The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-18
IMPUDENCK AND IGNORANCE.


ridiculous about the conduct Of tina
man, the alleged Rev. 10. Cook. [
it were not for the fact that abOu
nire>tenths of those persons VIII
know anything Of nim from having
heard or read of his sayings and do
ings, regard him as being what il
popularity described as "crazy," hi'
manifestation Of what the populace
Jude rstand is comprehended in tht
word "gall' would entitle him te
the exeorstion of all decent people
AS it is, the charitable regard him
as something Of maniac who is
not responsible for his utterances
and others Iook upon with
Indifference or contempt. When
the man and his methods are CON-
sidered in the light Of ordinary
intelligence, and with some
knowledge OF the courtssies and de-
cencies existing in society, can Mr. .
Cook be regarded otherw wise than as
libel upon the profession which he
assumes to follow, and az Gisgracipg
the title which he places before his
name. He comes out here to Utah,
occasionally, and with cha,scteris-
tic impotence, assaiis the people in
a most brutal and scandalous man
ner; and what makes his conduct 30
ridiculous is the fact that he expects
to be believed and looks for ap-
plause.
Mr.. Cook is not blamed for differ
ing from the Mormons in his relig-
ious views; many intelligent and
really good and honest persons do
that. But he is censurable for
abusing the Mormon people mall
isiously; he is blamable for speaking
iii of them without having good
ground for doing so; he lie deserving
Of reproach for his ignorance when
the facts are so easy to be obtained. |
We undertake to say that no public
utterance by the gentleman in ref
erence TO the Mormons has been
based upon correct information. We
have been unfortunate enough to
have heard and read many Of Cooks
comments on the Mormons, their
doctrines and practices, and in none
of them did he display the knows
ledge Of the facts that the street
urchin Of any Utah town possesses.
He has imbi5ed his ideas
from those whose aim it
is to convey wrong impressions,
and preferring their views to those
that are correct, he closes his mind
to the truth and impudently asks
that what he says be accepted as
authentic.
1t would strike person OF aver
age intelligence that the proper
source of correct information as to
the doctrines and beliefs OF the
Mormons is the Mormons them
selves; and not those who are en-.
emies to the Mormons and who are
interested only in measures to crush
them out Of existence. Mr. Cook
has visited Utah two or three times.
but we doubt if he has ever con-
Yersed with a Mormon, his asso-
ciates, and those who "herd" him
being the persons in the conn
munity most pronounced in their
hatred Of the Mormon people.
Before an honest man denounces a
practice or system, he will at least
endeavor to learn something about
it and its results; does Mr.. Cook
really know anything of the Mor>
mon system and its results? A
person who has regard for the truth.
before he assails Or denounces al
community as Immoral and corrupt.
will at least make inquiries as toI
whether they are really bad: has
Mr.. Cook ever asked a person likely
to tell him the truth concerning the
moral condition Of the Utah COM |
munity?
If the reverend gentleman has in>
deed determined upon solving the
Mormon problem, there ia q large
undertaking before him; but he has
gone about the work in the wrong
way. What he should do is to gather
the factF, not from those whs are
more reckless in their statements
than he, but from those who knowi
and who are interested in speaking
the truth; having done this, if his
conceit has not entirely overcome
his common sense, he will probably
conclude, that the problem is not to