Show MUCH IGNORANCE DISPLAYED the san francisco call takes the address of rev steelman before the baptist convention in san francisco as the subject for a long editorial in which it says rev II 11 B steelman ot utah reviewed the tendencies of mor monism and declared that despite the manifesto of 1890 polygamy is still being taught as one of the doctrines of the church and is not infrequently practiced by its leaders these statements are in accord with reports that come from other sources and while the address ot the speaker was undoubtedly infused with the ardor of his theological zeal there is no reason to believe he exaggerated anything the cormons mormons obtained statehood tor utah by making professions in which they may have been sincere at the time but which they are not observing now either in spirit or in letter good reasons exist for believing that the polygamist roberta was elected to congress by the church solely for the purpose ot making a test case roberts himself is a man of comparatively little note in the state or in the church ills personality is not of a kind to arouse much ot favor or of antagonism the leaders ot the church have evidently put him forward to try public sentiment and see whether a polygamist lyga mist can hold a seat in congress n roberts be seated it may be accounted a sure thing that the next senatorial election in utah will result in the election of some high mormon dignitary to the united states senate and the new senator will be as open a polygamist lyga mist as roberts himself while not attempting a defense of mormonism believing the members ot the dominant church capable of their own defense still we desire to point out the error into which those unfamiliar with utah affairs invariably tall when es saying to pass judgment on the people no one in utah can tall to observe the misstatement that roberts Is a man of comparatively little note in the state or church this assertion Is made to bolster up the declaration that roberts was put forth simply to test the temperament of the american people on the question of polygamy roberts has been in politics for several years was a member of the constitutional convention and was the first candidate nominated by the democratic party for congress suffering defeat by ex congressman alien no man stands higher than roberts in church work this information is for the edification of our pacific coast contemporary and Is offered in the hope that it will familiarize itself with utah affairs before again attempting criticism |