The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-31
MILKING THE TITHES

tithing he made his list too long or too
short II Smith gets IT all there is only
one way, and il the twenty-six get /,
there are twenty-siX ways. There is no
system Of calculation which brings out
the figures, H.
The ostensible channels for tithe eX-
peuditure reCounted by the mendacious
apostle, exist largely in mis- own mind,
and nowhere else
When Penrose pretends that the sus-
teuance of Indians is a large tax upon
the 1.-THE fund he is hypoCrittCal falsi-
fer He knows better. All this is like
| wise true OF the talk of maintaining
temples meeting-houses and other
| church edifces And I'm the same cate
CORY may he listed the rest of his
| quoted exoendi,ures except one COM
pensatlon OF ,he church authorities
For every purpose for which money
is expended in the Mormon church by
the Mormon church. or FOR the Mormon
church there is Il special donation. I'm
addition TO the tIthes-eNccpt, as stated.
for the compensation OF the authorities.
and these are presumably paid from
the general fund, although the extent
of their compensation is not publicly
known. Outside of Smith probably the
members of the hierarchy do not re-
ceive large salaries. They get their
profits through the opportunities which
are afforded to them In business, and
II they be favorites of the chief they
are admitted TO a partnership in some
of the good enterprises. for the main
tenancc of which the church has been
commercialized. and to enlarge which
the Mormon people are being bled To
the last drop. The stupendous charac-
ter Of the eXactions made upon the
average Mormon can only be appreci-
ated by n perusal of the list which
shows the requirements 10 which he
must make answer in order TO retain
his good standing.
First. the average male Mormon must
spend from two to four years In the
mission field. The church does not pay
any of his expense of transportation
and maintenance until he is released,
and then a ticket for his return to his
home Is supplied to him.
He must pay ten per cent OF his an
nual income for tlthes According 10
Joseph +. Smith this means one-tenth
OF all that he receives. no matter how
much II may cost him 10 produce his
revenues. The farmer who raises two
thousand bushels of wheat Is expected
To contribute two hundred bushels TO
the rustee-in-trust-he is Smith-al- |
though that farmer may have expended
tWo-thirds of the value of his entire |
crop for labor irrigation charges, ma
chineTy. seed, etc.
In addition he is supposed to contrib |
ute for the following purposes and on |
the following occasions:
For the expense of the ward In which |
he lives
For ward meeting houses and amuse-
ment halls
For the stake of Zion in which he
lives. including the Tabernacle and the
lcldemy-to build and to maintain.
For the poor of his ward.
For the Temple whenever he seeks to
in It's ordinances.
Then he has:
Nickel sunday
Dime Tuesday
Primary nickel
Relief society donation.
Choir and organ donations
Home missionary sustenance
Relief society missionary.
Mutual Improvement missionary.
Sunday-school missionary
All these contributions he must make.
md all these things he must maintain.
The Tribune Is I'm possession Of an
authoritative document given by the
OF ward in Salt Lake CITY
stating that 1t Is the purpose to sustain
he poor by direct donations The
1.-THE fund Is to be relieved entirely of
his burden. IT Is well known thar ali
If the other purposes for which Apostle
'enrose claimed that the tlthes were
ised are almost entirely covered by the
Decial donations which are demanded
n their behalf
is il any wonder that Mormons grow
estivc? They are puched and squeezed
md squeezed and pinched. they are
'ajoled and upbraidcd they are whee-
He'd and threatened, until the mass of
hem give practically all the profit of
heir toll TO malptaiu the costly system
which has been inaugurated for the
Of the kingdom OF Joseph
: Smith. The mass OF the tithes and
donations which the average Mormon
'ays would insure his comfortable
maintenance in his own old age and in
ure his family against want after he
hall have passed away. But it goes
nto the irresponsible and arrogant
.eeping Of the trustee-in- trust who not
My refuses 10 utilize IL for the pur- ,
'oses prescribed I'm the law OF the
hurch which commands the payment
4 tithes. but refuses 10 make any ac-
ounttng of it's use or misuse Some of
he hierarchical conhdantcs. like X. III
soberts, express great horror at the