Show WHERE MR SMITH STANDS 3 I r will be e observed by the following letter that Mr Joseph Smith purposes making a tour of the settlements in the interest of his Reorganized Church T PLEASANT GROVE June 29 1885 Editor Deseret News New I Last ast Friday the presiding Elder of J asked me for the meeting house here for Joseph Smith to preach in I di did not consent He Heis Heis HeIs is to be here this week and I believe he le is to have the use of a school house My mind ran back to a speech he made in an Mormon anti meeting in Chica Chicago o two or three years ago a WhICh Was published in the Tribune of that pity city and copied by you Sunday morn morn- morning morning ing n yesterday one of the brethren brought me the copy containing the speech and your y ur comments on the same I had it read to the congregation congregation congregation tion that the Saints might know how Jo Joseph ph Smith talks about us two thousand thousand thousand and miles a away way A member of the ugh Council of this Stake happened to be with us and made some timely remarks on the statements of Bishop Smith which had a good effect One person had consented to let the Elder have th tise of an apple orchard for forSmith forSmith forSmith Smith to preach in but in the after after- afternoon afternoon withdrawing after noon Sunday sent him a polite note withdrawing the use ur vr privilege of the orchard for Mr Mr Smith Smith I 1 T think it would be wise to publish that speech at this time as I understand that Mr Smith Smithis Smithis Smithis is intending to visit the settlements and preach to all who will hear him Your brother in the Gospel Joir JOHN BROWN Since Mr Smiths Smith's advent our atten- atten attention atten attention tion has been several times directed to his Chicago speech No longer since than yesterday a gentleman showed us usa usa a letter he had received from a young young- man in Arizona who had been in conversation with a Josephite Elder The writer it appears spoke to him of Mr Smiths Smith's Chicago state state- statements statements statements ments when the Elder frankly admit admit- admitted a admitted ted that if it were so that he made such base ase and lying assertions he was unworthy unworthy un- un worthy of respect or expressions to that effect The writer of the afore afore- aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid said lette letter also suggested t the e advisability advisability advisability of reproducing the notorious Chicago Chicalo speech and we are induced to comply with a desire that is doubtless more or less general referred to was delivered Mormon ants meet meet- meetings meetings at one of the ings held in Chicago o during the crusade prior to the passa passage e of the he Edmunds act act act- It Tt as an published in in the Chicago Tribune of February 23 1 It clearly defines Mr Smiths Smith's position as an ally of the enemies of his bis father and of the Church which he was In- In Instrumental in instrumental n- n in organizing He is among those who have counseled violence in inthe inthe inthe the settlement of the Mormon question In the spirit of pre pre- prevaricatIon prevarication pre prevarication and against aca the spirit of a gospel teacher he persists in claiming that his bis father neither taught ner practiced plural marriage but that the doctrine was subsequent subsequent- subsequently ly introduced by Brigham Young He Be Hea a assumes and defends this position in inthe inthe inthe the face of overwhelming proof to the contrary easy of access In this course he is evidently and pronouncedly a aa aa aa a wilful deceiver But the most perfidious part of his remarks consists of the horrible state state- statement statement statement ment In relation to the destruction of ferrule chastity by Mormon Bishops If he he was correctly reported he stands branded as asa asa asa a liar before the whole people of Utah including 1 even the anti mon Moc mon portion of the community know that among no other people is female chastity tv regarded with more sacredness And even in the courts during the present raid it was openly Dick Dick- Dickson proclaimed by District Attorney Dick Dick- Dickson son Dick Saints son that with the Latter-day Latter the associations of the sexes were con con- confined confined con confined fined within th the marriage relation and that they unqualifiedly conde condemned med aU all sexual sins sins In the Chicago anti Mormon Mormon meeting Mr Smith mith was introduced as Bishop Smith and asUa as a Ua man who had suffered more in the th cause to be dis- dis disI discussed discussed dis discussed cussed than any any other man lUan on the I face of the earth But what he has bas suffered in that connection would puzzle the most penetrating mind to discover The following is the report of the speech U With a few introductory remarks Bishop Smith said the question whether Congress mayor may or may not pass such laws for the suppression of polygamy as will have effect and be equal to the emergency which seems to exist is one that is engrossing the earnest thought of the nation One reason why Con Con- Congress Congress Congress gress has not taken hold of the ques- ques question ques question tion before is doubtless through fear of that principle in in th the Con Con- Con Con- tIOn which guarantees to every citizen the liberty of 01 religious thought ani action There has been a well de- de defined defined de defined fined reluctance to Interfere with polygamy on that account The ques- ques question ques question tion is now being more clearly under under- understood understood understood stood of late however and the lawmakers lawmakers law- law lawmakers makers and people are looking at the pro lem in a different light The Con Con- Con Con- Constitution Constitution Constitution provides that the State shall shalli i not establish a religion and give gives Ives to the people the right to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience but it nevel was designed that this pr provision should be used by sect to protect its m members from the consequences of a violation of laws that have been framed for tor the protection protection protection tion of public morals and the social fabric Congress has dealt with polygamists polygamists with excessive tenderness i It is quite true that Congress should not be permitted to prescribe or 01 pro pro- proscribe proscribe pro proscribe scribe any form of religion but law law- lawbreakers lawbreakers law lawbreakers breakers should not be given immunity from punishment nt for the thu commission f n of crimes under the assumption that the criminal conduct is a form of religion religion religion ion The development of our country and the advance of civilization have brought about several very important changes chanles in in what were esteemed for along a along along long time to be principles sacred from popular interference or change The first of these was the question of state rights the second was waa the right of secession and the third was the right to own slaves These questions have