The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-31
THE LOCAL LIBELER.


We placed side by side, the other day,
the resolutions of the city council con-
demning in strong terms the recent libels
in the Illustrated american against the Nor
mons, and Tribune extract commencing
the articles. The reply of the last men,
toned sheet is characteristic:
The action Of the city council has served al
ready as text for the Mormon press to put out
characteristic dirty articles.
That is, to publish resolution of the city
council which proves malicious lie upon
the Tribune, is 'dirty article"
The sheet then continues:
We are perfectly ready to take up the arti-
cles in the american, and take assertion by as
sertion and establish what we said on Sunday
| that in the main the statements of the purported
facts are correct.
The articles state very distinctly that the
Mormons will fight, give the number of
men they could muster, and so on. Now,
the local sheet cannot establish that these
''purported facts are correct" 1t may say
they are ana thereby raise laugh among
all classes of people here, but the following
copy of telegram prepared by members of
the real estate exchange of this city, shows
what pronounced non-Mormons know of
the ibels which the sheet still brazenly
commends:
To the publishers of the Illustrated ADerican
142 Dearborn street, Chicago, and Bible
House, Aston Place, New York:
The Salt Lake real estate exchange, repre-
senting over s5OO00,OC0 of new investments in
Utah territory and composed of all classes of
religious belief, respectfully and earnestly pro-
test against the publication of the series of ar
ticles calculated to inspire belief in a coming
war between the United States and the Nor
mon church. two of which articles entitled
'Exterminate the Mormons' and will the
Mormons Fight?' appeared in your issue of
| December q, 1890, as calculated to prejudice
the future OF Utah and destroy confidence in
this rapidly growing region. The best gentle
minds in Utah agree that there is no more
danger of the breaking out of war between the
United States government and the Mormon
church than there is that the Methodists of
New York city will rise and massacre the Pres
| byterians of that city. / doubt if you can find
among the quarter of million people of Utah
one person who will adopt the fear YOU so en-
phatically express.
! In the interest of honest journalism il for no
other reason, out of a disposition to be Just
and truthful exponent of public opinion, and to
use your own expression, that you may ''exist
by the good will and cooperation of the citi-
zens of this great nation you ought not to con-
tinue the publication of so outrageous a mis-
representation of the people of Utah. Gentle,
Jew and Mormon alike protest against your at
tempt to defeat their united efforts to induce
immigration to this favored section of our com
mon country. FL. c. LETT,
President of the Salt Lake Real Estate Elk
change"
Of course our publication of this telegram
will be denominated another 'sdirty ar.
ticle" by the polite BLACKBOARD, but we care
nothing for that. We agree with the bust
ness men that the publication of libel
Gus articles concerning the majority of the
people here is one of the greatest impedi
ments to the material progress of this ter
ritory.
But while it is very proper to censure
the far off journal for its libels, what about
the local sheet that furnishes all the am
munition for the sensational eastern pub
Usher! The eastern publisher will tri-
umphantly quote from the columns of the
local liar, just as the latter has done from
the eastern journal, to prove all he charges
upon the Mormons. And this is the brake
upon the progress of this territory that
business men must first remove They
must say whether that sheet shall continue
in Its present course or not; whether the
''acts of great many Mormons in the pas,
have been wicked beyond comprehension: -
and whether "they have just at present
laid by the lion skin and dotted the robes OF
the fox"
For if any man in Utah is foolish enough
to believe these charges of Mormon de
pravity, let him visit the courts and jails
for few days and learn once for all who
are the law-breakers.