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Show I THE SENATORIAL ELECTION. An important question is being mooted by the people of Utah: upon the determination of which I depends the right of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to organize, practice and main-m main-m tain a theocratic government a government of K God on earth making and enforcing laws within H the jurisdiction of the Government of the United H States. They also claim that all governments, except I their own theocracy, are usurped, and that their I first and highest allegiance is due and should be given to the first president and highest authority of their church, in any conflict and antagonsm between be-tween them and the United States. This position has been amply illustrated in past years, in the empannelling of grand juries and in the several District courts. Men subpoenaed as grand jurors being examined touching their qualifications as grand jurors ascertained to be of the Mormon church, would be asked: "Suppose in your deliberations delib-erations a question should arise concerning matters mat-ters in conflict between the United States Government Govern-ment and the church to which you belong; to which power would you give your allegiance? Which would you obey? Your church or the Government of the United States? And they would almost universally uni-versally answer that they would obey the leaders I of their church. It now appears that, the church no longer fearing fear-ing intimidation from the sacred promises made by its leaders, as the conditions under which they were admitted into the Union, have thrown off all disguise, and the ultimate object of its organization organiza-tion is plainly manifest. Antagonistic to the organization and government govern-ment of the United States as it is, its success can only be written in the destruction of this Republic. A government within a government claiming and exercising the rights of a civil government, as well as a spiritual government an union of church and State, or rather a subordination of the State to a church. They want a leader in this business to represent repre-sent them in the Senate, the highest legislative position po-sition in the Nation. Reed Smoot is their choice, He is recommended to his people as their candidate by Joseph F. Smith, their first president. He will no doubt be elected hy the Mormon Legislature and will after the 4th of March next be found knocking at the door of the United States Senate for admission. Will he be seated as such? Nous verrons. This is not the first time in the history of this Republic that the question has been sought to bo raised of the right of tho Mormon chiefs to aspire to high office in this Republic. Joseph Smith, the founder of the organization, once prophesied . in the United States. It was at a time of great excitement in Congress, and out of Congress, and, no doubt thousands of others prophesied war about the same time, and in relation rela-tion to the same subject matter. The exciting cause was the tariff law, which, it was charged, discriminated between the North and the South, probably about 1831 or 1832. Mr. Calhoun had placed himself upon record on the question of the right of a State to nullify a law in certain cases. Andrew Jackson had his say as to what he would do in certain contingencies. Congress repealed the law; and reconciled the people. Jackson was satisfied. Mr. Calhoun was reconciled. Joseph, however, had placed himself in nomination for President of the United States. Yet, when the excitement ex-citement of the country subsided, the fact that Joseph had been nominated seemed to have been entirely forgotten and we had no war. Reed Smoot is one of the twelve apostles and is said to be in the direct line of the first presidency of his church. He is the acknowledged son of the late A. O. Smoot of this State, and though he is not known to the writer to be a polygamist, yet he is believed to be one. It Is said to have been the law of the Mormon church in the time of its President John Taylor, that all apostles were required to be polygamists, and it is not known that the law of the church has since changed. Should he be elected and seated as a Senator of the United States it will be done as an open menace; men-ace; for It will come from a government that has arisen within our government; in this fair land where the liberty tree has been regarded as peren-nal, peren-nal, and is now in the ring preparing for an open contest with a usurped power and its superiority as a government under our Constitution. The Mormon church has its judicial tribunals wherein civil controversies are settled in many instances after their settlement in the lawful courts, and wherein the quorum of the twelve apostles bear a material part; and a decision in their court is subject to appeal to their first presidency. presi-dency. Joseph F. Smith Is a polygamist, and practicing prac-ticing his religion. An apostle In their church is supposed to participate in the making and enforcing en-forcing of the laws, rules and regulations therein and is bound to submission thereto, by his oaths taken in secret, and to obey the church orders first, last and all the time. If this be true, it may well be asked: "What allegiance does Mr. Smoot bear to the Government of the United States?" If his first and paramount allegiance is owing and given to the Mormon church, what allegiance can he give to the Government of the United States? When he is required to take the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and faithfully and importlally to discharge and perform all and singular the duties of United States Senator for the State of Utah, according to the best of his skill and understanding? Would he not play second sec-ond fiddle and ask his church to give him the music? And if the question were then asked of him, To what government he would pay his first allegiance, would he not answer, Oh, Fudge! Go on with the music? ' "' His citizenship is the legal squence of his allegiance. alle-giance. Is is too much to deny that he is a citizen of the United States? It has been suggested, and is no doubt true, that though a person be born within the limits of the United States it is not the only and sufficient requisite requi-site of citizenship therein. All countries have their residents who are not citizens. Allegiance must go hand in hand with citizenship, citizen-ship, or law of home, his lex domicilie. Thus a child born in this country to the wife of a foreign Minister, by fiction of law is held to have been born in the Minister's own country, his flag making for the time being his domicile on foreign soil. In the same way was not Reed Smoot born on foreign. wJifHBii soil, being the son of an embassador from the tern- JmSfllB poral kingdom of God on Earth? jBSlnB Suppose again, that Mr. Smoot should be admit- wlf WB "i ted to a srat in the Senate. Upon taking the re- SpsliifH! ' quired oath, should not that oath In his case, be But lliiB preceded by requiring him to renounce all alle- BwlPBi glance and fidelity to the kingdom of God on Earth, BtnfllB which Is the temporal government of the Church inl'fli ' of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which ho is toIIW" a member, and in which he holds a priestly office, WBifllHl that may or might directly or indirectly conflict iffBi$ with his duties of Senator of the United States mm JraBri from the State of Utah; or with his duties other- flPnfrllB'' wise as a citizen of this Government. mftPniKi One cannot serve two masters. He cannot be a $ $ Rj 1 citizen of two governments claiming like jurisdic- Sl IV'R.j tion over the same territory or subject matter, in- LrIIIi'h1 compatible, inconsistent and destructive of rights n rif -iBl" mutually claimed by them. 8'IiH aBL; Suppose the alleged organization and govern- BwllaBI'l' ment to which a person has given his allegiance 'WK' has no fixed and tenable government In any part InK'lBi of this earth; yet is seeking to establish a local, IsMiiB ' civil government, a theocracy therein, and is mak- llS'lriSr ing a claim to a government lawfully occupied by MfflfPIK'' some civil government and square within tho lim- JBrMliviB'f its of its domain, to maintain an earthly govern- fflffj'T:' jl' ment antagonistic thereto? Of which government Pi4 Br is he a legal citizen? Certainly not of the lawful lh I1I'im,' government. He has abandoned his rights if he lit ?liB" had any therein and his rights of citizenship in all illnBiiB:fc other governments. If he seeks to become a citi- HHBHiilflll zen of any other government he must first renounce BmHibKi his allegiance to the usurped government, before ISwHIHl he Is eligible to join any other. In that case he IwmMH may not have a lawful home. He has abandoned iBfls fUB ' "- ni! The question for consideration is not merely Hwl 1B ' the seating of Mr. Smoot as Senator. It is whether KJIm S ' the Senate by further toleration of Mormon usur- HaBK patiens will begin the destruction of this Union? Iw'M'bIHi D. L. DANA. IShiH December, 1902. HUB! . BaftlH' |