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Show That "Free Agency. How shameful it is for the News to declare that there is 'no priestly compulsion in the Mormon Mor-mon church, that every one is a free agent to do as he pleases. One would think the rank and file of the saints 'would repudiate such an organ and in contempt cast it off. After fifty-nine years of absolute ab-solute rule of a people, after fifty-nine years of teaching the absolute necessity of obedience, after flfty-nlne 'years of claiming that the head of the creed is as God himself whom to disobey Is damnation, damna-tion, after fifty-nine years of absolute rule in state, in city, in township, and with excommunication' for all who have dared to disobey; excommunication, excom-munication, social ostracism and pecuniary ruin for this false teacher, this deceiver of people, to come out and assert that there Is no compulsion; that every member of the creed is a free agent to do as ho may please to, Is but adding insult to unmeasured wrongs. "What ' do intelligent and educated Mormons think of it? 1, It Is most strange that they do not in very shame I repudiate the whole miserable hypocrlcy and "ty- Mj ranny. Free agency! Does it help a child that is 1 terror stricken by a thunder storm to tell it that ; It' is a free agent and not to mind the lightning or the crash of the thunder? Is It not a shameful in- , suit to those whom the News has been cowing with superstititious fears for half a ' century to come out now and tell them they are free agents to do as they will? To tell a man who 'had both legs amputated a week ago that he may leap ana . walk if he pleases to for he is a free agent, would be an Insult would it not? "What better than an insult is It then for this false friend of the Mormon people to say to them, s T paralyzed with superstitious fears as they are, that i they are free agents to do as they please? V And this is ' done, not to deceive the Mormon I people, for they know how false and vile it -all is, . j but to deceive the people and government of the United States. And how 'much longer will the 1 people and government be deceived? How long I before they will understand just how treasonable ( this organization is and act accordingly? The Senate Sen-ate for three years has been investigating tho j' Smoot case. It was stated to the committee at the i opening that It would be shown that the Mormons were building up a kingdom, with 'the full equipment equip-ment of king and courts on the free soil of the Republic. Re-public. That it enslaves its people politically and makes , them mere tools and slaves of its chiefs; that it teaches the debasement and robbery of woman; that it Is a law unto Itself and that Its head claims divine right to rule. All that has been established and chiefly by the testimony of Smoot's witnesses, still the commit- , tee does hot seem to be convinced and we are promised a week's debate over those established facts. We wonder what would make up a caso that would convince such senators as Beveridge j and Foraker and the few others who hope that the lightning will yet strike and make them Pres- ; .idential candidates? |
