| Show GIST GISi IS OF OP THE CASE CASK o Of Ot course the tho removal of or Senator moot from i om his seat scat in the senate ot of the United States means the thc t J 1 Jon ot of a L religious test In ving ipg political rights under the tho govern govern- g It means the disfranchisement of t men who hold to the Mormon formon faith Nothing less an and and we we wo very hope very littie lit lit- I tie tle moro more than that I iJ- iJ would mean that a Mormon ormon Scan can canI cannot not liOt under the law as Interpreted b by the tho senate hold office or OV exercise the right III of ot franchise Wo Vo 0 do o not think I It J will go to the extent of or declaring that h ho hG can not own property al although although nl al- tJ though ough that la is not incompatible with the principle of Mormon exclusion p i If Ir this exclusion shall come corne It will bc be on the theory that Mormons are arc aliens lIens to the tho government of the United States subservient to the tho commands of of oc a political government s t other than of tho the United States an and ai ably ly hostile to It ft And on that theory theor r men nen have o been prevented pre hol holding land or exercising an any rights of prop prop- erty We e do not think the persecution tion will go to that length in the V present case But Dut the tho confiscation of property is b by no means either cither illogical illogical c cal l or unreasonable if IC a senator may maybe b be Ic removed from froni his scat on the pros pros- ent contention c And yet ot for Cor the present we C need look kok no further than the effect in a apolitical political I way the way the deprivation of of of- fi e and franchise because of tion with a certain ch church For that church membership is the one reason assigned for the removal remo of or Mr Smoot from his seat seaL It is not because he ho is isa a for fol that he is not and never never has been and the pretense o of It t. t has been abandoned b by every everyone one in i 1 c prosecution of the tho cae tho the sen- sen l d afu It iti Is not ilOt leca because 5 ho Jg Implicated l C i In In It an any crime hn ilk has not g ICh rs- rs ged d. d ItIS' ItIS Trot not b because ho has been in iii open rebellion against the government of the thc United States f fl fyr r from Infancy Inanc to the thc present time he heIms has Ims been a loyal citizen of Utah and ancl of the nation It Is not because he Is he-Is heIsa ls a native e of some foreign clime an and has never been naturalized he was born here and here he has grown to manhood and has accumulated prop- prop ort and risen lisen In the esteem of his friends The rile one ch charge rge is that he hc heIs heisa Is isa a a member of oC the Mormon l church hurch i It it t must be 10 understood that such membership is iM interpreted to mean mean menn J that the rulers of that church exercise exer exer- cise f an undisputed control over ovel the will and the thc actions of its members that the rulers of or orthe the Mormon olmon church h hold ld the allegiance o of all communicants cants and that this allegiance is su superior sU su- to that owed awed b by tho the member to o. o the United States o of America The writer of or these lines is not a Mormon nor nOLO tho son of a Mormon I hut but ho lie i is not blind to the fact that tile the they are arc entitled to tho tho same me fair fall treatment which will cheerfully bo ho accorded by Americans to adherents of or orther other ther faiths Th They y are arc entitled to that much ranch They TheS' have asked for no more I Opponents Opponent of Senator Smoot and that means no more and no less than opponents to the Mormon Mormon church chulch say that membership means moans absolute subS subservience sub sub- S to the will of or the church au au- au Members o of tho the Mormon church without exception say this Is not not true Opponents say that mem- mem r r hers bers obe obey tho the church authorities InS in S voting Mormons and the tile record I of oC the tue elections In iii Utah from tho the very scry beginning say ay this Is not true Opponents Op- Op say members in that church chuich have taken taleen an oath to avenge the lie blood of oC the prophets on the governS govern govern- overn- overn i S mont of or tho United States and to teach this oath of or vengeance to their their r r children to tho the third and fourth gen gen- 1 cr tion n. n Mormons say is is not true L al avid and l men of oC that faith who have reached reach reach- ed cd the thc age of or fifty years oars and who i have ha witnessed or 01 taken alcoa every obligation obliga alion a- a lion tion In Mormon 1 ceremonial say they have ve 1 never been heen taught that oath by hy th their ir parents parenti and havo not taught it to their children Opponents say lY that S J p th the Mormon ormon church Interferes s In busi- busi i ness S and In politics that it controls elections and that no man can attain 5 r S office unless he be he backed d by the Hie Mormon Mormon Mor Mor- r. r mon church Mormons and every one else elso who lives here heie knows s that Mormons Mor Mor- mons belong to all parties that lint they divided of oi pai party ty lines hues from th the he hedi f di organization of the state and before and that there theio are arc today earn earnest t TIe Be- and Democrats In the Mormon church living together In fn unity so far fat as ai their religious religious' affiliations U tl ns are concerned but fighting each other all the bitterness S of ot a apolitical apolitical political conflict at