The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-25

The Herald's report yesterday morn
ing of the row which occurred at the
Sugar House ward conference on Sun
day evening, when the new manifesto
was presented, the Forest Dale district
detached and formed into a separate
ward and bishop selected TO preside
over it, naturally created much COM
nlent, fo~ the proceedings We're of a
character rarely if ever witnessed in
a conference OF Latter-day Saints in
Utah.
The Deseret News, official organ of
the church, in a report of the confer
ence published last evening, referred
to the sensational features as "a sharp
colloquy," and stated that The Herald
account was sensational and over
drawn"
The News then gives the report of
the proceedings, from which the public
may determine whether or not the ac-
count of The Herald was ''overdrawn."
Bishop briggs conducted the ser
vices. The stake presidency was in
attendance and after the usual opening
exercises, Elder c. w. Penrose made a
few remarks explanatory of the pur-
pose of The meeting and of the reading
of the declaration OF principles and set
forth some of the objections which had
been raised against il and which were
held by d few through miSunderstand-
ing. During all of this time the Ut
most quiet and best of spirit prevailed.
After reading OF the declaration of
principles by Elder Joseph E. Taylor,
Bishop briggs moved it's adoption by
Sugar House ward, Whereupon one
member arose to ask a question as to
-;
apparently satisfactory eXplanat ton
was then given by Elder Penrose, after
which the question went to vote with
only one hand raised in opposition to
IT.
president Cannon, who was very i'll,
having been seriously indisposed for
more than a week, arose and referred
to the state of his health and then
moved that Appollos G. briggs be sus-
tanned as bishop of Sugar House ward.
When the contrary vote was called
about half dozen persons raised their
hands in disapproval. One dissentient
stated he didn't want to vote for a
man for bishop who did not live in the
ward over which he was to preside.
Elder Cannon explained that the vote
was simply on the selection of bishop
for Sugar House ward and nothing
else.
Daniel S. Harrington at this point
irteTposed objections on the same
ground, to which Elder Cannon re-
piled as before. Harrington contended
that Elder Cannon had stated the
ward was to be divided and a new one
organized Elder Cannon responded
that he had made no such statement
and repeated that the only question
before the meeting was whether Bish-
op briggs should be continued as such.
Harrington persisted in the claim
that Elder Cannon said the ward was
to be divided. The latter once more
entered an emphatic denial and added
that the only thing said on the subject
was an incidental reference to it by
Elder Penrose, one of his counselors;
that the question SO tenaciously chung
to by Mr.. Harrington was not before
the meeting in any shape and that
man of intelligence and information
on points of order ought to understand
that the only question to be disposed
of was the one which should decide the
Sugar House ward bishopric. But Har-
rington was not satisfied and a. spirited
colloQuy ensued. 1t was brought to
sudden and unexpected termination
by Constable Ben Harris stepping to
the stand, turning towards Harrington
and commanding that there be peace.
A ripple of merriment passed over the
congregation and order was practically
restored when a young man objected
to the selection of Bishop briggs on
personal grounds. Elder Cannon ex-
planned that all such offenses might be
settled in accordance with regularly
established court rules by the parties
involved. Elder Cannon then explain
ed than the question of residence was
not before the meeting: neither did
it make any difference; there
were several bishops in this stake,
whom he named, who did not reside
within the boundaries of the ward
over which they presided. Actual resi-
dence was not necessarily an essential
qualification to the holding Of such Of
flee. AS long as the man was properly
ordained and accepted by the people,
that was sufficient.
With the exceptions named Elder
briggs was sustained as bishop of the
Sugar House ward. Then Elder Can
non invited all who resided in the dis
trict in Sugar House ward which was
to be organized as Forest Dale ward,
to rise, which they did. He thereupon
proposed that the ward be organized
describing its boundaries) with James
]. Jensen as bishop. Both PROPOSE
tons were unanimously adopted.
Elder Jensen then named Royal B.
Young and James Hendry as his coun-
selors and these were also unanimously
sustained after having signified their
willingness to serve. Bishop briggs be-
ing left with but one counselor, Royal
B. Young. formerly his first, was called
upon to name his counselors and he
selected Frank Y. Taylor as first and
NJ. NJ. Atwood as second counselor.
These were, like the others, unanimous
ly sustained
President Cannon at the close of the
meeting made few remarks in which
he expressed the hope that he had
hurt the feelings of no one, but main
tanned the position he had taken
throughout the meeting. He invoked
the blessing Of peace and quiet on the
congregation after which Elder Joseph
E. Taylor pronounced the benediction
and the meeting came to an end
One who was present at the meeting
stated that the object of President Can
non in placing Mr.. briggs before the
people to be sustained as bishop before
the division of the ward took place was
to give the Forest Dale people an op-
portunity to vote him in as bishop for
Sugar ward. Just as soon as Mr..
briggs was declared bishop of Sugar,
the division took place and Mr.. Cannon
announced that James Jensen was
chosen as bishop of Forest Dale by the
stake authorities, but also gave them
the privilege Of naming some one else
if they desired.
The Sugar ward people thought that
as Forest Dale was to be divided off.
the people living there had no right to
vote as to who should be bishop Of
Sugar
No person had any feeling whatever
q in RiShOn DriooS DorcOp II,-