The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-02-20
n. Y. TINES AND HON. c. Q. CANNON.

lacking Hon. George Q. Cannon, The
Herald thought that as a purported
synopsis had been given to the public,
it would be well to furnish to its read
ers the real thing, and being fully
aware that the gentleman thus assailed
was abundantly able to take, care of
himself in a controversy, we waited
until he saw fit to make his own reply.
which he promised to give to The Her
aid We take pleasure I'm presenting
1t in our columns this morning.
There were allegations in the Times
article TO which The Herald was IN
able 20 reply, because they were en-
tirely new to everybody connected with
this paper. Other statements were put
in such way that only somebody
familiar with the alleged facts could
make an intelligent and satisfactory
explanation. To merely offer a sweep
ing and denunciatory denial would
amount to nothing with thinking peo-
pie. Therefore The Herald preferred
to let the rebuttal come from the
gentleman himself.
Mr.. Cannon takes up the charges
against him in the Times, seriatirn, and
answers them vigorously but without
asperity and free from vituperation.
Both sides have been now. published
and the reading public can form their
own conclusions. The temperate re-
joinder the gentleman makes, added
to his lifelong reputation and his
eminent services to the people Of utah
Willy have due weight upon every Just
and impartial mind.
The great public curiosity now is as
to the Identity of the writer of the ar
ticle in the Times. The Herald is I'M
able to give any definite information
on that point. In seeking for the ami
mus behind such a publication, we
confess we cannot discover anything
but a financial motive. In our opin-
ion its publication was procured for
the purpose of preventing, if possible,
the consummation OF the money trans
action in which, it is we'll known, Mr.
Cannon was and is, interested on be-
half Of the Utah Company.
The projects of that organization
for the benefit of Utah include the ex-
tension of the Salt Lake and Los An
geles railway to the Pacific coast.
Anything that would tend to prevent
the requirement of the funds necessary
to that enterprise. would work in the
interest of people opposed to it. In that
direction. then. we would look for the
inspiring cause. The writing itself
was the work of a practised hand. In
formation was obtained from the in
ner circles Of NIormondom. However
| erroneous many of the statements are,
| they were evidently manufactured
from furnished items coming from
sources close to the Mormon authori-
ties, or persons who have had oppor-
tunity to learn things which by exag-
geration or distortion could be made
to appear very plausible.
The political illusions in it we re-
gard as a blind to the essential animus
of the article. 1t could do the Demo-
cratic cause no good, in Utah,
to make it appear that all
the First Presidency of the
Mormon Church are engaged in active
support Of the Republican party. That
ought to be perceived at a glance.
And as to the increase of the Republi-
can vote in this territory, that has
been repeatedly explained in The Her
aid, the figures quoted proving beyond
a doubt that the Democratic vote
actually increased more than 1000 at
the last election, and that the Republi-
can accession was chiefly the result
of the Liberal vote Of two years, be-
fore graVitating where it naturally be-
longed-to the Republican party.
The effect of the Times article may
be to stir up the National Democratic
Organization to active interest in utah
affairs. If so we shall regard it as a
good result from intended evil But
! if the Utah Company shall be pre-
vented from obtaining the funds which
| it needs to carry out the enterprises
intended, that will prove a vast bust
ness loss to Utah and a great gain
to those parties interested in
heading Off a railroad to the coast in
one direction and the coal fields in the
other.
! If there is any political motive be-
hind the attack on Mr.. Cannon, we
cannot perceive wherein it would be
beneficial to the Democratic party.
And we utter our protest against such
methods by Whomsoever prompted or
carried out. Personal luminosity and
defamation Of character should have
no place in political or financial dis
putes. No cause that relies on such
weapons can be permanently success
ful.
And as every dark and secret thing
is sure to come to light. we may ex-
pect that the authors of all calumnies