| Show ATIO ACID the message of governor eli II 11 murray furray to the members odthe of the legis T lature of utah is in many respects a mixture of impudence and ignorance he has bass it would seem turned preacher and reads the members a homily on re religion ligion church gov rement tithe paying ac and in his anxiety to separate church from state he be becomes comes confused and mixed up in both in speaking of church maff matters rs he be says say baysin sin in no sense even in the slightest degree is the sovereignty of church over th theSta eState tc in unison unison with I tk the language or spirit of the constitution ution or your count rys latra laws true this is true and it is equally true that the exercise of sovereign pow power r by the state over the church is illegal and unconstitutional it is an assumption of authority that neither the state nor his excellency is warranted in attempting if the officers of the church officiate in secular or temporal affairs it is because they have been elected to those positions by the majority of the electors at the polls and sure sure ly the mormon people have as touch right to elect a member of their church to the office of justice of the peace a member of the city council a probate judge or a ta member of the legis legislative assem bly as the methodist baptist or any other churches havo bavo to do the like things and which is done in many parts of the union and would bo be done by them here if they were in in the majority but as long as tho peoples party f retain their numerical strength at the ballot box so to long will they A continue to elect to official positions EF the men in whom they have the ait most confidence even though they should be men 91 already ready in authority in the church inthey if they choose to submit their dif faculties in temporal matters to the arbitration of those officials whose g business is it but their own noh blodys not even a governors by pursuing this course the people avoid many vexatious lawsuits in civil courts they save atto attorneys ineys fees an many other expenses incidental incidental to trials in courts of justice lee in speaking governor says the exaction of tithing for church or other purposes from any citizen should bo be forbid den now in the first place gor tithe paying is a very ancient custom in the church abraham paid tithes addid as did also his children after him I the practice was strictly observed in the ancient jewish church and subsequently in the christian church and it has not yet been cy abolished by all of efthem them N there are three kinds of tithes which have been required and paid by church members other than those of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints namely mixed dand and personal tithes tithes are those which arise immediately from the earth itself such as all kinds of grain fruits herbs etc mixed tithes include stock istock chickens eggs butter etc personal tithes consist of profits arising from personal industry trade profession etc in the next place tithes are not exacted nor even asked f for or any purpose from any citizen who is not a member of the mormon church but those who do belong to the C church hurch are expected to comply with the requirements of the church and tithing is one of them and this requisition is no more than other ther churches make of their memia bers who expect to retain their standing in full fellowship with tt those denominations but if a member of the mormon church f V should refuses to pay tithes 31 no un due influence would be bloused used to force him to do so rj the e poor man and the rich in ir this community cain earn their money and other property by their industry they have accumulated their means by their economy and it is not the business of an any y man invested with a little brief antl arity to say sv what they shall do with it or how they shall spend it if they aro disposed to give one B dia iR apy tenth of their earnings for church purposes they have a perfect right to do so whether it he be devo devoted to build temples or tabernacles ar to support missionaries while engaged in tho the ministry to feed the poor the widow and the father fatherless lessy to educate u ell to their children or for any other legitimate purpose no one can say this principle is not in union with the language or spirit of the constitution or the laws of your country neither has any body of men legal authority to legislate away these rights A recommendation men dation from a governor or any other person to pass a law to deprive a people of such privileges i i is is not only in bad taste but is also ri so a piece of impudent interference in in matters with which he lie has no authority to meddle we have no doubty bowlyer lio bo weyer but he the entire message will receive due consideration from those to whom it is is addressed |
