The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-02-20
uTAH,S SENSATION.

The New York Times late article
has proven a genuine sensation. The
people of this territory are vastly in
terested in the matter, whether Nor
mon or gentle, and various and widely
divergent are the Judgments of the peo-
pie. During the last campaign reports
and rumors of several of the formal
charges now made were circulated, but
with the result that as a hotlY con-
tested election was on and Mr.. Can
mons son was in the race for congress,
it was only to be expected that man
so prominent as George q. Cannon
would be roughly dealt with. Most Of
the papers quietly ignored these rumors
and the campaign was fought out to the
end with surprisingly small amount
of vituperation and SANDER. However.
with all this apparent forbearance there
was talk. great deal of it, and on the
lines laid down in the Times article
referred to. Mr.. Frank ] Cannon's
character was the subject of searching
and bitter examination and it was Of
ten said that it was wonder that his
father, knowing what it was, as he
must, would not only permit him to
make the race, but actually aided him
all he could, occupying the lofty posi-
tion he did in the church, church
too, like the Mormon, which demanded
utter and entire purity in all of its
devotees. But we recalled the fact tha!
it is but human nature for father to
regard leniently the faults of his child
and also to help that child in any
honest and laudable ambition which
he might entertain. This kept the
democratic papers from pursuing these
rumors and pushing them to the front
during the heat of the campaign.
Now, however, the campaign has
been long since closed and what was
regarded as covered up for the time
and forgotten has been ripped up. The
whole matter will be closely scrutin-
lied and examined and by judges per-
fectly competent to arrive at a just
conclusion and with sufficient candor
and character to promulgate the YER
dict arrived at. All the bottom facts
as to the Utah company, the Saltair
Beach matter, the Los Angeles railroad
matter, the Power company, the use of
church revenues for these or other pri-
vate or selfish personal purposes, as
we'll as the alleged attempt to use the
church in the furtherance of the repub-
lican interests in the campaign, will be
exhaustively examined, and woe be to
Mr.. George Q. or Mr.. Frank ]. Cannon
and all others concerned, if the fair
verdict should 90 against them. There
is one sin these people never forget or
forgive and it is the sin of leading
them into and making them respon-
sible for dishonest or unfrank or
darkly concealed selfish purposes or
enterprises.
The masses of the Mormon church
are slngularly pure and honest people.
They scorn anything underhanded or
tricky with an earnestness rarely ever
seen among other people, If, however,
Mr.. Cannon goes into the necessary
defense and makes that plain, unequiv-
ocal, and establishes his own inno-
cence of this charge, the people will
rally to HIM with fervent loyalty
all the warmer because of this
cruel attack. But to assure this
the answer will have to be full and
complete. Nothing will be taken as a
matter of course, but the refutation
must b. perfect in all Its parts. Mr..
Canno s exalted place in the church
will give him no advantage. He
will meet the charges as any, even the
lowliest N ember of the church, or his
defense II leave him worse off than it
found hin.
The assault is 30 made that it Cannot
be ignc d. 1t is so made that it must
be ansy red. The tenderest emotions
and tht deepest feelings of a brave,
manly, non eel md fair-minded people
are deeply involved and these will
brook no ritInE, 10 unfIankness and
no trickery. and It would be unmiti-
gated cruelty o attempt it. The un-
frank and Gevilish defense made 60 far
by the Tribune will not do in any
sense, Nothing save defense written
ans signed by Mr. Cannon's own hand,
will meet the views of the people.
We are sure that we hope he can
make this defense and show clearly
that he is not only innocent in every
way, but that 1t would have been ut
terly impossible for him to have done
any of these things or all of them.
These people, while they would never
think of selling out innocent men, and
hate the very suggestion, yet they
would never forgive one who had not
only attempted to sell them but had
actually succeeded, as in this case, if
only one word in every ten of the
Times article is true.
Since the above has been In print tt e
Salt Lake papers have come to hand
with Mr.. Cannon's defense and answer.
It is an able, clear and strong paper
and shall have full attention tomorrow.
We are genuinely glad it has been
written.
The republican authorities in Salt