Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-23
THE MINISTER'S FOLLY.

The Deseret News does not think II
necessary to notice every nonsensicai
attack on the Mormon" Church by
sectorian preachers or birdseed poll
ticans; they are too numerous and too
paltry even 70 recapitulnte. But once
IN a while II becomes prudent TO take
up charges that may deceive the UNI
Informed unless answer 10 made, and
TO prevent II possible the frequent plea
that such and such statements have
never been denied"
II IL on this account that we refer
to the most recent deliverance Of a
bilious mental condition by the coterle
~ ministers In this city, whose chief
occupation appears to be that of spying
upon their Mormon" neighbors, and
formulating accusations against them
for political and defamatory purposes,
The present Illumination Is, IN the main.
based upon series Of ifs" and con-
tngent upon the accuracy or otherwise
of newspaper report. II amounts to
very little, but some attention has been
attracted to one positive resolution,
adopted and signed by the President
and Secretary OF the association, as
follows:
zone reason why Christian ministers
In Utah do not have more property Is
because the president Of the Mormon
church and the twelve apostles have
appropriated to themselves about
everything there Ia In the way of real
estate. bank stock. railroad stock.
Saltalr Beach stock, light and power
stock, wagon company stock, sugar
company stock. and last, but not least.
knitting company stock for their count
less unending families"
Now, is there one Individual In the
entire cabal who believes there IL any
truth IN that paragraph? In what way
has any preacher, or other person,
been prevented from acquiring real es-
tate or shares in the companies and
corporations that have been formed In
this State for material advancement?
DO those resouting ministers mean to
say that the Presidency and Twelve
Apostles of the Mormon Church own
all the real estate in this region and
all the stock in the various business
enterprises mentionedY II not, what
do they mean?
1t appears that those ministers read
the daily papers. What do all the COL
umns OF advertisements for the sale
OF real estate. houses, lots, farms,
ranches and meadows signify? Who
binders either of the resolvers from
purchasing, or leasing, or renting II
piece or pieces of such property? There
has always been real estate on sale In
Utah from the beginning until now.
and on easy terms, TOO, for anybody,
Jew or GENTLE, Catholic or Protestant,
white or colored who was ready to
buy. And II is not true, as some OF
those resolvers have tried TO make APP
pear to people outside, that the Nor
mon" Church owned the land and sold
II to their own people. Land IL owned
and conveyed and the title held here,
by each occupant as In other parts OF
this country, They know that as well
as anybody. Why then do they put
forth such pnlpable falsehoOd as that
ave have quoted abovea
The same opportunities for the pur-
chase OF stock IN the various organiza b
tions they have named have been open
TO them, ever since the Inception OF
the companies. The stock was upon
the market from the first Every bust
ness man knows that. The gentlemen
alluded TO as having appropriated to
themselves about everything there Is in
the way of those ventures do not own
anything approaching 10 everything
there is In the way OF the capital stock
therein. Nom Mormon" shareholders
can be found in them to very large
amounts in some cases to the owner
ship OF the aJority Of the shares.
The hardihood exhibited In that dec
laration of the sectarian preachers OF
this city IL amazing, even In view Of
the many untruths and false insinua-
lions In which they have INDUCED for
years. Their statement Is known 10 he
palpably untrue by almost every per-
son here who reads It, Yet that Is sent
Out for the people of the
east to read and for the special
deception OF the legislators of this ma
ton! Most OF the Senators and Repre-