Show A CHURCH AND STATE QUESTION WE LEARNED from the press dispatches pat chea several days ago that president harrison had appointed mr thomas james camesas as postmaster ratin at independence jackson county missouri there is nothing very remarkable in the mere appointment of a postmaster nor in the name of the appointee but it appears that he Is member of the sect commonly called josephites Josephl tes or as they claim to be latter day saints this has raised a rumpus in independence and the noise thereof has gone forth reaching new york city and the papers published there with reverberations be in Washing tou toD and rum beings in the white house A dispatch to the new york horld forza gives particulars particular s of the fray prom from this it appears that the josephites have voting mem hers bers in independence of whom are republicans with this influence backed by col A W jones now a prominent republican but formerly a confederate soldier mr james succeeded in obtaining the place over the other applicant mr T C bullene son of the former incumbent this has aroused the old prejudice against the cormons mormons Mor IMor mons moDs and the independence sentinel the only daily in the town has come out openly in opposition it says that whether the people should permit themselves to be so prejudiced is not the question at issue they are prejudiced and always will be and under the circumstances mr james should never have been appointed the disgruntled republicans of independence have appealed to the democrats to help them a remonstrance has been circulated for signature and a special protest has been prepared for the ladies to sign as follows we resident ladies of independence mo feeling a deep interest in the post office and believing we ought to be heard do most earnestly cotest protest ayal against rist the appointment of thomas homas james ames as postmaster this it is expected expect od will work well at washington as the ladies are supposed to be particularly interested when the mormon question is agitated but as the body to which mr james belongs has always repudiated the polygamous features of the I 1 mormon faith we fall fail to see the relevance of this particular movement it is admitted that not one word has been heard against his character honesty or business integrity during the whole fight the only objection be ing to his church membership that this should not figure in an appointment of this kind must be clear to every fair minded american citizen no religious test for office should be permitted inthis in this free republic the constitution forbids it and the very genius of our institutions is opposed to it the world dispatch says the old residents of In depend ence are beginning to recount their experience with the old mormons cormons under joseph smith whom they drove out of independence years and years ago they are beginning to discuss the proposition as to whether the mormons cormons really do intend to return to independence as they declared when forced to leave it and establish their temple the old residents resident of independence ought to understand for it has been dinned dinnee into their ears by the josephites often enough that there is no connection between that body and the church which now has its headquarters in utah also that the sect which has gathered a number of its members to independence lias has no ho right or title in or possession of the grounds which originally belonged to the church and were dedicated for the site of a temple the residence of a few hundreds of the sect then in the city of independence has no special significance in relation to the reoccupation of those grounds and the rebuilding ding of the temple by the church of jesus christ of latter day saints it will be interesting to see what course president harrison will pursue in regard to this appointment if he removes mr james it will be solely on religious grounds for the mormon question as it has been agitated in congress and before the country is totally disconnected with this issue except that the body to which mr james belongs as gumes burnes the title of latter day saints and its members are commonly known as joseph josephte ite mor mons it is a clear caw case of religious prejudice we shall see how much in national politics find and the federal administration the church succeeds in controlling cont roling the state |