Show m TH KV D E S el I 1 piff N E w 8 says tia the Cli burch nici are not W TAW sides in politics president bundga and other state stake officials are Surely to putting patting the real beat authorities of the church in a false light babora the people the following editorial from the church organ shows those who 1 pretend to voice the sentiments of church authorities in political hy mailers arteris to be deceivers deceiver s the news says it was hoped from the way way things were WO moving ving in the present political campaign that the so often misused cry of if mormon church influence in politics politic would i not be called into play at this time but it seems that the hope was vain now W within a week of the election the koput comes from idaho and with as little justification as it is possible to lave have fo r it is a fact that men of different political parties have sough 0 I 1 to I 1 beaure church influence i in n the past and failing to pet it often I 1 have joined in ilie the shout that it has been given to the other fide aide in other cases politicians have I 1 taken up the expressions of individual opinion by men and newspapers newspaper and have hava sought to give thern them the eliest of chur church cli influence athis this is notably the case in a recent instance in idaho there a paper took articles from the deseret news and fioro other publications which have a close relation to the mormon people and sought to use thes ilia same amein in the interest ot senator ator Dt doilois debois ilois the etiore was not to use those articles for their intrinsic worth as the opinions of newspapers and individuals individual but blit to give them the effect of church views when in fact the church lias has no v views to express on the subject on the other hand band opponents of senator dubois brought up upp speeches peeches of the latter and newspaper remarks about him of ears ago when there was an anti mormon con contest test on aud arid thus thas fought to exercise arcise against the senator a church 1 nf luence to which they had not the 1 shadow hadow ot of right 0 the efforts on either side of the question are base and contemptible as aj are others of a similar character because they are wholly unjustifiable the mormon church is not exercising 0 any influence one way or other its members are absolutely freo free to vote for whom nhom they please on GI their own ju judgment dament 0 and without dan danger daner er of church pressure either way the church tea teaching china 0 to its members as citizens is to do their duty as aoi cit citizen izene and do doit it independently sometimes men who hold positions in the church are asked by others for their political views view and while the learlin leading 0 officials are caie ful in any expressions they use there may be times when they state their individual preferences but such statements are not church vor views or policy because denare men are members of or officers in th the church they do not lose their rights as citizens the they have bave it ft r right g I 1 t to their political views and t to express them and any one to whom abom those views ore ere expressed who boea goes forth and attempts to show ebow that they are the ideas and wishes of the church bet betrays rays the confidence reposed in him b by a fellow citizen who has bas spoken as ft a citizen and not in the exercise of his ecclesiastical duties further the church member who takes the expression of political views by any acy other member or officer and distorts them to in indicate diale a church policy when th they y d do i not do to stands in the position of one guilty of a betrayal of trust to the church because he represents it in a false attitude it il is high time that it be ba fully understood that when the church want to use its influence tort on any point it will ho do r to ro o in the regularly constituted chan channels so no one neej need have a and further that politicians who either either seek to tte or cry out church influence in politics are doing eo from ulterior tha re render ader heon hem unworthy the confidence of the people we be believe the hour is ia aretty close when the people will fully recognize thid when thy th y note a politician seeking cove covertly artl y to use puch euch influence iDi luence in his own behalf either representing that the churell church i favorable to t 0 hito hino or is working 0 for his opponent they will shelve him as not fit to be trusted in a public position tiou nothing raould hi bi plainer or more understood than that there is no nn mormon church influence in political campaigns also that mormons cormons no matter what their position pogi tion is in the church I 1 hae io a much right to their political view as have an any v other citi yen and propose to maintain and exercise that right such procedure is ig not church influence either in fiul falt or intention aud no deput lable alele p son will seek to make it appear sn A ai tu to the present campaign 7 which i ih under special consideration now the mormons a are re free to vote jut ju t as they 1 laatze chev may mav I 1 may t mckinley or bryan for president vt lie ae the v W wish anil and no mainio it church influence wants want thlin them to go way and as to all other candidates t they hev are f free to make their choice as individuals vi 1 I bals po sibly can be this trumpery about mormon church politics ought not to receive any credence froni froin adv person of respectability and ordinary common sene ene deseret news |