Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-30

Saints. We desire every intelligent
person to become acquainted with the
character and ATTRIBUTES OF the God
wofshipped by us, even the God OF
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and then
TO obtain a description OF the being
worshipped by the gentleman. and
make comparison for themselves.
lie next undertakes to tell how our
religious eys:em Is supported. He says,
1e popularity abtu this people 10,
they are compelled to give one.tenth OF
their iuoome Tor the support Of their
religious syslem."
This he knows to be false, as no
member OF our C1urch is ever
compelled 10 obey any OF
the principles of our faith, and the
feet Is only small proposition
Of the members OF tho Churcn are
actual iithepayere, anu those who pay
tlthing do 80 voluntarily as a sacred
duly AID because they feel interested
In the great work OF building templei,
spreading the Go8pel, relieving the
poor, etc.
He further says, "When anything
special, such az plcnics, Anniversary
celebrations, building enterprises, etc,
10 protected they must make special
contributions" When special enter.
prlses are projected they receive the
sanction OF the people and are "pro-
jected"because, .helr e,pleldesireltohav
them, and expect to pay for such en-.
terprises, anu they do go willingly.
There are others beeide. Mormone who
believe in special contributions. For
instance, about the year when Rev.
Eraslus Smith came to Tooele aud
established the Metho dist mission here,
he also projected the buildiug OF
Methodist church. He was genial,
enterprising, good citizen and was re-
spected by all who knew him. He
vieited the people OF Tooele who, at
thn; time, were mostly Mormons, and
asked them for special cOntrlbu.
tim, to assist In building the
Nj. e. church In which the Rev.
Hooper has operated the past two
years, Many Of cur people contributed
literally TO that project.
In regard to the above mentioned
Sunday school picnic, littae explana-
tion is necessary. Severm' years ago
the Su pday school OF the Tooele ward
got up an excursion and picnic to the
mountains in the month OF June, to
encourage its members in their good
schoul; and it has since become Gus.
tomary to hold excursions OF the kind
In the spring OF each year. They are
called Sunday school picnics, but they
are participated In by the public from
the different parts OF the county as
mucn 10 as any holiday OF the year.
Therefore our Sunday school dues not
propose TO be responsible Tor the man.
ner in which all the people who gather
on these occasions deport themselves,
or what kind OF teiresh ments they
psrtake OF. We are sorry to know
that some OF those present saw lit 10
Indulge in peer drinking, but not to
the extent that the reverend gentle.
man would have his readers believe.
AS he gtates that five barrels Of
beer were contributed Tor the occasion;
this we know, from inquiry, to be
untroe, as the amount, we are In
formed, instead OF being "nve barrels"
was Two fcuI-gallon kegs, yea by the
saloone for the use Oi the brass band
in attendance, the memDers OF which
do not even belong to the Sunday
school. Furthermore, Mr.. Hooper
know9 full well that our Sunday school
superintendent, ward officeIs anu
Church authorities, as an entirety, do
pot tolerate tho use OF Intoxicating
liquors rs beverage to any degree
Whatever.
We were present ON the occasion to
which he refers. and were deeply
Interested In tho SUCCESS OF the excur-
sion, DESTROYS that all should enjoy
themselves and that nothing discredit-
able should occur; and we pronounce
hts statement OF The affair TO be cor
temptible, wicked falsehood. Every
one present wee bent on pleasure OF an
innocent nature, but nc case Of
drunkenness was witnessed by us dur.
Ing the days proceedings. We have
been informed since that there were
two or thIee cases OF drunkenness, but
they were not members OF the Sunday
school; neither were they members VI
the Church.
He next proceeds TO describe the
dance In the evening. He says, "In
the evening the festivities were con.
cluded with dance. The Blehop in
the prayer by which he opened the
dance, thanked the Lord for the en-
Ioyments OF the day, and asked Him to
bless them in the closing exercises OF
tle dance hall. No doubt many OF
them thought He did, for u lady told |
tue writer that she never saw so many |
drunken men and women on the floor |
OF dance hall beiore."
In the frat place the Sunday school |
had nothing 10 do with getting up the |
dance any more than the reverend
gentleman himself.
Secondly, the Bishop was not in at. |
tendance during the entire evening,
the prayer manufactured 10y |
the gentleman out OF whole cloth only |
existed In his fruitful imsgins.iu., I
by his Satanic majesty, the |
fainer OF Lies.
We shall permit the proprietor of the |
dance hail, who also got up the dance,
to explain ell about those drunken men |
and women said to have been on the |
fioor dancing.
TooELE CITY, Utah, Dec. q, 1896.
The reference to the party given in my |
hail on the evening of The Sunday |
school picnic, as stated by tho Rev. |
Hooper, alleging drunkenness and dis
orderly conduct q. the hall, must say |
that 1t IL positively false and without |
rs the young people and |
those present can bear witness. Fur
Ihermore, the party was run by tho usual
aud not by tho committee
of the Sunday school celebration. They |
had nothing whatever to do with the
dance at night.
In justice to the young people and the |
OF the hall | must say that
there has never been drunkenness or
rowdism allowed inside OF the hall.
Respectfully,
II. A-DROURAY.