The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-28

which viii not here be explained, as II
is not in operation at present. 1t is
mentioned to show that the Mormon
church was a practical plan intended
to harmonic the influence of labor and
capital and abolish poverty. while il
affords an incentive TO excellence and
secures to each person the use of
means according to his capacity to use
them. for his own and the general
good. 1t does not mean equal sharing
according to numbers. nor common
table, nor a community Of goods. 1t is
a cooperation of efforts and talents for
the good of the community. while it
ensures to each member his own stew
ardship.
The spirit of this order is inculcated
by the Mormon Church among its
members. Cooperative effort is pro-
NOTED. while property rights are re-
spected. Cooperation in farming. ir-
rigating, the harvesting and care of
crops, the sale of products, in mer-
camille, manufacturing and financial
enterprises, and in all things which
will secure to each individual his
rightful share of the profits accruing;
that is the practical bearing of the
influence of the Mormon Church upon
labor interests. And that this is not
all theory may be seen in the fruits
of Mormon union of effort under the
teachings and regulations of the
Church wherever its influence ex-
tends.
In colonizing this mountain region,
the Church has opened the way for
many thousands of laboring people to
obtain material Independence. The
system of land df tribution establish
ed in the beginning was in the inter-
est of labor instead of capital. Small
holdings were the rule. The plan of
60.
followed in most instances ever since.
The distribution of water for irrigat-
ing purposes on equitable principles
was also regulated by Church infiu-
ence, and has worked TO far better
advantage to labor than if the water
had been owned and controlled by
capital.
The Church has established new
settlements in the different valleys
that have been opened up. sending
experienced men to direct the laborS
of persons less familiar with the best
means of working in concert for nu-
tual advantage. BY this method
thousands of laboring people have
acquired property in their own right.
and have become independent of the
wage system.
The Church has encouraged by its
teachings and opened the way by
practical effort the putting of labor
on a self-sustaining basis. The masses
of the people who occupy tie wales of
Utah were laboring folks, who, pre-
vious to coming here, were dependent
upon the scanty wages they received
from their toll, and so lived from
hand to mouth and were really SER
wants to capital. Now they live in
their own houses, upon their own
land, and though not all wealthy.
they are self-supporting and have
stake in the country. which helps to
make them stable citizens and perma-
nent residents.
BY the examples which the Church
has set object lessons are furnished
as to the way by which the labor
problem can be simplihed if not fully
solved. Cooperative effort in the
spirit of Christian brotherhood is the
key to the solution of the difficulty.
The religious influence is necessary
to it's full success. Selfishness and
lack of confidence are barriers in the
way. 1t will take time as well as re-
ligious teaching and practice to re-
move them. But great progress has
been made. and there are many DEM
onstrations of the possibility of its
success.
There is colony Of Mormons in
Idaho. which, without capital, is now
occupying a large area and relying
upon cooperative work. under
Church Feaching, for everything that
is needed. A sum of money is want
ed to secure certain water-riShts, and
the people have no money 20 pui 1c-
gether and purchase them. The
Church just now cann)t help them,
but it does advise them how 10 pro-
coed. In many cases funds have been
furnished oy the Church in emergen-
cies of that KIDD when the means
were at haul. This is evidence that
this Church actually does something
for labor besides Advocating ireus-
try. theft. AMI mutual Aelpfulness.
One Of the objections raised against
the Mormon Church fas been that it
deals in temporalities. But church
of that kind is what labor needs to
lift 1T out of the tnraldom TO capital
in which it fingers, and give It indus
trial freedom. Union, broth ernood.
charity. are essentials in Mormon
doctrine, and their exercise in daily
life and cooperation of effort are ex-
hfbited in Mormon practice. Perfec-
ton is not of this world. The Nor
mon theory has not yet been fully
carried out But what the Church
has done shows what may yet be
done, and the fact has been demon
5trated that it is in "a fair way to
solve the labor problem so far as its
influence shall extend.
4 MORMON ELDER.
FROM REV. w. G.. p. BLISS,