The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-02-20

! railroad proprietor Nothing more
clearly exhibits the aninus of my
nam eless enemy than this Single para
graph Transactions of this kind, or
OF any financial character with which
the church is connected, are not at
tended to by me alone; they receive
the consideration of the first presi-
dency, Of which 1 am only one.
state here that this charge is abso-
lutely and unqualifedly false, and that
there has been no such conversion of
| temple funds, nor any use of temple
funds in any way that cannot be fully
accounted for to the satisfaction of all
concerned,
Allusion is made to the Colossal
power-dam scheme" projected at Og-
den. and 1 receive the credit of being a
promoter because OF my connection
with that
Respecting this. I have only to say
that [ am no more the promoter of that
enterprise than eight other highly
esteemed gentlemen who are connected
with it.
The next accusation is that in order
to secure to myself financial aid and
the political control of the territory.
and also to secure money for my pro-
Jects, I have been willing to pledge
such a manipulation of politics in the
new state as will answer all the desires
OF those advancing the needed funds.
To this / am able to say in the most
positive and emphatic way that with
no man Or number of men, with no
Individual or corporation, with no
politician or party, have [ ever entered
into negotiations. or sought to do so.
by Which the advancement of means
was to be contingent upon or repaid in
any manipulation of local politics. No
pledges as to the support or success
OF any man or party in the territory
Of Utah have ever been given by me at
any time as a conditional element in
any financial transaction with which
l nave been connected. I repeat that
l nave made no bargain, at any time,
10 get financial aid in payment Of
political influence. I cannot emphasize
this too strongly.
General Clarkson's visits to this ter
ritory have had no connection what
ever. so far as [ know, with ANYTHING
OF this character. During his first
visit here [ was not in the territory.
At his last visit nothing in the shane
of politics came up in our conyersati fe
as matter of fact [ have had
nothing to do with any project for
raising money that has not been in the
interest of the people of the territory.
| have had no personal end to serve.
1t IS true that I have been somewhat
a aI IN different enterprises; but
they nave not been for my own az
grandlZement. AS a proof of this. /
may Say-and the statement can be
substantiated by those who are in 2
position to knoW-that at no time since
we have made efforts to give the peo-
pie, OF this community employment.
and to establish and push to com
pletion public enterprises. have T re-
ceiYed in any form one dollar of money
Ior services which I have rendered.
This writer says I have been con-
nected with Saltair beach and with the
railroad to the beach; that [ am inter
ested in coal mines; that I have been
three or four times to the east for the
purpose of raising money or barterfng
political influence [ may add that
with all that I have done for these
various enterprises I have not to the
present time drawn one dollar in
money or in any other form of COM
penSation.
He. falsely says the tithing of the
people of my faith is at my disposal
a self-evident untruth since it must no
Wei known that I do not have the
disposition of the peoples tfthfng at
all. On this same matter. while I men
ton 1t here with reluctance. the
records of the church will abundantlv
pear out the assertion that SO far from
belng a consumer Of the tithing, / am
ana for years have been one of
the largest contributors to that fund
With no feeling of self-praise for
doing that which 7 have deemed not
only duty but pleasure in this re-
gard, ] am content to refer to the re-
cords for the complete destruction of
the base charge he makes against me,
and for the proof Of my own state
ments
1t is intimated in a paragraph de-
voted to the test oath in Idaho, in
which the names of respected citizens
are used, that however unscrupulous
they might be, they would not dare to
engage in such an Infamous UNDER
taking without the sanction Of the
chief church officials" and that among
these 1 was the chief
No one knows better than the writer
of this article-if he be whom I sup
pose he is-the falsity Of this charge.
Both he and those who have furnished
him his information must know that
l had no connection whatever with
that transaction,
There is running through the entire
Times article attack upon me because
my son Frank ]. Cannon has been
elected to Congress; by inference [ sup
pose am charged with having Undue
ed President Woodruff 'to vote the
Republican ticket, and with being
connected with the intrigue by which
the fact was Immediately telegraphed
over the whole territory and placarded
at the polling places" This story
looks familiar-it is not its first ap-
pearance in the public prints. But
repetition does not make truth; and
how false this particular romance isl
may be ascertained from the various
telegraph offices "all over the terri
tory" by any one who cares enough
for the facts to make the inquiry.
1t is more plainly intimated thatl
Frank J. Cannon's election was Sc
cured through my influence and the
dominating power which 1 use
[ can scarcely exercise patience
enough to say anything upon this
point, it is SO ridiculous and by every
informed man in this territory is so
well known to be without the least
foundation. Realizing that I would be
exposed to suspicion, I resoIutely re-
Trained from saying or doing anything
that could be construed into support
ing my son for this Office or in any
manner contributing to his election
Those who are most intimate with me
and who heard my expressions at the
time, know how careful 1 was upon
this point. And as this writer seems