The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-10

in March 1871. From that day to the
present nv life my work and heart have
ranged from British possessions TO Arr
iona. The great territories of Colorado.
Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming
and Utah have become mighty common
weaNhS in the Sisterhood OF states. MIL
lions of dollars coined from the precious
metal of these mountains have YitaHZed
the money markets of the world ana 9TH
er millions from this and other great re-
sources have created cities, established
trade, organized schools, endowed coll
ieges, built churches and laid the per-
maaellt foun0Stions for American lnstl-
tutions and Christ-like evangelism. The
agencies and Influences w oh have pro
jected. Quickened and cry5tallzed these
agility forces into blessed realities nave
been many and varied Foremost ana
greater than all has been the benedicttion
OF Almighty God who has shaped our ma
tons destiny from Plymouth Rock TO. Jha
Golden Horn. Another agency and in
hu6ncs in this most nagniilcsnt march OF
the centuries has been the American spir.
it. Its star of empire has been westward,
its power the swing of a peace CONQUEST
and its watehword, equal rights to all
men, Its credentials have always been.
free speech, free press, free labor, free
ballot and free church. regret the
necessity that compelS any modification
oft his general statement concerning the
true American Spirit and idea. am
aware that even q brief aud guarded re-
view of some Of Utah's hi[ory, by whom
soever written, will probably provoke dis
StSSlDDs Al lOb QESS4Slit llSftS bil-tN N-4N'~SG
who differ with me may be Influenced by
that feeling of charity which l pray may
lead me TO speak considerably Of a PEG
pie among whom I have lived and labored
for a quarter of a century. but s1hose
faith I cannot accept as Christian and
whose former spirit in some respects [
must critcisa as un-Amer.ean. However,
keeping in mind and bearing willing tes-
t;;,,,ny that there are jDdiyiduaIs and
many of them. IN the Mormon church
whose daily lives and deeds ere as bright
ana commendabfe as those Of any church.
You cannot speak of Utah without
speaking Of NIormonsm in Utah. These
thoughts are as tnseparable as the noun
tains and valleys around The Mormons
reached Great Salt Lake valley July "a.
1871. This was before the ATgonautS had
rounded Cape Horn or crossed the plains
to California in search OF gold. Their
first camp was on the very ground occu-
church in Salt Lake City. 1t was fitting
fhas the fftieth anniversary of their ar
rival N Utah should be appropriately and
enthusiastically observed by all classes
of people at the great jubilee held in Salt
Lake City July 20 to "a. 1897.
Why did the Mormons leave Illinois and
the eas't and endure the hardships and
dangers of the long journey over barren
plains and ,trackless mountains2 A vol
ume could be written in answering that
question 4 brief sentence must suffice.
They did it for their religion. For be ii
rem eTnbered, Mormonisn is a religion, or
tdht5 INT 12t1t6 "a OiiEt IlDntNtT nUtlRlly
unScripturaL unreasonable and fnspirit-
ual ii may be.
What did they find? A s9hole binary
could not exhaust this thought. They
found a country fabrlously rich in the
primal elements and resources f1at make
mighty empires. 4 climate unsurpassed.
a soil productive of greatest harVssts aud
finest fruits when once cleared of the
sage brush, broken up by the plow and
irrigated by melted SHOWS from deep
canyons and mountain heights@requirin
the toll. hardships and depriVations of the
pioneers. A territory vast in grazing
ranges inexhaustfble coal iron, salt and
sulphur beds, and sure to be recl1oned in
time one of the greatest gold. SEVER
and lead producing sections in the world.
These We're some of the material posi-
bllities when. 30 years ago, Brigham
Young and his followers. weary and foot
sore, corralled their emigraRt wagons on
City creek that oath of July night and
waited for the morning What gre some
dral is London there is a tablet erected
IN memory Of Sir Christopher Wrenn the
great engineer. On that tablet are these
words; If YOU would see his monument,
look around" If you would see the ac-
Qualities or Uuah's achievements, look
around In half q century three hundred
thousand people have gathered here scom
almost al parts of the globe. They have
cleared the fields. plowed the Drairies
reservoired and corralled the waters ir-
rigated and harvested the valleys, blasted
ddiu AuItuSleQ lue IHOIlIAlllS- QUIT rail-
roads, manufactures smeMers mills.
cities, schools, churches. homes. patriot
ism, sTilteliGence and religion into endur-
ing monuments. If you would see Utah's
grandeur and glory. look around. All this
has taxed the BRAIN the muscle. the per-
severance and the courage of the pioneer
farmer. miner, mechanic, merchant
missionary, governor, judge and patriot,
Complete history should justly record
the names of the men and women who
have wrought for God. for country and
humanity in the unparalleled struggle
for Ufah's star In the nations flag. Time
will not permit to give honor to whom
honor is due. In a word, l want ITO gay
that the MoTmons are deserving of gpeciai
recognition for the most that was done ID
early days especially in the development
of the farming, fruit growing irrigating
and many other interests. And in later
years they have been active in building
up the American idea = ne public school
and in pledging and Swing hearty low
atty TO the nation and its laws
I say this cheerfully, because 1t is
true and because I want to say it here
and now. Other people and agencies.
however, have done an important and
necessary work in Utah, which must