignorance than discretion. Rut the fieptibhcan, clothed with that triple armor which covers the paper as well as the man who "hath his quarrel jut,"continue3 to maintain Its position regardless of the flings of its flippant adversaries. In a recent editorial the Republican Republi-can replies to some strictures of its Springfield namesake and 'also to j some foolish remarks of the Phila-delphia Phila-delphia Preti, and concludes the' article as follows. We commend its utterances to the consideration of every thoughtful mind: "A great deal has been said ol Uts on the Mormon question, and w have I stated clearly our opposition to that narrow, bigoted spirit which disregards disre-gards the fandamental principtcs of ourgovemmentin resfeclto religious liberty in tb a'dempt tocxtlipatethe evil of j-oJygamy. It is not necessary to enlarge upon that branch of tbc auljert. t Kut whatshaU we wyof Ibatpub-ItcrenUment, Ibatpub-ItcrenUment, stronger apparently in tho cast than it is anywhere clo,whIch a short time ago made the Senate of the United States pass a bill to con-fivata con-fivata tho property of the Mormon Church, and which made the Spring-Geld Spring-Geld JltpuUicait declare that the Mormons Mor-mons should be deprived of the power pow-er to administer the public school affairs af-fairs of Utah, notwithstanding It was propod te give their mceey to those schools, and nowilhs&nding the Mormons are tc tbo majority in that territory? To condemn snch an intolerant in-tolerant sentiment is In no senso of tho word to exenso or justify the Iufamous Iu-famous evil and crime of polygamy. "If tho genera! principle that religious re-ligious freedom shall be invioltto in litis country shall be set aside every time pnblie sentiment becomes Imbued wHh prejudice agalnt a particular sect, thoa we may be justified in saying say-ing that the much-vaunted devotion of the American peoplo to liberty is nothing mora than a national false pretense. No people can be said to hat o a proper appreciation of liberty who are not capable of tolerating in others a difierenco of opinion. The same spirit of intolerance which we condemn in the South on the race question find expression In the North and ist when it comes to considering consider-ing (be Mormon question. What this country needs Is men strong enough and brave enough to stand up and do-ft-nd tho political rights of their opponents op-ponents on the ground that the right of one's opponent to his opinion is as sacred as one's own right In matters of opinion." |
