Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-04
UNIONS AND THE CHURCH.

Eastern papers are publishing the
fulminations Of a labor agitator and
strike promoter In this city, in which
he endeavors to arouse union men
throughout the country IN opposition
10 Senator Reed Smoot, on the ground
that the Mormon Church Is IAN
enemy to organized labor" His sole
excuse for this falseho0d Is a newspaper
story, to the effect that an address
was delivered in the Tabernacle ON
Sunday, 9th ult., advising and urging
young "Mormons" TO take the places Of
striking miners al the coal mines I'm
Carbon county. The agitator, paying
no attention to the denial of the re.
port and the proofs that no such ad-
dress was delivered or advice given,
jumped to the conclusion that "the
Mormon Church openly declared war
on organized labor in Utah and there
fore that Senator elected by the votes
Of the Republican party of Utah should
be unseated. His logic Is on a par with
his untruthful statement of facts
All this nonsense Of his was tee-
graphed from this city to eastern pa
pers, with the statement that he had
sent dispatch to Messrs Mitchell and
Gompers to the same effect, This hay-
ing come to the notice Of the First
Presidency of the Church, they sent the
following dispatch to the gentlemen
named, on Saturday evening;
Salt Lake City, Jan, @ 1904.
Reports having been circulated that
the Mormon" Church had used it,
influence against organized labor and
had endeayored 20 AL the places OF
union strikers with non-union men, we
hereby emphaticaly deny that the
Church over which we preside has
taken any such steps or issued any in
structions on this matter The whole
story originated In false newspaper
report JOSEPH Il. SMITH,
JOHN r, WINDER
ANTHON II. LUND,
The views entertained on the Quos-
ton Of labor organizations by leading
men In the Mormon Church have
been many times expressed In these
columns, There Is no need to recapitu-
late them today for our readers will
recognize, IN the following digest and
summary Of the rulings OF appellate
courts In this country ON cases that
have come before Them the very same
views that have appeared cdItorglly in
the Deseret News Vice Chancellor Pit
ncy, Of New Jersey has epltomaed
those judgments as follows;
."First--That all sorts Of laborers may
lawfully combine and form unions for
their mutual benefit ana that they
may use all lawful means to promote
their own interests, being careful IN
50 doing not 10 infringe on the rights
of others.
"Second-Onc lawful means to that
END is the refusal 10 work on terms Of
fered by the employer
"Third--An unlawful means II TO hin. |
der or prevent others from working for |
an employer under such terms as they |
shall see IT,.
"FOurth-Ono means Of such hinder |
ing and preventing Is IN various ways |
10 render It either difficult or uncom- |
Portable for such willing workmen 20 |
work This is an unlawful means
"Fifth-Another unlawful means IN |
common use, TO hinder or prevent Will |
ing employees from working and to COM |
pei employers to accede 20 terms which !
they would not otherwise adopt is the |
boycott in It's various forms
Labor union men, "thems our sent.
ments!"