The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-25
A SCOUNDRELLY ISLANDER.
The Tribune's spanish Fork Lie,
and the Real Facts as TO that
Town.

THE HERALD received call yesterday
from Messrs. Lawrence and Wilson. two
young business men of Spanish Fork,
who in coming up on Friday mornings
train, noticed the following scoundrelly
falsehood in the Tribune:
Spanish Fork. settlement south of
Springville, in Utah County, is said to
be q po.ygamous hot bed, where almost
every man IS guilty Of violating the Ed
munds Law. There is only one street in
the village. and the houses are old
tumble down concerns. each inhabited
BY three or four women living with their
polygamous lord, who is in every in
stance An alien born Mormon, and who
knows nothing of American govern
ment save what be has heard from the
Mormon pulpit and press. There is
but one non Mormon in the village, and
between him and the polygamists there
is a truce. He has been furnishing the
Saints with gin without complying with
that little formality known as the liquor
license law. and in times past caused
the priesthood much trouble. On con-
dition that he shall be left by them to
do as be pleases in the matter, he stip-
ulates not to give the polygamists OF
the town away TO the officers. The re.
suit Is, not a single case of polygamy OF
unlawful cohabitation has been report
ed from Spanish Fork, though the fact
/ that there is scarcely a monogamiSt II
the town is well attested. NothinI
short Of martial law would ever effect {
round-up there and teach the residen
polygam0us aliens that there is Gov
eminent in America stronger than th'
Kingdom OF God on earth"
Messrs. Lawrence and Wilson sa,
that there would be no pointin noticing
so absurd q slanderas this, as it coull
never by any possibility reach the pee
pie it was intended to injure. excep
that it might have its effect in this cit,
upon the Spanish Fork men doing bus
ness here. In the first place. SPANS
Fork is not polygamous hot bed, an
| nearly every man is not guilty OF VIOLA
ing ne Edmunds act: the numbe
disfranchised by that law was quit
small. At the lastcity election, over 4C
> votes were cast. and she truth of Ii
charge that there Is only one non-Mo
mon in the place, is shown by the fai
that so Liberal votes were records
: The native born citizens are not out
: proportion with those Of other settl
nents. The dwelling houses are main
4 brick and adobe, and will compare IA
orably with those of adjacent town
:. The business houses Of Spanish Fol-
are Of solid standing. and good reput,
the coop, the boot and shoe manufa
tory. saw mills, Touring mills. etc, b
ing in q dourishing condition. Some I
e the Spanish Fork business men al
, among the most enterprising known
Salt Lake merchants. and every one r
, members that Mr.. Greer, one of n
brightest members of the recent Legi
, Iature.. was selected from this ''tumo
down village" The town has a reai
ing room of two years standing. whic
is well attended. AS q farming con
aunitv. Spanish Fork is among u
Y first in the Territory. It's people ga'
' 4 large tract of land 100 acres)
Arthur Stayner, TO encourage the ma
= ufacture OF home made sugar. and
great amount Of means has been e
pended on irrigating canals. The char!
that the one non Mormon is allowed
do business without q license in consi
Grafton of his keeping silent" is equs
Y Iy absurd with the other charge
' Spanish Fork Is a strict prohibiuC
' town, and the man who sells gin, do
II surreptitiously. and Is caught al
punished as often as il is possible. l
. deed, there are several cases pendlI
over him in court at present.
The animus of this whole article, We
1 THE HERALD to hazard a guess. may
trcaed TO the fact that the lone no
Mormon" has probably been Solicit'