Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-08-29
INTERVIEW WIN YOUNG JOSEPH.

On July let Of the present year The
NEWS puhllshed, In cofreipondonco
from Elder samuel q. Spencer, n series
Of questions and answers which inside
up an interview between Elder spon'
Ger and others and Nit. Joseph smith,
president Of the ReofgAn'z q church.
The Interview took place Ia March, Of
independence, Mi,s1uri, In Mt. Luii's
house, Elder Spencer and the other
missionaries having been 10 attendance
at a conference Of the Laitet'dhy
Saints held at Independence. About
the 10th OF July the ediiof Of tue NEWS
received the following:
LAMONT, Iowa, July .. 1890.
Publishers Desorct News Salt Lake CITY,
utahi
Uontlomen-In your issue 81 July Let,
you have chosen TO publish Elder - q.
Spcncor's report Of an Interview with
mo NJ Independence, Mo-, March 18Th,
1890.
The heading IL misleading, a. It i'm
piles that tho questions asked by Mr..
Spencer wero submitted 10 me, bClng
written and replied 10 lhom Ia a simi-
lar way.
No auostlona were submitted 10 mo nor
did I know that they weru In written
form, nor did clthof write answers, or
have any OF tho answers submitted 90
me alter they were written. SIT. Spon.
cor has miafuprosentod mo In several "
tho answers; aud as Mr.. Spencer wrote
you that his object In sending his version
Tor publication was that all might "Iudgo
for themsolyoa,n ask you Tor the same
purpose to publish my version.
Elders, Ia regard TO u. and send n copy
Of what wrote him.
am In no sonso afraid o. tho answers
| did mako 10 Mr.. Spcncer'a questions, as
l made lhon, nor OF tho logical conso-
quoncos of thom, but, regret that men
who came 10 mo In ostonuibln kindness,
and wofo courtoously treated, should
have misreprosontod mo, even la tho
slightest
Please publish this letter and my yor-
sion OF that Interview and ohligo,
Yours respectfully,
Josrru SMITH.
P.S Mr.. Spencer has ialsan advAn.
taRc Of what he stated 10 mo was for per-
sonal information, and published without
my consent
Accompanying this was tho letter
referred TO as sent 10 Mr.. Stnbbatt, the
nrtt paragraph OF which reads;
Yours OF the 10Th received. In replyi
Messrs. =. q, Spencer, T.. :. Hart, a. "a.
Young aud w. l.. Criddle were at
brother Joseph Luti's house, and Mr..
Spencer did tho talking. Ito asked mo
several questions, tho iOrm OF which do
not remember. II he had thom wrltion
did not sec thomi but ho certainly has
not given tho answers as gayo thom.
lilo had asked me for an Interview, and
granted H. lie brought tho others with
him at his own motion, and without cOn-
tultlng me. l had no thought lao would
misfoprosont me. II he had the quoH.
lions numbered and rot down, did not
see themi nor wero his minutes OF what
said submitted 10 mo for correction. |
hoped he, nor either OF thom, would 10
away and lie about me.
Then follows a series OF questions
and answer, which Mr. Smith claims
TO be his recollection OF what tho con.
versation was. The loier closes with
these Words
Those men are not at liberty TO use, or
misuse an lniorylow with mo, which
Mr. Spencer said was for their own mi.
vaio boneht. Besides this, the folders arc
not bound by any absurd answer OF mine
70 battling questions contrary to tho
books Of the Church. Yours In bonds.
Then is appended the following not:
The above lisa reply OF mine to Brother
j, NJ. Htubhart, who sent mo a COPY OF "A
list OF quealous said TO have boon used
by Elder w. T.. Criddla OF Utah. As
never raw the wrlilon questions, nor Yet
tho answers which they have given, Ia
writing, for examination and indorso.
mont, am not bound by ihom other.
The NEWS forwarded Mr.. Smith.
letter and account Of the interview to
Elder Spencer, with the request that
he present them to the Elders presont
on the occasion OF tho interview, anu
return them with n brief statement OF
the facts. AZ tho Elders were sepa.
rated In their different fields Of labor,
this required some time. The NEws
editor also wrote to hit. Smith, In.
forming him that before the interview
was published II had been verified by
this paper telling him OF the reference
OF the complaint to Elder Spencer and
his associates, aud assuring him thai
the NEWS hal no intention Of treating
him either unfairly or hhrshly. The
following came In responsti
LANoSI, Iowa, July 18th. 1895.
Mr., John O. Cannon, Salt Lake CITY
UtRhi
Dear siu-Yours OF July g0ih at hand
l do not wish 10 bo too Intrusive. but tho
fact that the "lnteryiowh publishod by
you, and which Is being circulated by tho
oldorahip undCr Is, @. sponc0r, docs mis-.
represent me, / must request to DO sol
right
A proper yorihcation Of That Interview.
would have required that Eder Josoph
Luit aud myself should have beon per
mil1od TO sec tho answers, aud the unos.
Tons IN we'll, before d was published.
Tbs statement that tho answers were
written "in the presence OF all, % il mis-
leading, A. u carries tho idoa that ali, IN.
eluding Elder Lun and myself, know