Show No church organization c can can n ob obtain oh- oh tain and hold political power in this c country country It Is contrary to the spirit and genius of our free government This i Is the declaration tion of G Governor vernor Caleb W W. West In his ann annual al rep report rt to the Interior department for the year ear 1888 1889 As to the Justice o of or the cl claims made by the Mormon people as to their treatment by the government government govern govern- m ment nt and its officers and the people of oth the United States including their fellow citizens i in the minority resident resident resi resi- dent in this territory Gov Governor West asked to be allowed to to repeat what he had said before Then rhen he quoted from his his' former utterances rances The unity which is ob obtained aln d by recognizing the supremacy of one one man or set of or men by attributing to him or them a knowledge e and power lOWr not g granted t tO to others derived from superhuman and supreme source and therefore not to b be questioned ques ques- but must be obeyed Is Is' the establishment of complete tel absolution absolu absolu- tion to those these holding power and the most t and servile slavery in those submitting It Ii stifles enterprise enterprise enterprise enter enter- prise prevents progress is Js death to prosperity unit unites s 's all an people not conn connected with it in antagonism to it Intelligent freemen will not 06 but cheerfully submit though their ideas may not prevail ll in in communities com corn of which they are members mem mem- bers hers so long longas' longas as as they know that th thy y have had an equal chance with the their neighbors neIghbors' in asserting But when this Is denied them and they are conscious regardless o othe of the merles and worth o of their own Views that they have no voice bu but butare lire are buried beneath a power alien to and unrecognized by the government govern jovern- merit ment under which they live it Is no not surprising tha that they should rebel rebe against the tyranny which paralyzes paralyze manhood and destroys freedom Continuing to give his his his' views Governor West Vest said sald I The Th contest contes which the minority has waged and now urge has not been upon th the principle that minorities should control but that freedom should b be established and prevail here a as elsewhere In our land that no on onman one man nan or set of or men asserting am and claiming absolute power as of di diVine divIne divine di- di vine right light shall regulate and control contro the state and nil all the affairs of the citizens moral religious social l. l po- po po- po l commercial and financial that each citizens citizen's weight in pub public ic aff affairs and pr private vate enterprise shall nl alone ne dep depend depenb n upon merit and capacity capacity ca ca- S' S Submission to the government ov nt of Gop Cod through his priesthood and the unity It enforces brought this people people peo peo- PIe to accept sustain and uphold whether practicing it or not regardless of the sentiments of or the Christian world and in de defiance defiance defiance de- de fiance of ot the law of the land land This revelation enforced upon the people as law bj by the priesthood and accepted ac ac accepted accepted ac- ac of necessity without question b by them attracted the attention of the whole country Its practice re received received received re- re universal condemnation provoking pro pro provoking yoking the tle enactment o of ot federal laws against it and their enforcement enforce enforce- ment mert by officials of f federal appoint I ment 1 |