| Show 46 A NATIONAL FALSE PRETENSE THE denver republican because of its consistent opposition to the extraordinary and uia un american legislation proposed against the mormons cormons Mor mons has bas drawn down upon I 1 itself the wrath of several adue 0 rnald aich manifest i boce bow prejudice hi hac a formation aud and more ignorance than discretion but the clothed with that triple armor which covers the paper as well as the nan man who hath bath his 1 quarrel just continues to 0 maintain its position regardless of the flings ding of its flippant adversaries in a recent editorial the republican replies to some strictures of its springfield namesake and also to sone some foolish remarks of the philadelphia delphia a press new and concludes the article as follows we commend its utterances to the consideration of every thoughtful mind A great deal has been said of late on the mormon question and we have stated clearly our opposition to that narrow bigoted spirit which disregards the fundamental principles of our government in respect to religious liberty in the attempt to eath pate the evil of polygamy it is not necessary toenia to enlarge rge upon that branch odthe of the aul auk but B ut what shall we say of that public sentiment stronger appah apparently antly in the east than it is anywhere else which a short time ago made the Sena senate teof of the united st tates states pass a bill to fo confiscate the property of the mormon church and which made the springfield Bf republican publican declare that the mor mar mons should be deprived of the pow er to administer the public school affairs of utah notwithstanding it was proposed to te give their money to those schools schoola and notwithstanding the mormons cormons are in the majority in that territory to condemn such an intolerant sentiment is in no sense of the word to excuse or justify the infamous evil and crime of polygamy if the general principle that religious freedom shall be inviolate in this country shall be set aside every time public sentiment becomes imbued with prejudice against a particular sect sect then we may be justified in saying that the much vaunted devotion of the american people eople to liberty is nothing more than a national false pretense no people can be said to have a proper appreciation of liberty who are not tolerating others a difference of opinion the same spirit of intolerance which we condemn in the south on the race question finds expression in the north and east when it comes to considering the mormon question what this country needs is men strong elou enough T h 1 and brive brave enough to stand up and det def nd the political rights of their opponents on the ground that the right ot of ones opponent to his opinion a sacred as ones own right in matters of opi opinion niola 11 |
