Church Allegiance and Good Government
The Christian Work and Evangelist (New York City) advocates driving the State of Utah out of the Union, and reducing it to its former territorial condition, to prevent the seating of Mormons like “Apostle” Reed Smoot in the United Senate than for objecting to a Catholic son for objecting to a Mormon in the Senate than for objecting to a Catholic in the like position. It is said that Mr. Smoot’s voice and vote in Congress will be controlled by the Mormon hierarchy at Salt Lake; that he will set the interests of his church above the interests of the government. But if this is true, as it probably is, it is no worse than to have in the Senate a man whose actions are dictated by the church hierarchy at Rome; and neither is it any worse than to have in the national legislature a man whose voice and vote have been sold to the money power in Wall Street. It is true, as The Independent observes, that every Christian recognizes and obeys a higher power than the federal government; but there is a vast difference between working for the setting up of God’s kingdom in the hearts of men, and working for the earthly aggrandizement of a visible church organization. No person who aims to exalt his church into a position of worldly authority and power can be a friend of good government.