Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-11
THE LIBERAL COLLECTOR.
One Of Ills Chickens Comes Home 10
ROos.


gambler. No person outside Of his
"cronies" would have supposed that
he "bucked the tiger" now and then II
ho had not made 80 much noise Of
denial. Hut It all reminds mo Of my
experience with him In 1850.
AZ II has n bearing on my work In
Utah desire TO put II on record "a a
bit Of history that may DO needed by
and by.
came TO Utah on tho econd Of
January, 1859. knew no person In
the Territory and had never CORES.
pended with any person In Utah. |
was 40 much surprised at what 1 saw
NJ compared with what expected to
see that concluded To remain
month. Soon after came u. r. I'M
dorwood came 10 the city 10 lecture.
| had been intimately acquainted with
him for quarter Of century. | met
him. He Introduced me 10 what was
known ns "Ihe Secular Society" 1t
was q society Of atheists and iuldeis.
IL was an exclusive Institution and Ad.
mitted people only 10y card. Among
It's members was the collectof.cluct.
The society, or leading members there.
Of, wanted 10 find man who would
locate In Salt Lake and give Sunday
lectures. They applied 10 Mr.. Under
wood aud he recommended myeclf.
was invited 10 lecture. explained
that could not give thum atheism.
They were sorry, but liked my work
-.
fled time ut stipulated price. Then
they told me That | must cay nothing
10 offend the churches, because all that
was not Mormon was Liberal. They
said, however, that III wanted 90 DO
popular must give the Mormors hi
My fourth lecture, given when had
been three months In Salt Lake. was
on "lhe Revival Needed In Utah."
In Il spoke Of the Mormon people;
| their pcfsccut.Ons; their devotion ~
what they believed 10 he their duty,
their perseverance. / said tho world
had not seen any such hcroism for
] thousand year,, and | plead for the
same fat play for them that everybody
gave To all other sects. Then ! spoke
OF Utah Liberalism as II opposed them.
/ pointed out the strange combination
W 'ANAh'hAH NNAfN AAAAN'h ~ hAfNN WV
Liberals Of Utah. | enumerated them
froul the Catholic Church down 10 the
| Methodist anu the unChurched people
who delighted 10 cougregato in
| saloons, spit tobacco Juice on
hot slaves aud tell stories ahout
the MormOns. II was all said In a
guodnaturod and inoilenaive way.
/ There were many people In the audi
/ .u,a ,Uhn nppinudpI my glatentent.
/ heartily, hut they were not the people
who employed me. From that time
the Secular Society knew me no more.
| The men who had lenggged 10 pay mo
| $500 had up TO that time paid me $50.
] That was nil gOt from them, aud they
/ yet owe me 500 on as fair "a bargain as
| ever was made. The collector.elect
was one Of the four men who employed
me.
IL WAS the intention OF those men 10
break up any meetings aud force me 10
leave the city. The collector-eleCt, not
satisfied with owing me money, began
/ TO write over the country 10 tnd f0nio-
thing that he might usu against
mo here. lie busted himself visit
Ing my friends In the city
aud circulating rumors derogatory t1
my character. He kept this up until
had to send East and obtain a state
ment from friends denying his allega.
tionH. When / read his affidavit In
the Tribune the other day could not
but think OF the old adage Of tho
chickens coming home TO rOOst aud Of
tho other saying Of the sncients that
the mills Of God grind slowly, but they
get their just the same, or words 10
that effect.
To show you how much prejudice
hnd how little judgment those "seou-
larists" showed IN condemning that
lecture will quote from letter writ.
ten to me next day by lady who was
In the audience. She was Liberal
then and Is 80 now, hut she was bright
aud fair fair.minded, l mean, al
though l might lot the first stand and
do honor to my own judgment.
She said:
Mr.. Ellls:-l attended your lecture
last evening and enjoyed 1t more than
| eau tell you. IL was the expression
of perfect moderation and Justice COM
binod with perfect fcnrlessness.
IL um very, very glad you
are writing up this vexed qucs.
ton. - regretted as
looked over your audience that 90
few seemed capable Of approaching the
wealth you 40 lavishly poured out Ia
them. IL seemed 10 me 10 he casting
pearls befOre"-I need not quote
farther. The lady evidently knew the
secular Society" portion Of my
audience better than | did.
That lecture was delivered in the
Federal court room on the evening OF
Sunday, March "a, 1859. The treat.
ment received on account Of Il con.
WINGED me that my opinion OF the
Liberal party was correct aud from
that timo dates my open and un,
ceasing hostility TO Utah Liberalism,
have said that the men who en-.
ploy,d me TO give those lectures were
''atheis,S" AMI "inildela.n They
were then and are now members Of tho
Liberal party. |, being outside Of all
churches, believed then IA do now,
that tho true aberai is man or wo.
man who IN willing to extend 10 all the
rights ha or she claims for themselves
The greatest men OF the world have
been men Of that character. The men
who founded our government were
men Of that character. Prominent
among them was Thomas Paine. The
majority Of the men In this Utah
"Llben" party aro fellows who swear
by Paine.
The Mormon S]hurch says to all men
"Acccpt the Gospel or reject il, rs you
please. That Is your freedom, but IN
the resurrection you VIII have 10 be-
Judged. We viii have nothing TO say
about that" The anil'Mormor
churches say, "Belleve as we do or b,
. Il 4