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Show The Cheerful Liar, Notwithstanding the earthquake, the Are, the rumors of war, the seas breaking their bounds, the waves rolling, the mountains smoking before the Lord, earth filled with alarms and the heavens with portents, indicating the speedy dissolution of all things terrestrial; the sure indications that the end is near, the News, with its old-day expliclt-ness expliclt-ness and mechanical accuracy, with all the solemnity sol-emnity of prophecy and the confidence that should wait on prophecy fulfilled, once more proclaims, with "Truth and Liberty" as the motto of Its lugu-bratlons, lugu-bratlons, that "the Mormon church had nothing to do with the election of Senator Smoot; that the church does not attempt to control their (Mormons) (Mor-mons) political opinions; that tho members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have their own views on political matters and belong to the respective parties, each citizen is under no obligation of any kind to vote for a man or a measure that does not suit him. The church does not dominate the state nor El mark out a political line for its members to fol- jH low, nor nominate candidates, nor control elec-tions, elec-tions, and more of the same sort. All that is proof that the News got over its belief in the speedy smashing of things quickly, H or that it did not believe its raven croak of what was on the way and liable to reach here any JjM Or It had mentally fixed up how to stand off the judgment angel by explaining to him that the church really meant all the officers and members, and that the church proper could not be charged with any scullduggery, unless it was proposed In conference and sustained by the full membership, or was received by revelation from heaven and therefore was binding on all Saints. But that the first president dictates nomina tlons and elections, controls legislatures and city H councils, and absolutely rules this people by virtue of his assumed authority as God's only earthly agent, that he had done this in Utah since the 24th day of July, 1847; of all that the News says noth-ing, noth-ing, and when driven Into a corner It takes the position of Hugo's gamen, who, when tho indig-nant indig-nant husband charged him with insulting his wife, in an injured tone cried out: "Me! Me! Search me!" "The juggling fiend that lies like truth." It is but the Old Testament justification for doinsi up enemieg, where everything went from lying up to murder most foul. And this the News claims is the religion of Jesus Christ as He taught it. It is certain that the News has outgrown Its earthquake scare, and that it has not any too much faith in the prophecies or science of Pro-fessor Pro-fessor Talmage. But, then, maybe the professor himself would not gamble on his own accuracy. What a convenient system it is altogether. First, continuous prophecy at the hands of the first president. Secondly, the absolute right of the pres-ident pres-ident to rule. Third, the insistance of absolute H obedience on the part of the people. Fourth, the H free agency of the people to obey or to be ostra- D cised socially, ruined financially In this world, and H to go to hell in the next; and, finally, if by any H deviltry of the first presidency or iho apostles de- H nials are needed, an organ to explain to an aston H ished world that such work Is not the church, that H no authority for it can be found in any church H book. H The father of lies must grow green with envy when he reads the Evening News. H |