The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-06
ILLIBERAL LIBERALS.
One Of Them Done Up by a Liberal
SALT LAKE CITY, December 10, 1888

SALT LAKE CITY, December 10, 1883
Mr.. Editor:-In .the copy of your
paper which was sent to me as q
sample read q number of interesting
articles, one from Utah, on which /
thought it might not be amiss to say
a few words.
Your correspondent, in concluding
bis letter, from one of the many Nor
mon settlements, complains of hard
times, and uses the following words:
"The inclosed dollar is to further my
subscription. 1 wish l could send
more. but at this time / cannot do it,
for I get but a poor chance to earn
money or anything else among these
sanity, beastly thugs"
Now, the little town from which
your correspondent writes is quiet
weil-ordered village, and the people
are quite prosperous generally. The
settlement is pleasantly located, and
il has always kept pace with the
many other successful little farming
towns of Utah.
As far as l can lasrn. the writer Of
the letter to which | refer Is poor
man, and it would seem that common
sense would prompt more Care ful
cummenta than be makes upon bis
neighbors. on w1om he depends to
some conside, able extern. for MS live
llbood.
Note where be Gays. "This internal
Mormon. filthy, debasing humbug'
sis sore curse to this grand
and delightful territory" .
degrading women to the level OF
beasts, filling the country with lille
climate, ignorant children, instilling
into them q hatred, animosity. and
disloyal,y to the general government.
How long, oh! how long will the
officers of this mighty nation permit
this nasty, vile system Of disloyalty to
lit up it's vile hydra head and me-
mace and oefy ths laws OF the netion.
AMI outrage society ss they have, with
their filthy, besstly debauchery these
many years, and are still doing?"
1 believe in free thought and free
speech, but also believe in cool
temper and good Judgment, and !
submit to you that 10 my opinion this
communication to which / refer lacke
the most important elements. Nc
matter how true the statements might
be, any reasonable pereon might
know that such abuse OF an entire
community would not be likely tc
help your correspondence condition
financially. IT [ am not mistaken,
it ia not long since the writer of thai
letter belonged to the church at which
be hurls 30 many singing adjectives,
and from my own knowledge l car
assert that the church was no better
then than now. Without doubt, al
that time he was as much fssintly
beastly thug" as any other OF the
members, and | hesitate not to Say
that he then would have resented
such charges with as much vehem
lence as any Mormon would now.
The chances are none of them will
pay any attention to his letter, as they
are go accustomed to this sort oil
abuse that it hardly creates ripple
In their placidity. | should have paid
no attention thereto, only that [ have
keen eye of illiberal Liberals. I
think them the most contemplate
beings on the face of the earth-thst
is, would think so if 1 did not know
better. The fact is. the possession oil
broad, untrammeled ideas intoxicates
them, and they are at times as irres-
ponsible as the veries! bigot. 1t is q
question of time only, however, before
they overcome this incubus, provided.
of course, they be really liberal. | do
not mention the name of your cor
respondent. because l do not wish to
make this letter personal. and have
no desire to make him any more con-
spicuuus than he has mads himself.
You know, Mr.. Editor. that a man
cannot speak in similar terms of any
community in the world without
arousing feelings of resentment; and
ask you. even admitting that all his
scathings were really deserved, if be
in your opinion has reason to expect
to earn money to pay for the Truth
Seeker, or tor any other purpose, in q
little rural town where every one
knows be has said such things?
Freethought and Liberalism do not
in nv opinion give authority to abuse
anyone, neither do they make phil
osopher of foolish person suddenly.
1t takes time, and il the process of
partusition is not painful one, the
neophyte NAV consider himself fortu.
nate. There is altogether too much
of tendency to tyrannizs over our
fellows. just as we claim the priests
have done over US, when We smell the
morning air and fret ieel that ocr
limts and brains are free. And this
rebound from quiescent slavery to
robust ACCOMPLISHMENTS requires
some brain, to hold an equilibrium.
Let US try and furnish the neces-
sary brains, and if possible avoid the
errors OF the past. So far as the inn
provement o. the age and race is con-
cerned, We might as well be slaves as
tyrants; as well be wronged as wrong
doors.
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