one after another met the of time Polygamy will follow There is one very important feature in this question it might be well for Congress to consider and aDd that is the fact that polygamy is not a tenet of the Mormon religion loly Polygamy amy was no part of of Mormon and had no place in the creed of the Saints un- un until until un until til after the departure of the of-the the Mormons from Illinois It was not until 18 1851 2 that poly polygamy amy was attempted to be introduced in the teachings of the church Its introduction was a shame shame- shameless shameless less trick of wicked men who were obliged to find tind an excuse to cover up their crimes In 18 1854 4 in The Democrat of this city there were published in full the tenets of the faith aith of the Church of ot Mormon taken from the records of the Church and there was in that record no mention of polygamy not not one word being said on OJ the subject subject sub- sub subject It was not defended by the con con- confession confession con confession of faith fatti until after the removal ot of the Mormons to tc Utah The men who were in control at that time knew themselves to be criminals and like other criminals they felt the th necessity of establishing a defense Polygamy Pol my was then made a part of the reli religion on of the he Utah Mormons Congress should with deal this ques ques- question ques- ques question question tion with a firm purpose The republican republican lican form of government under we live should make America an anand asylum for the oppressed of all of and the home of liberty but the toe prin prin- principle principle principle ciple of liberty should not be tion c- c tion for criminals A sect should not permitted to enter any territory and there practice Customs that would not not- NewYork be tolerated in Illinois Ohio or New York Congress COD most aSS assuredly has hasa hasa a perfect right to interfere to pre pre- prevent pre prevent I vent the prostitution of the public domain to base purposes No sect I should be given dve to introduce into any territory practices that would not be beI protected and and shielded in older com com- communities communities communities In their impudent demands I u upon on Congress in the sacred name of religion and the rights of man Cannon and Taylor are asking for exceptions in favor of polygamous Mormons that are not made for other classes of crimi crimi- criminals crimi- crimi criminals criminals nals The trial and conviction of the as- as assassin as assassin sassin has made unpopular the theory of a divine inspiration for the perpetration of crime In 1855 1800 I 1 be began an ana a crusade on my own awn book and In 1860 when I entered public life it was with the avowed determination to oppose polygamy evermore I pave lave beep been be Jr out out- outspoken outspoken out outspoken spoken in my rny denoun denunciation of the custom from that tat day to this I t be- be believe believe be believe lieve there is a vast amount of in- in inspiration inspiration in inspiration in good bard hard commonsense sene Laughter A A Mormon Saint once told me that if an angel were to come down from heaven and tell him polygamy was wrong h be he would not believe be- be believe be believe lieve lieve the angel He then asked me If an angel were to reveal to you the divine inspiration of the doctrine of polygamy would you believe I 1 told him im I would but that I 1 1 would tell the angel to go to some one else f else r I Ithe would not preach reach the he doctrine Jh here re reis is ab absolutely nothing in tM the revealed doctrine of al the Mormon ormon Church to support the polygamous teachings of the Utah Mormons I have a deep per per- personal personal per personal interest in this question for or I want to lift the cloud from the hearts and brains braiDs of thousands of the be- be believers believers be believers lievers in is the Book of Mormon and convince them that they have bave been hn- hn im imposed posed upon by lustful men who have use used the Church as a cloak to cover theIr crimes I have been accused of bt being an ac a apostate but I have al always ways been true to the faith taught by by my father I have eagerly sought for aa a proof of the divine inspiration of polygamy believe but I cannot tind it and be- be believe believe be lieve the doctrine to be false and in- in infamous infamous in infamous famous root and MId branch Again I say that Congress should compel obedience to t the e laws in Utah as well as S els else else- elsewhere else elsewhere where it is necessary for the protection protection protection tion of the genius enius of a free govern govern- government government government ment It is a wonder that other criminals crimi crimi- criminals criminals nals besides the polygamists do not in- in invoke invoke in invoke voke the aid of the Almighty to pro pro- protect protect pro protect them in their nefarious nefarious calling It Itis Its Itis is s a wonder the hons house breakers breakers rob rob- robbers robbers rob robbers bers and murderers do not enter the plea that they are practising their re- re religion religion re religion ligion and say Please lease let us alone L Laughter The question of how bow we can suppress sup sup- pre press 8 pOlygamy without Injury to the innocent is the phase that is giving Congress considerable uneasiness une There is a popular fallacy on this point It may perhaps astonish you to know that there are not to exceed two thousand polygamists ts in Utah There are hundreds and thousands of Mor Mor- Mormons Mor- Mor Mormons Mormons marry mons in Utah who will not marry they do not know where whereto whereto whereto to get wives that have not been contaminated con- con contaminated laminated They do not know what houses have escaped the invasion of lecherous bishops who have robbed hundreds of women of their purity The men cannot afford to take the risk that marriage means meant I am not in favor favot of a persecution but there is a great eat difference between persecution an anil t honest onest demand for honest obedi obedi- obedience obedience obedience ence to law and nd it is that demand that lat all good people want to see made and enforced in polygamous Utah Con Con- Congress Congress gress 8 has the tile right to do this and it should insist on that chat right The The foregoing places Mr Smith inthe in inthe inthe the attitude of a pronounced unqualified fled fied and bitter enemy of the Latter Latter- Latter day day Saints and their rell religion on It also shows him up In the light of an un- un unscrupulous un unscrupulous unscrupulous scrupulous of their character r rIt It is a position we Jre greatly regret that he should assume and would be glad to see him retrace his steps and walkin walk walkin in iB conformity with truth and consist consist- consistency consistency consistency ency As the matter stands we we we cannot but endorse without qualification the course of our old friend Bishop JohnBrown JohnBrown John Brown as the only consistent one that could be taken under the circumstances ces |