Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-07
4 PLEA FOR TRUTH AND FAIR
DEALING.

| the Ogden Union Liberal and non
5 s.Mormon'') under the head o.
: "work for Utah:
"The lies and misrepresentation
with which the people abroad are be-
ing RECALLED concerning the moral,
social and political condition of affairs
in this Territory are calculated to
work an injury which can hardly be
measured. A duty which devolves
iurau svsry pzyriufrr cIrfzrr -f urru,
no matter what may be his political
or religious belief, whether he affili-
ates with any party or sect or stands
aloof from all of them, is to labor to
the end that the Territory OF his birth
or adoption shall have fair chance
with its neighbcrs in the struggle for
a place at the head OF the most en-
lightened of them all.
No honest, well-meaning citizen
can look with aught but disfavor upon
the evident purpose of a eoterie of
malcontents, not to use n harsher term,
TO give to the outside world an erro-
neous impression OF the existing stu
alton and of the bright promise for the
future which all OF us here in Utah
can see If We are so disposed. None
are so blind as those who will not see;
but, comparatively speaking, the class
Of the people in Utah who are blind
from choice is gradually but surely
growing smaller, while the ranks Of
the patriots are being increased as the
days pass by.
Friends and citizens of Utah-ye
fathers and mothers, business and
professional men, manufacturers,
agriculturists, orchardists you Of
every calling and condition in life
who know what Utah is and realize
what great possibilities are IN store for
her if the new era Of progress which
has dawned shall not bs checked,
you cannot afford TO remain passive
while the Territory and her people
represented abroad by hired lecturers
and mouniebauks. We have IN our
mind at this writing the vaporings OF
one Cook, Joseph Cook, with the pre-
fix Reverend who not long ago passed
through Salt Lake City and while
there consented 10 deliver n lecture
upon the subject Of the political con-
dition of this Territory. Now, this
man Cook may be an eloquent speak,
err. but il his lectures upon other sub
iects are as thin and devoid of truth a.
the one above mentioned, we can
safely say that they are unreliable
and strike n direct blow at the best
interests of Utah. Perhaps Mr.. Cook
does not consider truth a necessary
clement in the writing Of an interest
ing lecture; or may be that in the case
OF his lecture upon the conditions
obtaining in this Territory he was
willing to lie for a consideration; but
whatever his reason may have been,
the fact is patent to all that he wilfully
lied, IL the interviewer in Chicago re-
ported him correctly as saying that
polygamy fiourishes just as much as
eyer:- - that cit will take
more radical measures tn stamp out
the canse.'r
"Docs anyone who is familiar with
the past history OF the Territory be-
lievc this? Doesn't every man of
sense know it is an absolute filsehood.
and that those newspapers and people
who permit such reports to be circu-
lated without protest are the worst
that Utah has? Just look at
it. If polygamy fiourishes here as it
did n few years ago there would be
almost reign of terror. as At that
time. There would be unrest, a feel
ing of insecurity, capital would be
timid and its possessors would hest |
tate about embarking lin business;
bitterness OF feeling would crop out |
every hour of the day and neighbors
sAAA NAA--@Aaa1 'tNsA
their hands raised against each other.
But is that the present condition? we
ask all candid, fsir-minded men. We
answer, no. Those things exist only
in the imaginaiions Of the little class
II malcontents who furnished Cook
with the material for his slanderous
and untruihful lecture. Such false
hoods keep great many good people
md millions OF money from coming
o Uiah, for inasmuch as the heads of
American families and the men with
,apital desire to live in peace in COM
where harmony prevails
Imong the people, where the people
re thrifty and industriou. and all
mite in building instead of pulling
Iown the fabric Of civil government.