Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-14
ANSWERING THE CALL"

We have had occasion to answer The
Call, OF SAN Francisco, which has lately
been afflicted with anti-"Mormon' fe-
YER and has exhibited the usual symp-
toms denotlng that complaint. In its
issue OF March 0, that paper speaks of
criticism offered by Mormon
friend OF ffty-threo years experience
IN the Church, which II does not pro-
duce, but refers to by way OF attempt
Cd reply, and shows, as we have intim-
ated before, that It Is either entirely
mistaken about the principles. opera
tions aud tendencies Of the Mormon
Church or is engaged in wilful en-
deavors to mlsrepresent them.
The Call appears to be very much ex-
ercised in regard to the tithing which
Il assumes Is tax levied by the
Mormon Church, and also about the
disposition Of the enormous amounts"
which It has heard nre annually re-
celved mad Invested In number OF Sc
oular enterprises absorbing the BUSH
ness Of Utah land so monopolizing It
that a Gentle Is practically denied the
right to live In that state Does Il
not strike the writer Of the antl-"Mor-
mon" editorials In the Call that what
the "Mormons' choose to pay into their
Church, and what is done with 1t, Is
not any particular business Of anybody
else?
Tlthlng has been doctrine and proc-
tlce OF the mormon Church since 1888,
1t IS not and never has been a tax"
II Ia a free donation Of one.tenth Of
the interest OF each member annually.
No one is compelled TO pay IT, The
receipt given to the tthe-payer shows
that II IL "a voluntary contribution"
II ia taught and urged upon Church
members now as Il was in times Of old,
MS may be learned from the Bible, 1t
Is an ancient religious custom and Is
regarded as a privilege as much as a
duty bringing with II blessings and In
crease as compensation both OF a tenn
poral and a spiritual nature,
The statement OF The Call that Cen
tiles are in any way compelled or I'M
duced or requested TO pay tithing to the
Mormon Church IL an absurd misun.
Outstanding, Non-"Mormons' do moi
even have a collection plate, or contrl'
button box or donation hat thrust into
their faces when they attend a Nor
mon" place Of worship The Churcl
has It's own method Of finance ant
manages II to the satisfaction Of thu
great body OF H. members, What PEG
pile think and say about II is sheer i'm
pudence, and decent papers like TIL
CAN ought to know better than to re
peat the wilful falsehoods told con
Cerning It, even though they were ut
tered IN the United states Senate, II
spite and spleen from disappointed an
broken down ambition
Again, we have 10 inform The Cal
that the Church does not own the yarl
Gus Industries, establishments. work
and financial concerns which Tho Cal
Htill insists belong 10 the Church s
that an It's remarks ON that subject ar
based on a fallacy. as The can ma
learn on fair Investigation Nor Ia !
true that any Gentle us practcall
denied the right to live IN this state,
GENTLE establishments have nourlshe
here for very many years and do
thriving business being pauonlzed b.
"Mormons' and "Gentiles' alike, am
that fact can be easily ascertaned I
The Cali wants the truth and Is not de
termined TO bear false Witness agains
is neghbors IN Utah.,
Another gross uutruth advanced b
The can rs that the public schools ar
perverted to the uses of tho Churc
and made to teach Mormonism" Their
Is not the slightest excuse for such
misrepresentation The law OF IN
State IS against Il, the policy OF tn
Church Is IN harmony with the lav
There Is nothing of the kind eXstIu
here, and The Can again IL merely ro
peatlng something OF which It has u
knowledge, and has heard from the vi
est OF untl."Momon" sources. Rel
zion OF any kind is absolutely exclude
from the public schools OF UTAH an
that fact also can be learned withou
n doubt II The can wants facts lnstea
OF fiction Recurring TO the subject {
tlthlng The Call remarks;
- III the heavy 1.-THE is paid and use