The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-04-24
UTAH AND IT'S PEOPLE"

number o! the North american Re
UieU, 10 which reference has hereto
fore been made in the HERALD, is
new departure in the treatment OF
the subject, namely: the Mormons.
The discussion, go far as the better
class Of periodicals are concerned,
has been strikinglY one-sided affair.
The pages of magazines and reviews
have frequently been placed at the
Sispossl Of anti-Mormons, and par
tieularly those of the radical type, but
We do not remember of hearing that
Mormon or q known friend to the
Latter-day Saints church had been
invited, or even permitted, to defend
his doctrines and his people in tLe,e
publications. Indeed, many news
papers even have been closed against
the Mormons, while their columns
were free to anybody who desired to
assail Mormonism. The fact that
Mr.. Cannon was solicited to write
the paper for the North american,
and tle fact, also. that at least one
other OF the leading American re-
views has arranged for one or more
articles written from the Mormon
standpoint, show a degree of liber-
atty and fairness, and indicate an
interest no. hitherto marked in the
American review editors and pub
lishers, Those best acquainted WITH
the Mormons know that if they can
be beard by intelligent listeners. such
as the readers OF the reviews. the
judgment against them will be won-
deriully modified, for it ID no
difficult matter to prove ID one
willing TO be convinced that
the Saints are not the gross, lioentious,
wicked people they have been
painted by careless. irresponsible and
reckless scribblers, ignorant preachers
and sensational lecturers. That the
church possesses within itself the lit
erRry and argumentative ability to ebly
defend its doctrines ard plead It's
cause, ID abundantly proven by Mr..
Oannon's paper, of which it Is 10 dis
credit to the other distinguished con-
tributors to the current number Of the
North American to say. it is as we'll
written as any paper in the issue. II
Mr.. Cannon and his fellow church
members can have access TO these
higher order publications. they will
certainly not let the literature of the |
age suffer from their writings, while
a better understanding of the Nor
mons and their doctrines will as
suredly. be disseminated smCng class
most difficult to approach through |
less respectable channels. For the
good of all-the Mormons and the
protested anti-Mormons, the inter-
ested and the uninterested, the know
ing and the ignorant-we hope Mr..
Cannon's paper in the North
american marks q new era
In the treatment of the ques-
ton that has sgitated the nation
in greater or less degree, for the
past thirty.five years. The savage
abuse by irresponsible newspaper
scribblers, the senseIess hsrareues
from the pulpit, end the tell-it-all
stories and exposures" put forth to
make money for the writers or ut
tered to satisfy vindictive, spitefnl
feelings, will, Of course, be continued
with more or less regularity, accord
ing as the desire for that kind of
lit nature and sensation may run;
but let Us have some intelligent, fair
treatment of q matter that is of so
much Importance to 200, 600 Nor
mons and claims so much of the at
tention of the American government.
It has been asserted that Mr..
Csnnon's paper was reply
TO an article which appear, d
in the ReUie5o two months ago
over the signature of Judge" c.
G. Goodwin, but this is not true.
The Goodwin paper lie but briefly re-
ferred to, and in combining himself 10 ,
this slight reference, Mr.. Cannon l
shows that he knows how to take a
fair advantage OF a situation. He
maintains his dignity as a gentleman t
and scholar, which he could not
have done had he stopped to answer &
the article referred to, which was y
dirty and scurrilous in the extreme. q
in gross personalities, and Il
crsmmed with cowardly AID q
ISLANDERS OF the dead 8
and wicked Misrepresentation of L
The living. It's proper place, b
if any place is proper for that kind OF e.
and grossness il literature, o.
vas in the disreputabIe newspaper tt
edited by its author. The readers of 81
he TIVE papers in the North American U
,annot fail to be struck by the differ d
9nce in their tone, the one being of
he low, BLACKBOARD order, and the OF
'ther the exact oppo. lite. Mr.. Gam
loD, whether intentional or other %
wise, has made a strong point in this. b.
t space would allow, the HERALD FRI
you'd gladly reproduce the most of an an
fr. Cannon's paper, but We must tn
onfne ourselves TO a few extracts. a y
he gentleman opens by comment ali
lg upon the popular ignorance re-
pectIng the Mormons and their be- th
ei, saying: ar
It is seldom that even among the intel co
gent and well read one can be found tn
no can give q correct statement of the
,ctrines Of the Lstter-dsy Saints, or 20
Mormons, "ss they are called;or who can tn
,plain the true character of their system. IN