The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-19
UTAH'S ENEMIES.
V. S. Peet Discusses Them in Caustie
Language.

" - rect discusses Them in CaustiC
Language.
| To The Herald:
! have just received a conv of tbe
Christian Advocate of Nov. % in which
is an article written by ]. L. Leilieb
superintendent of the Methodist mis-
sions in Utah.
The heading Of this article is Nor
mon Slavery IL. In this article Mr.
Lelllch seems to regret that Utah was
allowed TO become a state, for, he saws
Dy inference, that since then the Nor
mons control the public schools. that
no teachers are hired in the public
SchOoIS OF Utah unless they believe chat
JOseph smith was prophet, and saws
iurther, that in June last an atteurnt
was made to dismiss Gentle teacbars
from the public schools of Salt Lake.
and the teachings Of the Gentle and
mormon schools are antipodean. il is
base and enslaving despotism.
lie also says that the Mormon HER
| archy insists that MormOnism be
taught IN the public schools. and in
addition thereto wants the 10 per cent
OF each salary as tithing for the church.
IN answer to the above, [ would say
that the public school system of this
state (as in all other states) is estab b.
Ilshed by law, and sectarianism is for
oldden by this law to be taught in the
public schools, and, further. that there
are more Gentle teachers in the public
schools today than before Utah became
a state. There are no better state or
public schools in America than the
Utah schools 1t has been my privilege
10 bring to Utah several Methodist and
Baptist teachers and in every instance
they have obtained schools from Nor
mon directors. and not in one instance
was the question Of religion mentioned;
and IN one instance the eastern teach
er "a Methodist received SIS more per
month than the regular pay on ac-
count of her ability and experience.
We have two state schools. the Agri-
cultural college and the University of
Utah, and considering the population
in this state, no better state institu-
tons can be found elsewhere, and while
20 per cent Of the students of these
schools are Of Mormon parentage, 50
per cent of the teachers are Gentle
If any one viii visit the schools of
Utah and look into the bright and in
telilgent faces Of the students. he will
know that they are not taught by en-
shaving deSpOts. What a gross insult
to Utah teachers by this man Leilich.
who has been here less than one year,
To show his hatred and luminosity to
this state and its people, Mr.. Leilich
goes way back to 1851 and brings up
the Mountain Meadow massacre. and
takes for his authority one of John D.
Lees confessions. In one he said that
Brigham Young had nothing to do with
the Mountain Meadow massacre. and
n another that he did. Bishop Simp-
son of the NJ. F.. church once said that
story half told was a lie. Mr. Leilich
takes the Lee confession that suits his
article, the others he says nothing
about and if Mr.. Leilich really thinks
that Lee told the truth in the confess
sion he speaks of. it was a crime to
execute him because in every one of
his confessions he said he was limo
cent.
While Mr.. Leilich l. ranting at the
MOrmOns and bewaiIing the fact that
the Methodist schools have been closed
and Methodism has fallen behind since
Utah became a state, let US look into
the cause and see what the Methodists
have done for Utah. We viii not go
back to 1851, we will go back less than
a decade In less than a decade the
Methodist church has sent Utah the
following as preachers and mission
aries: They have sent us d Scandina-
Wan preacher who murdered two girls
and burned their bodies in the furnace
of the church in which he preached in !
this city. They have sent US an adult |
erer. who. after being bailed out Of Jail /
jumped his bail bond and left for !
parts unknown. They sent US a preach |
or who piTated one of DR.. Guards |
printed sermons and delivered it in |
Salt Lake as his own production. They
sent US an embezzler who collected /
funds for an N. +. church in Mercur |
and then decamped with the money. |
They sent US another whose actions (
were so gross in the church where he /
preached that they erased his name |
from the church and sent him back /
from whence he came.
After looking over the above list is /
t a wonder that the N. Z. church has I
not maintained its schools? Mr. Lei l
ich is not satisfied with besmearing /
Utah with mud. but he throws a large |
hunk into Idaho. for he says that the /
Roman Catholics, whom be denomin- !
ates the inveterate enemy of the pub \
lie schools. and the AIormons /
have formed combination against !
he Gentiles and today the Mormons /
control the public schools in the fair
-alleys OF Idaho I viii quote a para
graph from his article: 1T is a most
iifficult task 10 impress upon the
minds OF the people Gin the east) the
rue condition of affairs in Utah: that
mission work here is most difficult
wing 10 the fact that the force ar
aged against God and the evangelical
hurch poses under the garb of re-
igion; that its people are superstj-
lous and bigoted, unlearned and IL
iterate. and under the domination and
OPPRESSION OF priestcraft; that the
laSest passions of humanity are nan
rrna To- flat ill., q II - -. |