Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-06-09
ELLIS VS.. HOLLISTER.

LAST evening Mr.. Charles Ellis
devoted the greater portion of an
hour and a quarter, in the Federal
court room, to the labor of painting
a life-like word-portrait OF o. J.
Hollister. The reason why the
lecturer devoted so much time and
attention TO a subject that ought,
under ordinary circumstances, to lie
beneath notice, was that Mr.. Ellis
had, in one Of his Sunday speeches,
stated that a HMOrmon'' woman
was entitled to all the privileges OF
personal liberty accorded without
question TO christian women. :,
Mr.. HOLSTER, who is a doughty
champion Of bigotry and intOl er-
ance, enraged at this statement
and undertook TO make a scurrilous
attack upon Mr.. Ellis, calling him a
Fakir, threatening him with 4 club
and expressing a desire to kill him,
and hope that those who listened
to him might be 'fdamned.o The
gentleman against whom this char
acteristic Hollisterian logic was
directed challenged the Christian
federal office-holder of twenty
years standing 10 discussion Of the
points involved in this low-toned
controversy.
By thirty-five minutes past eight,
fair-sized audience had convened.
Those who composed II became
somewhat inpatient at the non
appearance Of the lecturer, and some
OF them expressed the feeling by
making a chatter with their feet on
the floor. Atthis juncture Mr.. Ellis
entered the room and walked quick
ly 10 the rOstrum. At the same in
slant a man walked down the aisle
carrying a long, ponderous white
roll, which he laid on the clerks
desk. 1t was 50 adjusted rs to pre-.
sent 70 the audience the initials, in
large letters painted upon il, so. ].
H." 1t was intended to represent
HOLSTERS club, bat it had more the
form Of the leg OF at all porker which
had passed successfully through
prolonged famine, so that a person
not familiar with the cause Of the
quarrel might have been led into
the erroneous presumption that the
lettering siguIfied cold jaundiced
hog"
We consider the introduction OF
this emblematicaI article rs in er.
oeedingly had taste, and however
reprehensible AM undignified the
course OF Mr.. Hollis:er may be
deemed in connection with the mt
ter, this act on the part of Mr.. Ellis
placed him on a plane notappreciably
elevated above that Of his opponent.
Mr.. Ellis-whe l. a man of msai-
UNI height, is inclined to rotundity,
has clearly cut features ami iron
gray hair-stuck his hands into the
pockets Of his pants, leaving the
thumbs exposed, while he slowly
stated the Introductory portion OF
his lecture, which consisted Of a re-
hearsal of the dispute between him.
self and the objective point of his as
sault OF words. His first attitude was
relieved by his using the left hand
to rub the side Of his nose, and then
to run his fingers through his hair,
after the most approved fashion Of
intellectual prodigies. Having
turned ON a little more physical
steam-not enough considering the |
circumstances-his gestures became
more free and his words flowed with
greater fiuency. He plunged right |
into a personal portraiture Of the
gentleman who had assailed him.
1t would be useless, and perhaps
Improbable, to give a detailed re-
port Of Mr.. Ellis animadversions.
which were intended to show that
the person who was receiving his
was a spiteful, cruel, in
tolerant bigot and hypocrite. The
speaker admitted that the free gov
ernment Of the United States per-
mitted Mr.. HolliEter to bear false wit
ness against, defame and SANDER
him, and even to murder him, as he
had expressed desire to do, If ne was
willing to take his chances regard
ing the results. He could libel him
with IMMUNITY, as he had, in order
hat he might safely use the
weapons of falsehood against those
he hates, pnt every dollar
II his property out Of his own hands.
The utterly unredeemaLle mean
less Of this chronic offioe-holder.
Who had been sucking at the '.long'
breast Of the government
or twenty years, had been shown by
lis expressed desire that the lee
lrer's audience, who were not In
ny way connected with the con-
rOversy, should be Channel. !" {
his man who hated and maligned
he "Mormons" because they did
lot like him-they had no reason to
had, with the class Of which he
-as a type, by unreasonable abuse
nd intolerant bigolry, done more to !
eep POlygamy alive than any
Their agency. They were seeking to
nseat one hierarchy and supplsnt
with another. People could not be
reed nor driven to any course, but
icy could be persuaded and led
ward It.
Much more was said by Mr.. Ellis
the same line, but the freshness
the whole statement merely con-
sted in the manner in which twas
ueidated. The central facts are
Understood blythe entire community.
is believed that, because of his
'nseless hate of a people who never
jured him, Mr.. Hollister has been
4 the verge Of becoming a maniac,
me Of his rawlings appearing to
We good ground for a presumption
that character. So completely
Is the anti-"Mormon' virus occu-
ed his veins that at times 1t has
emed as if the whites of his eyes
nd assumed a yellow tint in con-
quence. Hence the murderous
ntiment that permeates him ex-