Show IS UTAH urah theocratic the question of the admission of utah as a state is one of the most perilous that has been presented to the people of the united states never before nave they been beed so severely tempted to forget that safeguard of their liberties tho guaranty of religious freedom to all citizens in order to strike down plural marriage the product of a temporary state of affairs in the territory and which might almost have been trusted to die of itself congress has been urged to do very much further and besin begin a crusade against the mormon church as an ecclesiastical body it is as if the state of new york bad began a perFie persecution cution of the oneida community which would probably have resulted in uniting and em its adherents whereas the community let lel alone has baa disappeared and died out froni from natural causes the opponents of statehood largely r e y driven from the question of polygamy oly a y by y the force of statistic sand by the tender ten er of a guaranty from the people eo le ot of utah tah in iii their proposed state constitution have fallen back on the vague argument of the alleged domination of the mormon church in tem ism affairs and which they claim must be suppressed this was fairly fairl and abl ably presented by capt C E hutton t in the ibe may number of the forum the heading church and ana state in utah ll 11 and as am strongly as thi facts in the case would permit lt in tile the august number of the same magazine mr charles W penrose makes an interesting reply entitled Chur church cli rule bale in utah the two headings should have bave bern been exchanged mr penrose writes as a member of thirty eight years standing familiar familial of course with the doctrines teachings and b story history of the mormon hormon body against general assertions he quotes specific facts summarized by him bim awl which can only be referred to still more briefly here he shows that contrary to general impression no mau mail has held civil office in utah by virtue of his ecclesiastical position and that the political machinery and that of the church have always been separate and are entirely dissimilar tae peoples party which is in the majority holds its regular p primaries r ii county and territorial r ia conventions conventi onil and makes nominations at the elections there is a secret ballot in which all voters are equal except that have been disqualified since six years ago age whatever features there are pave have been introduced by the le federal legislation not by the mormons cormons Mor mons more than this the church itself la is one of ef the most democratic ecclesiastical organizations on the earth it has bas not an of licer from the president down to the deacon who occupies his position without the free vote and consent of the members the doctrine and covenants are quoted in proof of 0 this and also in proof of the separation of church and state according to mormon belief and of chbeir teaching of loyalty to the civil power a providential origin in particular being a ascribed by the revelation to the constitution ution of the united states mr penrose earnestly controverts contro verts the idea given in the previous article of the functions aud and powers of a mormon bishop and shows that he be Is ig a subordinate officer of the church and has no authority in affairs of state he does not control the occupancy of land or fix the allowance of water both of which are matters of law la 13 a new colony he with others may directs direct affairs but only by consent and vote of the colonists who are free agents mr penrose dwells pointedly on t fact that the union fraternity and ca cosy t operation that are re regarded added as ad 4 mirable marable in christian communities are made a matter of reproach when practiced by the cormons mormons Mer Mor mons and used as an argument that they are unfit for the blessings of a tree free in the same manner the strictures on the united order a do co opera tive or communal enterprise among the mormons cormons Mor mons are arc taken up and set aside as groundless and it ik is remarked in ie summing up that captain buttons Dut tons supposed union of church and state self perpetrating hierarchy land distributing bishops surrender of real and personal property to church etc are myths after adding some general remar remarks kF on the proposed state constitution adopted by the majority in utah and the sincerity of its framers mr penrose concludes the blunde lot this nation will be not in admitting into the union pf af states a commonwealth of frugal temperate ind usurious industrious rious abd progressive citizens who opened the pacific slope to civilization and have rendered possible the formation of several populous and wealthy states where desolation reigned supreme dat but it will be in rejecting the offer of the law abiding people of ef utah to settle the only real question of difference between the mormons cormons and the country and in spurning their just claims and and earnest efforts because their rell rellous religious ous belief is unorthodox washington D C herald |