The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-01


among his subjects. And in this re-
spect l am not speaking OF Mo-----
associations alone, for there are many
Gentiles in and out of Utah who seem
to take delight I'm paying this eXtraor-
binary Difference.
Absolute Authority.
IF I have seemed to speak at length
upon this mere social phase. it has not
been without a definite purpose. want
you TO know how this religion, claim
ing TO recognize and secure the equaii-
~ of men, Immediately esta blished and
has maintained for the mass of its ad-
herents that social equality, put has
elevated a class of its rulers to regal
authority and splendor. Understand
ing how the chief among them has l.
dignity OF a monarch in their social re-
latfon. you VIII better understand the
business and political autocracy which
he has been able to establish.
In all this social system each apos-
tie has his great part He is insep-
arabic from il. He Yields now. as does
a minister at court. such part Of the
power as the monarch may permit him
to enjoy; and it is his hope and eX-
pectation that he viii outlive those who
are his seniors i'm rank, in order that
he may become the ruler.
Therefore. if there be evil in this
social relation as I have portrayed it.
every apostle is responsible for a part
OF that evil. They enjoy the honors of
the social class; they help to exert the
tyranny over the subjugated mass.
Those OF you who do me the honor TO
follow my remarks. will realize how
close is the relation between the apos-
tie and the president and that the
apostle is responsible part OF the gov
erning power. While / may speak of
the president of the church. segrega ted
h L. IL =
IL must be understood constantly that
ne maintains ais power by the support
OF the apostles. who keep the mass in
order and in subjugation to his will, eX-
pressed through them.
The Business Monopoly.
Whatever may have been its origin
or excuse. the business power of the
president Of the church and of the Sc
leCt class which he admits into business
eI@uOns with him, is now a practical
.-ionopoly. or is rapidly becoming
monopoly of everything that he
touches.
Il want to call your attention to the
extraordinary list of worldly concerns
in which this spiritual leader holds Of
fetal position. The situation is more
amazing when you are advised that this
man came to his presidency purely by
accident. namely, the death of his
shown any business ability. and that
he comes TO the presidency and the di-
TeCtorShip Cf the various corpora tionS
named IL the testimony solely because
he is president of the church. He is
already reputed TO be wealthy man.
and his testimony would seem to in
dictate that he has large holdings in the
various corporations with which he IS
associated; although previous to his
accession TO the presidency of the
church he made a kind of proud boast
among his people of his poverty.
BY Virtue of His Office.
He conducts railways. street car
lines, power and light companies, coal
mines. salt works sugar factories. shoe
factories, mercantile houses, drug
stores, newspapers, magazines, thea
tres, and almost every conceivable kind
of business; and in all of these, mas
much as he is the dominant factor by
virtue of his being the prophet OF God,
he asserts indisputable sway. tits con-
sidered an evidence of Difference to
him, and good standing in the church,
for his hundreds Of thousands of fol-
lowers to patronize exclusively the in
stitutions which~he controls. And this
fact alone, without any business ability
on his part, but with capable subordi-
nate guidance for his enterprises. in
sures their success, and danger and
-assible ruin for every competitive en-
teTprise. Independent Of these business
concerns, he is in receipt of an income
like unto that which royal family de-
rives from 4 national treasury. One
tenth of ali the annual earnings of ali
the M0rnlons IL all the world flows to
him These fUTds amount 10 the sum
of S1.60O,O00 annually, or ) per cent
upon $50, 00O, 600, which is just one-quar-
ter of the entire taxable wealth of the
state of Utah. 1t is the same as if he
owned, individually. in addition to all
his visible enterprises, one-quarter of
all the other wealth Of the state and
derived from il per cent of income
without taxation and without discount
The hoDelessneSS of contending in a
business way with this autocrat must
be perfectly apparent TO your minds.
The original purpose OF this vast 1.-THE
as often stated by speakers for the
church. was the maintenance of the
poor. the building of meeting houses.
etc. Today the tithes are transmitted
in the localities where they are paid.
into cash and they flow into the treas
ury of the head of the church. No ac-
count is made. or ever has been made,
OF these titlIes. The president expends
them according to his own will and
pleasure. and with no examination of
his accounts. except by those few men
whom he selects for that purpose and
whom he rewards for their zeal and
secrecy shortly after the settlement
Of the Mormon church property ques-
ton with the United States. the church
issued series Of bonds. amounting ap-
proXimately 10 $1,000. 600. which were
taken by financial Institutions This
was probably to wipe out a debt which
had accumulated during a long period
of controversy With the nation. But
since and including the year 1897. which
was about the time Of the issue OF tho
bonds, approximately $4,000, 600 have