Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-11
A CoLpORTEUR'S REPORT.

A report from one George d. Pea
cock, Jr, to the American Tract so
ciety detailing his travels and labors'
especially the former. while canvass
ing the counties Of SEWER Sanpete'
Carbon. Utah, Wasatch, Summit ana
Weber IN Utah and of Mesa and Del
Ia in Colorado has been sent to us by
letter from Rev. JAS, II, Ross OF
North Cambridge. Mass. our morn
in contemporary, the Tribune gives
II front page first column place as
Special to The Tribune but we give
II for what 1t is worth, and that Is
very little and Is certainly not Of value
as special" but our neighbor stu
seems 10 think ITS little trick gives 1t
specous Importance and so Keeps
up the petty attempt at deception
This is the first news we have re-
ceived OF the travels Of the junior Pea
cock and his alleged Severe opposl-
ton" by the 'Mormons," Colportours
are not new arrivals in the rural dis
tricts Of Utah, and the sheep-wagon
farce has been played to n very limited
extent and without apparent results
I'm some OF the small villages in the
state. But Of this particular bird Of
passage no tidings has come 10 us as
far as we remember. lie may have
made a tour of all the places he claims
nave visited, but II is a little singu-
lar that our correspondents In those
localities have not made mention OF
his advent, His principal aim IN the
report appears to be TO impress upon
his employers the extent Of his perez
CARNATIONS rather than the results
achieved thereby
without casting serious doubts upon
his alleged covering of great distances,
we must confess to- strong dubiety as
10 the arrests" which he claims to
have suffered. II Is observable that
he does not clearly assert that he was
taken up for selling Bibles, but That
"in four towns during the year. he was
ARRESTED and fined for selling Christian
literature and the Bible without Ii
cense." What he includes in the term
CHRISTIAN literature" is not explained
Neither does he give the names of the
-four towns" where he was fined. nor
tell us whether they we're In Utah or
elsewhere. He leaves the inference that
they were Mormon towns, though he
does not say SO directly. We fear the
colnorteur is either romancing or bear
ing false witness against his .lelghbors
so as to give his job undue importance
with those who hire his services,
Peddlers are required in some cities
IN this and many other States to taFe
out a license. Even peddlers OF Chris
tlan literature ought to comply with
the law, and when they violate II they
should not designate as severe opposi-
ton the enforcement Of the statute or
ordinance In such case made and pro-
yided. II is true that the stuff that
has been circulated In Utah under that
name is not acceptable TO the majority
Of the Mormon people, It Is either
childish twaddlo or base and Infamous
Justification Of their faith, and
their character and they have no use
for 1t except to light The fire or some
such purpose, So il Is quite probable
that even II offered to them almost
without cost, they are not very anxi.
Gus to receive Il into their homes"
The universal circulation among
them Of the Semi. Weekly Deseret News
is sure sign that they are not In igno-
rance as to the Christian religion
whether that Is viewed from a "Mor,
mon or a sectaran standpoint, The
Church works that he refers 20 are all
explanatory of the Christianity taught
by Christ. And he omits 10 mention
the Bible among the works received as
standards by the Latter-day Saints
when It stands foremost on the list and
Is studied by them and by their children
IN the Sunday schools and auxiliary 500
cietles, more closely than any other
book that Is published. We believe
there are more Bibles In the homes Of
the Latter.day Saints In proportion to
the population, than in any community
Of similar numbers upon the face OF
the earth, Boston and North Cambridge
not for a moment excepted.
There is a great deal Of standard
literature in the homes Of the Nor
mons besides the works issued by this
Church, Every week the Deseret News
gives reviews of books and essays and
scientific and philosophical dissertations
from noted authors and notices OF tho
contents Of the best magazines, The
Deseret News Book Store keeps IN
stock works of all kinds from the fore.
most publishing houses in the trade,
Bibles included. These peripatetic ex-
horters and peddIers who make reports
like that Of the mysterious Peacock
are simply foollng the public and trying
to make a show 10 justify the payment
Of their hire Their services are needed,
II anywhere, vastly more In the purlieus
Of such cities as Boston than among
Me "Mormons' Of Utah, who know
more IN minute about real Christian