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Show IB ', POWERS ON THE MORMONS. H i-Tlio Trlbuno has been snylng n groat Eg denl about tho Interview of Joseph P. H Smith with Colonel Hull, tho.corro- Q spondont of tho Pittsburg Times, but I up to (Into It has omitted any mention M of tho Interview of its nttornoy, Hon. O. W. Powers, granted tlio snnio por- 5 son. Colonel Hnll wns sont hero to 11 got both sides of tho Mormon question H nnd In so doing ho tnlked to Gentiles I ' and Mormons alike. Tho following Is P what Judgo Powers stated: h "Things nro changing bore. Twenty H years ago thero was no' commingling P of Gentiles and Mormons, who divided C strictly on religious lines. It Is differ- ft ont now. They bolong to tho same g clubs, are connected in business, bo- I long to tho same parties. I am known E to all and disliked by many as a Gen- I tlio, but at last fall's election I rnn I within 000 votes of tho Democratic I 1 cdndidato for governor, nnd 14,000 I votes abend of Parker, and I ran bot- 1 1 tor In Mormon than in Gen- f tlio' communities. I don't be- I llbvo that tho first presidency now 5 Interferes In politics, ns those which 9 preceded It. I think Smith wants to Kre kcq'tf out of politics as much as possl-H possl-H bio. I" don't hold tho church rosponsl- bio formy defent, but I dp think tho Stl llr'st presidency allows cortnin under- IH etrappors to use Its nnmQ and Inlluonco RA In political affairs. . -Qf course tho tS church must bo In politics to'soino ox- S tent with 0110 of Its apostles In tho I senate. To believe ho would not use his eccleslnsticnl Inllucucc to help his political aspirations, would bo to believe be-lieve too much. With regard to the heads of tho church being in business, that Is pretty generally understood hero, nnd it seems ns though In that respect tho nuthorltles nro less liberal than their predecessors. "How Is this thing to bo handled? Well, much that the Gentiles do tends only to delay tho solution of tho dlfll culty. Klghtlng thp church merely solidifies tho Mormons. They 'are a. good people, Indu3trfous, hospitable and honest, and, ubove all, sincere In their religious belief. They look upon their leaders as chosen and Inspired by God, nnd when Independence means rebellion re-bellion ogafiiBt them, they stand by their leaders. Still, there Is an Independent Inde-pendent clement, md the church will cither have tc go out of business and politics or those Independents will go out of tho church. There are young Mormons who want Utah to bo more llko other states. In endeavoring to solvo those questions It must first bo considered that there are conditions here, social and commercial and political, politi-cal, unknown olsowhoro in the United States. It must bo recognized that the Mormon rollglon Is ono of tho religions relig-ions of tho world and Is hero to stay, nnd with thnt must bo recognized tho sincerity of tho Mormon people and their right of conscience to worship God ns they will, but It always must bo insisted, though In a conservative way, thnt the laws of this country must bo obeyed, Its institutions recognized nnd respected, nnd that every man must bo lot nlono, nnd let alone absolutely. abso-lutely. If in a lifetime n man makes only nn impression for tho betterment of conditions, ho will havo accomplished accomp-lished much." Inasmuch ns tho views expressed by Judgo Powers nro In direct opposition to tho wild, ranting theories of tho Trlbuno, It seems strange that the Trlbuno Trl-buno does not rlso up nnd smlto him hip nnd thigh with tlio jawbono of an nss-engngod In' writing editorials. Cor-.talnly Cor-.talnly tho views of Judgo Powers Incline In-cline to tho opinions of Joseph F. Smlth moro thnn to tho pleadings of tho Trlbuno. Tho Trlbuno novor falls to jump on those whom It opposes, so "why should Judgo Powers bo exempted from nn excoriation? This mntter is respectfully referred to Colonel Grouch or Furious J., for explanation and cor rcctlon. |