| Show THE CHURCH AND POLITICS to all whom it may concern insomuch inasmuch as an there as been so much written and said concerning the pro of a priesthood meeting held bold in the assembly hall on monday the day ot of kotob r I 1 feel it my duty to make a statement concerning it I 1 consider it the right of every man woman and child on earth to enjoy their rell religion glov let jet that bat religion be what it may for that is between themselves and their creator so go I 1 say may with regard to go poli politic tim every man bee ban a right to eriov his political belief unmolested let this ibis be what it may there is not a democrat in utah territory who can truthfully ray may that I 1 ever asked him to vote a republican ticket or join the republican party neither can any republican say any that I 1 ever asked him to vote a democratic ticket or join the democrats A apart part of my own family are republicans public ans and part are democrats I 1 have never counseled one of them to his politics politic they are all of them strong independent met men and they enjoy their freedom without any interference of their father I 1 NOW concerning that meeting referred to there was as not according to my recollections recollection one word said about democrats republicans or politics joseph P F smiths smita s remarks were upon the same subject that the apostles had bad taught through the conference to too ten thousand busand th people when the church of jesus christ of latter day saints saint was organized sed it was with the holy priesthood io in its it various orders and quorums qu quern me and when a man was wa appointed to the apostle alp 1 or presidency or to in any 31 office ap 0 e a as a teacher of the people it placed on him a very grave t bality and no man was counted a liberty from the organization of the church to engage in any branch of bealnear bual busi near neep politics or anything else eke to take him entirely away from his bie calling business bual duty or responsibility for a length of time without fleet first counseling with the presidency of the church or with his hia quorum on its ite propriety and getting permission permie eion to do so this order has baa rested reeled upon us all alike this has baa beets beef my position for sixty years yeara of my life and that too without interfering with my manhood and this course does not require a man to give up his position po in the democratic Demo oratio party or to in the reau republican every man has his own free agency he H has baa the right to withdraw from his quorum or the church it if he but while he remaina in his hib quorum or in the church we think he be should be subject to the some earne rules rulee that we are ourselves oure elvee but bat that duty does not require any man to withdraw from the democratic or republican party or give up his big political ples WILFORD to the foregoing card from dent wilford woodruff the NEWS needs but to add a word of ex plana lion since the general priesthood meeting lo in the assembly hall on monday october 7 political circles have hare been disturbed to an extraordinary extent by the report of certain remarks alleged to nave have been made there as to the duty of the men who hold high ecclesiastical poultices ions con alting suiting with thomb hose who preside over them before accepting calls of a pub jin jig or even a private nature which would interfere with the performance of their other duties the reports circulated as to what was said have been in many instances greatly distorted as to is always the case and even where they were correctly given they have been seized upon by politicians on both sides and improperly construed the injury in a political sense has been twofold two fold it has caused hot tempered democrats to assume that the church was opposed to the election of some of their candidates candida tep when as a matter ct cf fact neither candidates nor parties were mentioned nor intend edon the other hand band it has caused impetuous and republicans to assume that their party and candidates had unexpectedly received a strong endorsement fedt and that the first presidency had bad manifested its desire for their success now ilow the NEWS to is in a position once tu ai to re to say in all conscientiousness conscientious cese and truth that there was no intention to influence any man present or elsewhere in the exercise of his suffrage the speakers whose remarks have been so extensively referred to bad no desire to favor either side or candidate or to convey any impression of preference for or opposition to any man or party to church mem bers and officials in their relationship to the church and the duties of their calling the presidency claim the right to so give counsel and advice this right implies the authority to criticize or approve and this ibis right slid and this only was intended to G be exercised on the occasion spoken of itle it is accordingly unfair and untrue to accuse the church of interfering in poli politico tim or desiring to defeat any one or two candidates or to 0 o elect any others the church desires now as aa ever that each voter shall use a a el his h Is ballot in freedom and intelligence it would not if it con id restrain any one in u the be exercise of the utmost independence pen dence in all politic cl af affairs faire who ever improperly construes cone truee anything said or donn done at the meeting referred to no matter which side aide said bald improper construction comes from to is therefore not only arjust to the church aud and its Ida leader derp but to the candidates candidate the par tiec the people and the be whole state in all UP it hopes and prospects pros president woodruffs own words appear above no man who reade them and known him will for a moment doubt the absolute truth of the statements he be makes mabes and the entire sincerity of his position we commend them to the attention of the people of utah to the end that unwise and intemperate conduct and utterances may cease and that the activity of the parties and their candidates may not be further disturbed by an alleged menace for there la Is no foundation in fact |
