| Show AN unprofitable controversy WE notice that some of our country oon contemporaries temporaries following in the wake of certain political speakers have been waging a controversy over the politics actual or supposed of the martyred marty red prophet joseph smith some claiming that he was a democrat others that he was a republican or would be one if he were now alive in the flesh WM with all due dae respect to both writers an and d orators we ask to is not this a rather unprofitable and imless useless subject for present discussion what does it matter to any one today what views were entertained half a century ago concern concerning lug political parties one of which was not then born by an honored and venerated gentleman who has been forty seven years dead suppose the republican party had been at that time a reality or that any party held similar principles to those now entertained by the republican part yand it could le be proven beyond dispute that joseph smith favored it would that be reason enough to induce living thinking meu men to join that party now if it could be shown that joseph smith was a aronou need democrat would that be argument why any per son should be a democrat today we do not see why his politics fifty years ago should be sufficient to IL ii flu ence the political choice of any citizen at the present time and this for two reasons reasone first and foremost because no man should F be a democrat or a republican simply for the reason that some other man was one and second because times and parties and circumstances change and every man ought to act in thi the living present and not be tied to dead issues joseph smith never required anybody to pattern after his politics or vote as he be voted while he was living and we cannot see why any reasonable being can desire to induce people to do so now he is dead certain it is there was no republican party in existence during the lifetime of the prophet the whig party was active then though it to is dead now some of its ito principles have been adopted by the republican party and it to is claimed by adherents to the latter that the democrats have borrowed some say eay stolen part of their modern doctrines from the whigs however that may be groat great changes have come to the country during the past half century and to go back fifty years and try to dig in such doubtful ground to discover something that if found would have no practical or rational bearing on the present seems to us great waste of time and work unworthy of live men with the important questions of the day before them on all euch questions the advice of paul of old to is good and we quote him for those who look for light in the distant past I let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind igind 1 9 I we say to our friends investigate learn for yourselves veo seek for light to your own eyes decide on your own judgment and do not be drawn into doubtful controversies trover sies aler over dead matters and dead men in view of living issues and present circumstances so far as the church is concerned it tells no man what party he should join or what ticket he should vote its members are perfectly and absolutely free on these matters living or dead its leaders have no strings upon the people in politics and those who attempt to pull the people by fictitious in our opinion are in very small and unsatisfactory business 1 |
