| Show Why Not Follow the Example of President I Presi-dent John Taylor There are many men who lead a double I life Onleof these is the life which grows I out of a persons surroundings or official i position the other is that which he lives when he is not influenced by public opinion opin-ion andis in line with his individual i judgment V j Thc Course of President Jolrx TAYLOR I with respec toj > olygamy is an apt example i 1 exam-ple of this doubieNlife He is in himself as an official an epitome of the Church of I Latterday Saints He has risen to his present position through all the grades V prescribed by his religious systeman elder a priest a bishop an apostle and I at last president talcing all the solemn vows binding himself by every form of i p religious oath to uphold support enforce and defend each and every principle I adopted by his people Other men in less respo sible plages and under lighter obligations obli-gations might waver somewhere and in some point but the chief ofthe church cannot play the role of reformer nor risk the imputation of treachery AS the Official hca or hp Mnrmnn n l Jnn f therefore con strained < to be at least in theory a I polygamist He I defends polygamy from his place in the Tabernacle he urges the right of all liis people to pactfde it he 4dos not admit the Constitutional right of the lawmakers to legislate against it and he uses the enormous revenues of the church freely to provide for polygamists tile best legal counsel Everything that tlie obligations of his rank requires is faithfully done by tire occupant of the first officeJnthe Jtformon Church But as a man and as a citizen frT fr-T onN TAYLOR also marks out for himself another life lIe was as a practical I polygamist a violator of the laws of the land Hc was amenable to punisluhent his example as a lawbreaker was destructive l de-structive to the best interests this Territory f Ter-ritory But he has with his own lips informed the people that he has become obedient to law he has put away his unlawful tt lawful Vives and so far as his dailylife is concerned is no more a polygamist than I r I I theGovernor of the Territory Mea have argued ibatt1iey can not conform con-form to the law without abandoning those who now rightfully look to them for support sup-port apd casting helpless orphans uppn the wZld Does anyone imagine that Mrs Mr-s i eit k = X TAYLOR omits a single duty to his children chil-dren Will any one believe that Mr TAYLOR will permit a woman to suffer whom ho has once pledged himself to sustain Beyond those things which arise out of dhurchty rank it would be hard fdr Mormonor Gentile to bring an evil accusation against JOHN TAYLOR Why not therefore follow his example exam-ple Through this one manly act he speaks to all the people of Utah It is the most eloquent of proclamations it is I the most effective of all appeals The law of the land is supreme upon the conscience I con-science of every citizen unless it commands i com-mands him to disobey GOD Mr TAYLOR plainly says to all that a man does not disobey GOD when he keeps clear of polygamy His religion may teach that as a matter of principle it is one of his saintly privileges but there is no requirement require-ment to use a moral privilege and thus provoke a conflict with law Mr TAYLOR has added to all that has been laid to his credit as theable head of his great cliurclf this crowning act of loyally loy-ally to his country He has shown the bright road to peace In the truest way and undoubtedly from the best of motives mo-tives he has pointed out the avenue to prosperity for his church and hastened the happy time when we shall hear no more of the bitterness and strife which has brought such disgrace upon us all |
