Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-14
ANTI-MoRMoN INTOLERANCE.


Santa Barbara, California, papers are
endeavorlng TO stir up popular furore
against mormon" missionary who is
performing the usual work Of our ira
yelling Elders, IN delivering tracts at
the homes Of the people and endeavor-
ing by lawful means 10 inform the pub
lie concerning the doctrines Of the
Church. We regret the course of the
Daily News In that beautiful California
town, for the people of the Golden State
are generally predetermined and liberal,
ana willing to permit the discussion of
subjects OF Importance, even though
they may strongly dissent from the
views Of their advocates.
The Santa Barbara News informs the
public that "An Elder Is Here" and
jumps TO the conclusion that this Is a
"scheme of the Church to Take Young
Women From their Homes" II adj
mits that the tracts which are being
distributed "have a right religious
sound" that hardly a house Is
skipped that the literature Is thrown
broadcast upon the lawns and over
garden fences" and yet says; III there
is any other purpose in their dlstribu-
ton than the leading of Of young men
and women to a life that Is worse than
rotten, the NEWS does not know what
It is" Just 50, That paper IS dense
~ ignorant Of the subject on which II
attempts to treat. The reasoning in
the foregoing quotations from its coli
umns shows that it is lacking as much
in logic as IN information. II Is I'M
able therefore to see any other purpose
In the unselish and generous work of
the Mormon" Elder, than the evil that
exists only in its own imagination.
That paper does not comprehend the
devotion and self-saeridce OF men and
women, who seek to enlighten their fell
low creatures on principles that exalt
and ennoble those who receive and live
by them, and therefore II attributes
evil motives as the only incentive to
the missionary who endeavors to pro-
claim them
Are there no openings IN Santa Bar
bara for young men and women to a
life that Is worse than rotten?' Does
the News mean TO say It is ignorant
also OF conditions right under its own
nose? That town Is a lovely place In
many respects, and can boast OF some
most excellent people and institutions,
But persons who have lived there for a.
time or have paid 1t a visit cannot be
blind to what it contains. or be ohli-
vious 10 the fact that life in Utah may
be very favorably compared with the
social situation in Santa Barbara.
The S. b. News gives. place to sugges-
lions Of mob violence from an Anti
Mormon" which are simply exeorable,
and are a disgrace to any public jour
nal that prints them. They are not
only lawless and un-American but in
human and atroclous. They are the ar
guments Of the incendiary and assassin.
They are the expressions of the anarch-
ist and the coward. II the Mormon
Elder who is distributing tracts-not
merely 10 young women or young men
bat TO everybody "broadcast-does
anything unlawful or improper let him
be treated as he deserves but in a
lawful manner. II he advocates false
hood let his heresies be met by fair ar
gument and the power Of truth. But
before the Santa Barbara News assails
him or his motives. let his doctrines his
actions and his purposes be Investigate
ed. Let every moboorat beware how
he inyades the personal rights OF any
American citizen, and let every Ameri-
can newspaper pause before lending IL
self TO the senseless fury OF religious
blgotry and the violence Of bowling In
tolerance
we assure our California contempt
rary that there is no endeavor on th'
part Of our missionaries TO induce mel
or women, young or old, either e
change their residence for Utah or TO d.
anything that the most prudent an'
chaste mind could object to as improp
or. They are engaged solely In preach
ing the Gospel in its primitive simplici
ty, and we challenge the Santa Barbara
News to show TO the contrary. In re
peatlng the old stale ISLANDERS about tn
eMormons," and allowing hrutes to ad
vocate personal violence against un
popular teachings that paper show
that 1t is wofully out Of date and las
gingly behind the times.