election time If It all members of that church beor belonged be- be or longed ed to one party the cha charge go ml might ht I f seem eem m more lo reasonable If men once elected and always in favor with the church had never been defeated b by votes vote of or churchmen with churchmen with others the others the charge would be 10 more credible crell I Imen It If men inca not favored d b by the church who have been defeated once had not later been beon elected while lille still out of favor Cavor favoriti with iti the church the lie charge might Inight be believed c l But Dut tho the truth is that men in iii Utah hod the Mormon n church does oes not control conti I elections lons that the Mor 01 Mormon m mon mob l churchs church's ft lends are arc el defeated at at election wh when n Mormon votes otes save sa them that precisely the same samo rules an and conditions obtain hero here as In Inan an any other part palt of the country when It comes collies to the domain of Cf politics The Tho church does does- dictate the political pronouncements ts of or the ho state state of Utah Utan nor of r an any of It An And tho the people would o id n not t ob cl 1 dictation if there ere were vere erean an any The favor of or Mormons as l Individuals als does docs give a candidate ate an nn advantage There TherIs Is no question pf f that A Mormon Mormon Mor 1 n mon mon on eater cater will ill will riot get got man many Mormon ormon votes because Jio Jle anta antagonizes them thorn lie offends s them But Dut the tho man who ob observes e the rules rubs of ot fairness fallness In his Intercourse with them who io is Just to them thorn without being a member of their church will have o an nn advantage over 01 one ono of abusive kind when hen It comes to toan toan toan an election There will bo ho no dispute of that But Dul it Is because there hero are arc more Mormons hero horo than nan non non-Mor l mons when the population of the state is considered cle And the same rule that obtains in other states slates holds here Where there Is a big Catholic voto vote in Indiana It Is well vell for Cor the can candidate to tobe tobe tobe be friends with the tho and tj ItIs it itis its Is s fatal faial for him to antagonize them Is not this iris true Where there thero is a a. Jal largo large go vote ote as In Iii I Kentucky Kentucky Ken Ken- en- en tucky It Is well velt for the candidate to win their thell f favor faor or 1 and he he docs does Otherwise Otherwise Other Other- I wise he Is Js generally defeated Where here i there thero is a lar largo large o German vote yote the tire candidate can cai- didato who Is wise will wilt cultivate friendly relations with the Germans German's s and on election day lay he hell ll will his ils r ward reward Where here there Is a strong Italian ote vote it Is not well veli for fOI the candidate candi- candi J. J late date to lo curse curso King Victor Emmanuel or r consign Garibaldi to lo perdition Elso Else lie he ie will vIll flint find tho the Italian vote oto thrown pretty prett- soll solidly l against him election day day and and it will mal make difference whether or not he is of their po- po Part party parly S SNow Now can you ou say these C Catholics cone confess s an allegiance to to the head of th their h church because the they remain In that hat communion while exercising exercising- the rights of ot If franchise e as ns citizens of the United States And do T you oU dotty dorty them office Can any one say sal the members of oC the or Christian church should be dl disfranchised because because be be- cause their thell brotherhood In th cJ church makes them thorn cling a n. little closel closely to together together to- to gether g when the campaign gets warm Can one say that lint th tho German Amen cans ans should be deprived of or the right to o vote voto simply Imply because when election clay ay comes a n large preponderance of the he German Geiman an vote Is cast for fora a a. certain candidate and against his opponent Shall tho Italians be stripped stripped strip strip- pod ped ped of of tho pi prIceless prIceless' i privilege which was vas conferred upon them when d lieu their theIr fortunes with tho those thoo o of the native Americans One time lime a n wave of or political sentiment took ook possession ion of certain portions of ot this his country countr making a test so severe that hat no person ierson of foreign birth no person son of oC certain churches was vas conce conceded ed equal rights In fn the na- na lion ion People called It ism sm This contention of tho the anti- anti formon romlO 1 today would be Ism sm l' l run n mad It Ii seems hardly probable that the tho of America when when they they shall have I learned the truth in full concerning con- con corning the tho Mormon ormon question and the tire which has inspired action Inthe in inthe the he ca case of Senator Smoot will sane sane- lion Ion th the Intolerance that has been at- at tempted Vl Wh n ii the they understand that lint polygamy is dead dea that not oven tho the Mormons Mormons desire desiro its resurrection that not lot half hair of oC the Mormons ever practiced iced polygamy and anil that tho the church it as does docs oes the law of or the land and that lint the prohibition Is observed and ind the law obeyed Whorl ObeYed when when these things are aro learned for they ale aie true I he tire nation will demand for Utah that degree of fairness which has given equal rights to all tr gard to g to to creed color or 01 previous lo s condition r. r S f |
