The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-16

Mr.. E B. Critchlow having in a
signed letter made the charge that the
church authorities, acting through re-
representatives. designated as a ''junta,"
had attempted during the session of
the late legislature to influence legis-
lation; the church authorities and the
men accused Of composing the ''junta"
having denied the accusations and the
existence of the alleged ''junta;;" the
governor having disclaimed any know
ledge of such committee, and the
church having apparently closed its
case with the statement published in
fits official organ, the Deseret News,
that the charges had no foundation
whatever in fact, a Herald representa-
tive approached Mr.. Critchlow last
evening with a view of ascertaining
if he was prepared with evidence to
sustain his accusations.
AN OPEN LETTER.
That gentleman said that he had
ample proofs Of the correctness of the
statements he had made and in reply
to the inquiry, In what way did the
church attempt to influence legisla-
tion?'' said:
Il have prepared for publication an
open letter, setting forth some of the
grounds upon which l base the charge
that the design of the leaders of the
church al the outset Of the legislative
session was to exert an influence
upon legislation by means of COM
mittee of select individuals who should
be the medium through which the
wishes of the church leaders might be
made known to such of the members of
the legislature as would care to re-
ceive counsel and advice This letter
viii probably be published tomorrow.
In addition to the grounds set forth in
the letter there are some other reasons
which it Is not necessary for me to
make known, as those which will prob
ably be published are sufficient in my
Judgment to convince any person who
cares to be convinceG.'
More explicit details on this point
Mr.. Critchlow declined to give. but re-
ferred again to the open letter to be
published.
THE "JUNTA."
The reporter then asked
IF the church SO worked by a com
mittee, who were the members of it?'
"All are pretty We'll known; they
have sufficiently declared themselves
in published interviews; they were
named with one exception, j. NJ. Tan
ner, in the Argus of last Saturday and
have been sufficiently we'll identified and
vouchsafed for by the Dessert News,
the official organ of the church.
The names referred to besides that
of Mr.. Tanner, are F. S. Richards
Judge w. H. King. c. w. Penrose, w
" Ritter and James Sharp.
REASONS FOR HIS BELIEF.
What reasons have you for suppos-
Ing that they were appointed by or
represented the church,"
They certainly were not appointed
by the governor; they were not ap-
pointed by the legislators and Presi-
dent Cannon in his interview in the
of Them as being the gentlemen to
whom at least on one occasion he re-
terred seekers for information. They
certainly did not appoint themselves
and the word Committee which they
used in describing themselves to Pro-
lessor Kerr shows that they recognized
the fact that they were acting in a
representative and not a private ca
Pacity. There are other reasons which
are more fully set forth in my letter
which will perhaps appear tomorrow.
ThEIR DENIALS.
What view do you take of the pub
lished denials given by the men whose
names have been mentioned as the
members of the .junta' by the gov
ernor, and by the first presidency of
the church," next asked the repor-
Ter
The denials of the men themselves"