Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-18
THEY WILL NOT LOOK AT HOME.

lie WILL NOl LOOh al iAV'AI'
A friend writing from Galesburg. H.,
sends us a paper from that point. CIV
ing an account of the tribuldtions OF
lady residing there In a house which
now In in a row inhabited by denIzens
OF "the half world" The property has
descended 10 her from her ancestors.
1t contains many more rooms than she
can make use OF. yet she cannot rent
them to any respectable persons, and
others she will not receive as tenants,
nor can she dispose OF the property no
AZ TO be able to move to another locali-
ty. The description Of the scenes that
occur both day and night In that dis
reputable neighborhood are such that
we do not care to reproduce them. They
are sufficiently shocking to arouse the
attention OF the police authorities and
to place the lady In Il most wretohed
position.
Our correspondent presents terri
bic picture of the social condition Of the
city from which he writes. and names
such a large proportion as the number
Of fallen women that we can scarcely
credit the correctness Of his nforma-
lion But he says there are fifteen DIFF
ierent christian" denominations there,
numbering very large congregations, all
imbued with bitter antl-"Mormon'
spirit, and he wants to know why 1t Is
that ladies' will sign petitions against
pure, upright man like Senator Smoot.
desiring his election from the United
States Senate, while condonlng or g-
noring the conditions existing right un-
der their own eyesight He has not
been very long In that city, and is as
founded at what he has seen and heard.
The intemperance, the stealing. the
gambling. and other evils existing there.
added to the numerous murders and su-
lcides provoke him to writing very Wig
orousy about the hypocrisy that de-
claims against Utah and passes by the
he writes,
Our friend should understand that all
those denominations which are tolerated
In the large cities Of the country, are so
sommon that they do not attract spe-
Hal attention from the good people
whose Christianity chiefly consists In
going to q place OF worship once
week because that Is the fashion and
the custom. But reports Of alleged ma
trimonial excuses away out In Utah,
carried by professed ministers Of the
Gospel, arouse them to such righteous
Indignation that they have 20 Join in
The protest which those pretended ser.
wants OF the great Master set up to
arouse prejudice and gather funds.
He should also understand that when
this inconsistency Is pointed out. and the
religious men and women Of the East
are referred to the parable OF the mote
and the beam. and hint Is given them
that they had better mind their own
business and also cleanse the inside OF
their own platters, the cry Is raised at
once that those who make such sugges-
tons are trying TO Justify one wrong
by drawing attention TO another. or
course that is not fair argument, and
Is no justification for the SNUG COM
placency with which the vileness OF
evils close TO their own domlcIles are
wlnked at, while horror IL expressed al
affairs alleged to exist In Utah, and
which are not to be compared FOR In
iquity with the real shameful state Of
their own towns and citias.
When attention is drawn TO the cor
ruptions existing In places where
great noise IS made about Utah and
the "Mormons," It Ia not for the pur-
pose OF bellttling anything evil here or
making excuse for II because of In
lqulty elsewhere. 1t Is simply to sug-
gest to people who do not know what
they are talking about, the propriety OF
giving time and attention to actual
and undenlable evils, which it IS their
business to endeayor to eradicate right
where they live.
But we suppose such efforts will be
labor In vain. for II IS so much easier
and pleasanter to shout against Utah
and the 'Mormons," than to take no.
tlce and work for the removal OF the
social foulness that reeks to heaven
from every center OF christian" pop.
uatlon In the land. The dust they
kick up about the "Mormons" dlverts
attention from the foulness OF their
own surroundings.