The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-20
TIE TROUBLESOME RECORD.

The deadly parallel column is equaled in
awful effectiveness only by the dragging
forth of the record. Many man has gone
to wreck upon his own record, which he
has either forgotten or thinks has passed
from the memories of others into oblivion.
Certain Liberals are Just now learning how
dangerous it is to their personal popularity
TO change base regarding the Mormon
people In the examinations now being
conducted before Judge ANDERSON the
most important witnesses for the Liberals
are ex-Mormons, and some of them were
once active and prominent in the church
They were Mormons all the way from five
to thirty years, and during all that time
were not only professed believers in the
doctrines which they practiced but were
enthusiasts in their religious, labor. They
left records for earnestness and activity,
and if they were not sincere they
managed with great cleverness to
hide their deceit If it were not
for the records these men have left
behind they could with better consistency
go upon the stand and tell their stories
AS it is, their tales carry very little weight
10 the minds of intelligent, thoughtful PEG
pie. The impartial man naturally asks
when were these men honest and truthful
If the reply is now, he will next inquire
why they practiced deception all these
years, posing as faithful members Of a
church which they at heart believed was
humbug and fraud. \ man went through
the Endowment house thirty or forty
years ago, took the solemn oaths and obi
cations said to be administered there, and
lived along quarter or third Of century
without ever for moment thinking he
had done anything wrong; if one had said
he was lacking in patriotism he would have
been indignant, and the accusation that he
was a traitor to his country would probably
have resulted in a knock-down. All at
once he learns that the Endowment house
is a reasonable institution, that the man
who subscribes to the oaths pledges him
self to all manner of crimes, among others |
10 make war upon the government, !
and that the teachings are in the direction !
of the overthrow of the nation 1t is very
strange that the man should, suddenly and |
after half life of devotion and faithful |
ness, and without apparent reason, dis
been very wicked person at heart and in |
conduct; it is strange, or else the man was
at heart fraud all these years, living lie
10 his neighbors, and despising himself. 1t
is the record which puts him in the awk-
ward predicament and causes those who
are familiar with it to regard all statements
Of the individual with doubt and distrust.
Then there are the ti-Mormons who are
so active and vindictive to-day! What are
they going to 10 about their records: Only
a few years ago many of these gentlemen
who are foremost in charging fraud and mis-
deeds against the Mormons were on the
most friendly terms with the Saints, visit
ing with the latter at their homes, attending
balls and parties with them, and even openly
voting their tickets at general elections.
They knew all about the Mormons and
their ways and were ever ready to defend
the Saints when attacked by the ignorant
and vindictive. We have before US now {
the sworn statements of Gentiles promin- {
ent to-day as they were ten, fifteen and
twenty years ago, all certifying to the good I
moral character of the Mormons, asserting {
from knowledge rather than belief that the
Saints were honest, upright, fair and i'm
partial as private citizens and officials
that the elections were fairly and honestly
there being no indication Of I
fraud or crookedness; that no attempt was b
made to prevent anybody from voting as he '
wanted to, and so on. To-day some Of ?
these very men who signed the afidavits, a
are charging pretty nearly everything that 7
is bad against the Mormons as citizens and a
as public officials. We cannot but think t
they have forgotten the record, for these t
men certainly would not reverse their posi-
ton so suddenly and without cause, if they 4
were aware of the existence of the docu- c
mentary evidence of their rank inconsist- t
ency. s
1t ought not to be difficult thing to b
make harmonious record, but it seems to o
be impossible for a good many men to do it. r
for them, the records are 6
not always destroyed. G