The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-05-03
GREAT MASS MEETING
The Protest and Declaration
of Grievances.
RINGING SPEECHES OF THEDAY
A Committee Appointed to Pro-
coed to Washington with
the Protest.

Long before the hour announced TO
yesterdays mass meeting, the body G
the Tabernacle was nearly filled wit
citizens, and up to and after O'CLOCK
additions to the vast concourse entere
until every seat was filled. After an al
by the band, Mr.. VIM. Jennings aske'
the attention OF the assemblage ant
nominated Hon. John T. Game to b.
chairman of the meeting; he was elected
unanimously.
Mr.. Game thanked the people for theil
good feeling and asked for the ncmina
ton of a secretary.
o. F. Whitney nominated FL. M
Wells to be secretary; unanimously sus
tanned.
Mr.. Wells then read the call, which
has been published in the city for week
past.
Mr.. JAMES SHARP nominated W. Jen-
nings, T. G. Weber, Elias A. Smith, C.
D. Brinton, Miss NJ. A. Cook and DIR.
Romania B. Pratt as vice-presidents,
and they were sustained.
Assistant secretaries were next put in
nomination and VIM. NJ. Stewart. of
Draper, and Mrs. Cornelia H Clayton,
of Salt Lake City, were unanimously
chosen, .
The Tabernacle Choir. of which there
was full attendance, sang, "Ob, say
what is truth ?" in a spirited and effec-
Apostle Heber ]. Grant offered up
prayer.
1t was suggested here that the gallery
doors be opened to allow a number who
were standing to be seated. The doors
were accordingly thrown open, when
several hundred f1ocked up stairs, until
more than two-thirds of the seats there
were occupied, the band playing in
spring airs while the seating was
going on.
The chairman, Hon. John 7. Game,
spoke as follows;
Mr. Gaines Speech.
FELLOW Citizens. We have assembled
this afternoon to consider matters
which pertain to our welfare, not only
as members of a church, but as citizens
of the United Statesmen and women
who enjoy the right guaranteed by the
Constitution of our country to peaeeably
assemble and petition for redress
grievances.
The history of the Latter-day Saints
is history of persecution brought on
by prejudice and religious bigotry. The
the church had hardly been organized
when opposition began to manifest itself
first in a mild form, but as the church
grew in numbers, it gradually increased
in force and in aggressiveness, and the
people protesting this unpopular re-
ligion were frequently assaulted and
driven from their homes by mob yio-
lence. The ostracism of individuals,
because of their religion in New York,
was followed by the mobbing of families
in Ohio.
When the church as body settled in
Missouri, and its members had opened
farnss@ built houses, planted or
chards and established that en-
CINE of civilization, the printing
press, mob violence followed and
wreaked its full vengeance upon them.
After suffering untold hardships in en-
deavoring to protect their homes, they
we're driven from the State at the sacri-
flee of many precious lives, and the loss
of their property, including the lands
Our people then settled in Illinois,
where for a time they were prosperous
and happy. But the demon persecu-
ton was not dead. Priestly intolerance
and political jealousy were again
aroused, and the Saints were annoyed
and harrassed in numberless ways. Our
leaders, the Prophet and Patriarch,
while under the protection of the
pledged faith of the State, were cruelty
massacred. But the blood of the mar
tyrs proved to be the seed OF the
church, for notwithstanding the
troubles in and around Nauvoo, Nor
monism, so-called, grew and flourished,
and thousands of people focked to its
standard both in Europe and America
The persecution in Nauvoo continued,
and finally resulted in the people being
compelled to abandon their homes, sscri-
fee the fruits of their labor, leave the be-
loved Temple which they had reared at
so much cost, and turn their backs up
on State which no longer afforded
them protection. The sick, the infirm,
and mere remnant OF the strong to
care fer the weak and helpless, remained
behind under guarantees of protection
to life and property. Punic faith was
their reward, and they were driven out
at the mouth of the musket or the point |
of the bayOnet.
1t is hard to believe that such out |
RACES could be enacted in land dedi- |
Gated to liberty. A land that was to
afford an asylum to the oppressed of all
nations, under a government whose
flag was supposed to protect every man
in the right to worship God according
to the dictates of his own conscience.
Yet the people who had suffered these
wrongs, this treachery, these crimes
against humanity, and were yet to suf-
fer more. never wavered in their allie
glance to the United States. They be-
IieVed that under the protect
ing agis of the Constitution the
largest liberty, consistent with the rights
of others, was assured them. With this
faith. they set out to find new abiding
piacefar removed from their fellow men,
who, through ignorance, uncharitable
- ! S.--.S-l dI..,ai txafll IL | ,