| Show CHURCH 1 incorporation scon COR con S P ORATIO N 4 su SPIT is in pro progress gress gross at lincoln nebraska eit ams 4 bears on a question that has has been heeg very raised concerning fights n utah jt is a test case to dete the tho altie title to to alternate blocks in the city of lincoln In coln coin clai cial claimed medby by the metho methodist dist church we learn fr from in a dispatch to the omaha herald that the land in question is north and west from 0 and fourteenth streets taking in the post postoffice mico Office build ing lug commercial hotel and much other valuable property elder young deeded this property in alter alternate nade naFe blocks to the methodist seminary to be established and to the state of nebraska mckesson and lan landon langdon don president and secretary of tre the church board deeded it to the state the methodist protestant church incorporated itself last december and now claims the property on the ground that it was held in trust by mckesson and langdon and they could not convey it to the tiie state sweet of nebraska city ty examined the title before the state stat accepted the deed and many lawyers have since examined it so mani it is s believed the state has no cause we are not interested particularly in I 1 the issue of the suit but we refer to it because it reflects oil on the absurd ment used by the governor oi of utah in his report to the secretary of the interior and also in his message to the tile legislature that theace incorporating the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is a law respecting au an e establishment of religion it a appears that the methodist protes protestant tant church in nebraska is incorporated under the laws of that state and that it has been abeen doing g some extensive real estate bu business s 1 nessi which it has an undoubted right to perform forthe for the benefit of its own organization iza tion all this is perfectly proper in the methodist church and if so why should it be all wrong in the momon church if the incorporation of the church of jesus christ ot of latter day saints by abet of the utah L legislature egis exis is an infringement of the prohibition hibi tion against laws respecting an establishment of religion is not the incorporation of the methodist church equally so and if the incorporation ration of a church is a rightful subject of legislation in nebraska is it not just as much so in utah if the methodist church may lawf lawfully ully receive property and hold it or dispose of it or do such business in connection with it as may be profitable to the organization tiong why may not the mormon church do the same there is no rational answer to this question and the argument of the governor was only made to create a false impression and foster the prejudice that exists against the church which lie he assails and while touching on this question it is pertinent to remark that the judiciary committee of the united states senate recognize the existence and validity of the utah act of incorporation while the governor asserts that it was disapproved by the act of of july ast 1st 1802 1862 not only does the bill introduced by that committee tic Sc knowledge the existence of the corporation but it attempts tem ts to provide for its perpetuation in the go appointment ot government trustees to manage its business in lieu of the trustees of its own election there is no need to discuss here the folly of the proposition we vve cite it to prove that the judiciary committee recognize the existence of the law and its validity so far as it does not conflict with the anti antl bigamy big amy act of 1862 the governors tirade against it as well as being untrue is self contradictory dic tory ile he virtually declares the act void in itself and yet asks for an act of the legislature to render it void he asserts that congress con ress has disapproved it and yet asks the assembly to annul it if it is as he be delares laresa delarosa de a law respecting an establishment establish met of religion I 1 within the meaning of the constitution it is invalid from the beginning if congress e s has annulled it as he asserts it kr has hns a no 0 legal existence why then attack it and ask the legislature to make void that which never really lived and which has been formally killed by the highest legislative power in the land the whole paragraph on church incorporation in the governors message messa d is an absurdity and a falsehood andrt and it is such attempts as that to prejudice the country by untruth and malicious implication coupled with acts like the certificate fraud that te tend od to make people give credence to the charges of financial impropriety official excess now pending aga against dinst the governor of utah |
