The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-23
SOLON SPIRO'S VIEWS.
Salt Laker Talks About Utah and
the Mormons.
Cincinnati Enquirer,)

Cincinnati Enquirer)
Mr.. Scion Spiro, prominent business
man of Salt Lake City. Utah. is regis
tered at the Hotel Aims, on Walnut
hills. Mr.. Spiro is paying a brief visit
to this city, and in the early days of
October will return and wed a Walnut
Hills belle. Mr.. Spiro has been a resi-
dent of Salt Lake City for the past
twenty years, and states that at pres
ent business, of all kinds, mining and
mercantile industries, are enjoying an
unprecedented boom in his home local
| ity. Bryan is the peoples choice for
presidential candidate. Mr.. Spiro. in
speaking of the recent sensational ar
rest of Angus NJ. Cannon, president of
the Stake-which term signifies that he
is in charge of number of church or
CARNATIONS in Salt Lake City district
and the probable result of his trial,
stated that, in his opinion, polygamy
would, if left alone, die a natural
death. There is but little doubt that it
is not practiced to any great extent
among the present day Mormons. At
the time of the admission of Utah to
statehood, the leading Mormors were
profuse in their promises to renounce
polygamy. and agreed that as a relig-
ious organization they would not cOun-
tenance its practice. At that time there
were hundreds of Mormons who had
more than one wife. and the result was.
if this decree had been enforced, each
one would have been compelled TO Sc
lect one wife and cast the others adrift
to care and provide for themselves.
Angus NJ. Cannon is a leading Mormon.
and the whole trouble. Mr.. Spiro states,
doubtless originated in the attempt of
numerous Gentiles hostile to Congress
man-elect B. H. Roberts, to cast asper-
sions in every manner possible upon
Mormonism, to which faith Congress
man Roberts belongs. Mr.. Spiro states
that he is personally acquainted with
the congressman elect; that he is of an
amiable and genial disposition, and
when he takes the floor in his own be-
half he has no doubt but that his elo-
quence will win him many friends AS
to the Cannon case. Mr.. Spiro states
that he has no idea what disposition
will made of it. 1t is the first case of
the kind in which an arrest has been
made since the admission of Utah to
statehood. Numerous cases were for
merly tried before the federal courts,
so numerous that they were called by
the wits of the community, "six-three
hundreds" as the federal judges were
in the habit of sentencing those found
guilty to six months in the penitentiary
and $500 fine. The Mormons are among
the best of business men in Salt Lake
City. and the Zion Cooperative Mer-
camille Institution. owned and operated
by them, is one of the largest business
in the west. A Mormon
never forfeits a business obligation. and
they are engaged in every branch of
business, even the humblest being thrift
ty and well-to-do. Missionaries are
sent all over the world, and are con-
stantly enrolling recruits, most of
whom are foreigners. but residents of
Salt Lake City see very little of these
newcomers. as they are usually sent to
farming communities in southern Utah. |
These recruits to Mormonism are usu-
ally religious fanatics. Utah is at pres |
ent the field of more legitimate mining |
operations than any state in the Union, |
md hundreds of thousands of dollars |
Ire annually paid to holders of mining
stock in this city. The Mormons are |
arge holders of mining stock, and |
many leaders IN that faith are very
wealthy. Each one of that belief is
assessed one-tenth of his annual in
,ome. which is termed a 1.-THE. This
money is devoted to the church. which
S immensely wealthy. Mr.. Spiro states
hat his state is Overwhelmingly for
rec silver. and every one is anxiously
waiting the opening guns of the next
residential campaign. He leaves for
lis western home, making short stop
t Chicago on his journey westward.