Show MR THATCHERS REPLY TO PRESIDENT SNOW date of the dinst mr thatcher makes make a reply to the letter of president snow recently published in the deseret news As heretofore declared the broad aldoes ax does not desire nor does it intend to champion or defend the rights of either party in any ecclesiastical sias controversy but bat from our earliest existence it has been our constant endeavor and delight to work for the cause of democracy in all that the term implies whatever p pc or influence assails the principles of democracy whatever seeks to wrest from the people their political freedom as guaranteed by the fundamental law of this state no matter in what form or from whence such power or influence may come it will always find us upon guard ready to defend to the utmost the cause of political freedom and the principles princia les of democracy mo cracy the history written and unwritten of the events of the past six years and the supreme law of the state to which we all look for guidance and p protection unite in a positive declaration that the people of this commonwealth are forever politically free hence the broad ax armed in the holy cause of liberty and standing upon the rock of unquestionable history and law will give battle to every power or inglut ence disguised or otherwise which seeks or attempts to subvert the rights and liberties of the people to selfish or insidious ends 11 passing assing over that portion of mr thatchers letter which relates to church affairs we desire to make a few observations u upon PO n the political situation as therein discussed mr thatcher could not he says saya 1 reconcile the manifesto with all I 1 the authoritative and unquestionable declarations that had been made from 1890 up to the admission of utah into the union it seems in in other words that he regards the manifesto as a political measure and that it is in conflict with all the public declarations aecha unions of poli fical om as made by file leaders and d ecclesiastical sUper superiors iorg and ando also that it is in direct contravention to the constitution he could itara religious alous or io of L wibb aw of 0 J as 41 e w attical nature an and d the quorum to which he belonged have passed upon it and mr thatcher has f ully fully satisfied the jud judgment ment of that chrt tri bunal the broad ax knows nothing of etmon he e rules or laws governing the ormon church and therefore uld not if it desired pass upon the he justice or injustice of the action of the quorum of apostles Apost ks v but the declarations pl pledges edgell e and I 1 laws ws from which mr thatcher uld not escape and with which he could not reconcile the manifesto are things which we are fully cog of and being of a political stature are at perfect liberty to dis 1 al aiss as S we all believed and do now believe lieve in the declarations pledges and laws referred to and if mr thatcher could not reconcile the so called manifesto with them would it not be the beights of injustice for us to in any way subject him to criticism he in common with every citizen of this state is politically free and not one is compelled to seek his political beliefs from this source or that source or to make his political deduction conform to the plans of any man or set of men my mv whole life and its work says says mr thatcher contradict the charge charge that I 1 cour could seek office on a platform antagonistic to any church I 1 should oppose any any man who stood arpon such a platform yes and so would we and so 8 0 would every true Demo democrat cratl democracy act antagonistically to any church not without losing its identity and virtue no democracy is working and looking for the day when there shall reign in utah a universal freedom and a universal brotherhood |