Under the Prophet in Utah; the National Menace of a Political PriestcraftCannon, Frank J.
History
Under the Prophet in Utah; the National Menace of a Political Priestcraft
Cannon, Frank J.
Latter Day Saint churches; Latter Day Saints; Utah -- Politics and government
After the outrageous exposures of the violations of law, the treason
and the criminal indifference to human rights shown by the rulers of
the Church, if an early vote had been taken by the committee and by
the Senate itself, the antagonism of the nation would have forced the
exclusion of the Apostle from the upper House. Delay was his salvation.
More to the President's influence than to any other cause is the delay
attributable that prolonged the case through a term of three years.
During that time the unfortunate Gentiles of Utah learned that, instead
of receiving help from the President, they were to have only the most
insuperable opposition. They believed that the President was being
grossly misled; that it was, of course, impossible for him to read all
the testimony given before the Senate committee, and that the matters
that reached him were being tinged with other purpose than the
vindication of truth and justice. But it was impossible to obtain the
opportunity of setting him right. Even the women who were leading
the national protest against the polygamous teaching and practices of
Smoot's fellow apostles were told that the President had made up his
mind and could not be re-convinced.
The Mormon appeal to his generosity was not confined to Washington. On
his travels he met President Smith more than once--the Prophet being
accompanied by a different wife each time--and naturally Smith made
every effort to impress President Roosevelt with his earnestness, the
purity of his life, and the high motives that actuated the exercise
of his authority. And at this sort of pretense the Lord's anointed are
expert. They themselves may be crude in ideas and coarse in method,
but their diplomacy is a growth of eighty years of applied devotion and
energy.
The American people are used to meeting prominent Mormons who are models
of demeanor who are hearty of manner; who carry a kindly light in their
eyes; who have a spontaneity that precludes hypocrisy or even deep
purpose. These are not the men who make the Church diplomacy--they
simply obey it. It is part of that diplomacy to send out such men for
contact with the world. But the ablest minds of the Church, whether they
are of the hierarchy or not, construct its policies. And given a system
whose human units move instantly and unquestioningly at command; given
a system whose worldly power is available at any point at any moment;
given a system whose movement may be as secret as the grave until
result is attained--and the clumsiest of politicians or the crudest of
diplomats has a force to effect his ends that is as powerful for its
size as any that Christendom has ever known.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account