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Show NOW IS THE TIME. ', Next week the hearings will be resumed be- 'fl fore the Smoot investigation committee. Utah will again be placed on exhibition before the na- tion. It will not make a panorama that we within 'I the State will particularly enjoy, but it was plain enough from the time the Apostles, Bishops and othor high officers of the Mormon Church turned : ward politicians to elect Apostle Smoot to the ' Senate, that this would all have to come, and we ' want the rank and file of the Mormons to under- f I stand where tho blame of it all rests. ' M It is wholly with the chiefs of the Church. I Had they kept the faith there would have been I Hllf Mitllisil u0 troul)le; lia( tll0y been true to the promises HHH' JllS H tney made ln order to obtain statehood, there Hiii 1111 II would not have been the slightest friction or BUffi 'TIbI If heart-burning. Elder Roberts denies that there Bint '111 mi In wns any comimct on tne Part of tne Church. That HHi ' 'llli fii sounds like a News editorial. By the Church we H , M l presume he means that there was no promise Hj. sWwftt made by the chiefs, submitted to the people in Hi ll P m Mo conf ernece or in their places of meeting in the Hi ' i1 Hvirl different stakes of the State, and ratified. But Hjf Mil 'ifttlfi tliat wouId simply be a gauzy, transparent eva- Hjl ! j jiffiifl slon- Tlie chiefs, the very highest, those whose HPy ft (l J if fifff commands or counsels control the entire organ- Hjf? If lwi ization, did pledge their solemn words that thence- II 'I: illimflH forth polygamous marriages should cease, and Hjt jj BH what was of vastly more importance, they de- Hi'' j$ J 'IffllB clared that thenceforth the iron hand of the Hi I) U;llflllf Church would be wholly removed out of politics; Hi "p L ImW that from that day the people should be absolutely H ! iiluoH fiee to esPuse whatever political opinions they I St t liH pleased to espouse, and should cast an untram- Hi ' I iliiiSH meled ballot. And the man who was most explicit Hk l I! i! H Ira 1EMK M ' "iIhvH in tIieSG Promises was the same man who is now S' l'slllwW tlie r'rGsl(lent- of the Church of Jesus Christ of Hi tll'lllSH J-atter-day Saints. The breaking of these pledges I V Pi iBfiH 1s wnat lmS Placed Utah on trial before the pub- W .f ' ji'ffli ,lc opinion of the Nation. Whatever of shame V M i HIS there- may be, it all can be traced directly to the V '' hhwSI chief officers, who clajm a divine right to rule V 'MM!' H lis pePle' We think that Mormons generally Hi 'J understand this; that, further, they realize that B. t ill; m lf Apostle Smoot succeeds in retaining his seat K ' II it wiirmean that every door to promotion in Utah I ' ' ''' IS wi e closecl except that one which opens on the lit 91 ! 1)ath tnSt leadfe directly through the Church. We H 14' I I I Hi believe that quite half of them secretly hope that ' l Apostle Smoot will lose his seat. H H I II H Jt seGms to us that this should be a time for VH T Hit Hi them to assert themselves and to demand that the f P nli llnflH pledge made to the Mormon people, the pledge of HI-'!" ilillliliH political liberty, should be re-affirmed. Surely, V" ' ji! glllHB the making of that demand could not be construed H ! ill Hw into an offense- No man wno claims to be God's B r iffii vicegerent could object if his followers demanded B '. Slf tllat he snould "Play square" .with them, no mat- B a! ftg tor how her might treat the Philistines on the out- B 'ill nf slde Tnen keeping in mind that pledge and Hi llll MM keeping in mind also the duties of citizenship in B I ill HB our country every Mormon should insist that so H,' f ' wW far as Polltical servitude may be demanded of B ill! Kill llim lie was by tlia PromIse emancipated; that B' 41I1 1 when the chains which were formerly upon his B ' 'lit WKt citizenship in this free Republic were stricken off, B Isl IHi ne was mado free an there is no power to rivet B 19 Wml them upon his conscience any more. This is the Hm im nBl time for young Utah to assert itself and to secure B fi Hi peace and honor to the State, and make further HI ilu B investigations impossible. |