Show WILL EXTREMES MEET Is a belief in a supreme suyeme being to be made an offense under the laws of the united states Is to become a predominating influence over national legislation Is the extreme of religious liberty provided for in the ain american borican constitution and add heretofore enjoyed and boasted of by american citizens to be joined to its opposite the pres ent tendency of the current of events seems likely to produce affirmative firma tive replies to those interrogatories Redi reduced iced to their lowest terms the arguments offered in support of the disfranchisement of all meV members abers of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints sainta embrace no substantial matter in addition to the fact that the communicants muni cants of that church be lieve literally in the supremacy of the almighty the god whose laws and attributes are set forth in the christian scriptures this belief will be the real reason for their disfranchisement if congress shall be so unjust and unwise as to pass the bill for that purpose now pending while the french revolution was waa in progress and while the revolutionists were in power law order and religion were submerged in a deluge of blood and anarchy the mocking laughter of infidelity like the scornful glee of a demon in his bis hour of triumph was heard throughout torn and bleeding france to blaspheme deity was a favorite and popular sport to hate all kinds and forms forma of piety was a virtue and to accomplish the death of a religious teacher was a praiseworthy set act though not required provided for nor countenanced by law and yet in all the mad orgies over which the genius of Irrell gion hold held full sway and while it was the preponderating power in the government of france a belief in the existence of a being who exercised supreme control over mundane affairs and in the necessity of being obedient to his laws was never by statute made an offense in nor a dis dig advantage to any ank person holding such belief the american Con gressin the face of the constitution which each member of it has sworn to uphold and sacredly maintain carry an assault upon the foundations of religion further than the irresponsible faith bating revolutionists of prance france dared to even when their power was absolute undoubtedly there are men who disbelieve la in the existence of the god of the christian scriptures who are moral and law abiding in their private lives but history gives no account of a prosperous government established in any age or clime by a people who were destitute of a religious faith it is generally conceded that the impelling motive which exercises the strongest in influence flunce in rendering a man obedient to the laws of his country and in making him a good citizen is a belief in the necessity of being obe lent to the laws of god A statement by herod hat at he really did not desire to sho shorten ten the life of john the ba baptist ati at but only wanted his head that he be might present it to a favorite mistress would not have been more absurd than for the enemies of the mormon people to protest that no interference with the religious liberty of the latter is desired but that the object bought is merely to give them a choice between political thralldom and adherence to certain fundamental principles of the christian religion this is the alternative presented to the Mor Mormon mons sl in the struble bill |