Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-31
EFFECTS OF A FALSE RUM0R.


menting on the story that THE Nor
mon Church is going out Of business.
They are all Hounderlng In the mist
raised by the dispatcher who II respon-
sible for sending out fog instead Of
news. II Is the old story repealed Re-
Gently there has been more care and
less anlmus displayed IN the press SER
vice here than was common Of yore.
Much Of the misunderstanding that
prevailed throughout the land and was
the means Of holding Utah back from
statehood for years, was caused by the
false reports sent over the wires from
this point TO the prominent papers OF
the country. They were often mali
cious In the extreme. When their un.
truth was exposed no refutatlon was
sent, and II protests were noticed
they were followed by pretended expla-
nations that were even worse than the
original falsehoods, the dispatcher
copying the methods Of anti Mormon"
local publications.
In this instance we do not regard the
error as intentional. But II Is mis-
chicvous and deceptive, and wrong
IN principle, To telegraph rumor that
might have been perceived TO be I'M
reliable. coming from the source from
which II was obtained was not good
business nor fair treatment The truth
or falsity OF the report could have been
readily ascertaned. II the authorities
of the Church were not considered wor-
thy Of voice In the matter. the officers
Of the firms interested In the al
legged transfers or sales were easily
come-at-able, and would have answered
proper inquiry. Their denial Of the
story and that by the Church author
itios was not given the same publicity
as the error was accorded, and so many
of the most important newspapers in
the East have been misled into making
comments and speculatlons OF the
greatest absurdity. And they are stln
/, at It.
The Utah Light and Railway COM
pany which was said to have been sold
Is described as "a Church property"
As we have previously explained, II is
not "a Church property but a cor
poration IN which the Church has but
a comparatively small financial inter-
est. The same may be said Of other
business concerns I'm which the Church
has made investments, and which
WOnll Ins
out the aid thus afforded. They have
been Of immense benefit to Utah and
have grown to Independence and pro-
Mt, aud their commercial and indus.
trial stability Is largely due TO the start
given them and the maintenance Of
their progress by the influence thus
obtained
The Church has not announced anv
intention ON IFS part to withdraw the
support that has helped to strengthen
such commercial and Industrial enter
prises MS haze furnished employment to
many working people. and given tins
community so high standing In the
business world. The Church merely sold
out ia interest In the saltair Beach
company and Railroad transaction
that has met with approval from an
classes here And that was the only
real foundation for the false report
telegraphe1 all over the country. II Is
true that a promoter who told num-
Der of fairy tales that little inquiry
dissipated into thin, cold air, pretend
ca 40 have acquired for big company.
the properties Of the street railway here
and some other similar concerns. But
even that Bit or boastlng made no ey-
ouse for the announcement that "the
Mormon Church vas going out Of busl-
ness, or the nonsense uttered by
prominent papers about the immense
wealth Of the Church with boarded
millions and other similar fancitul ro-
mances
The continued error about the tithlng
which is really voluntary contrlbu-
ton but Is said TO be tax" which
every Mormon is supposed to be COM
PEELED TO pay to the Church, it's vol
ume and its expenditure, Is equally un-
founded but IS made TO DO duty I'm as
ISOLATION with the untruthful dispatch.
And the notion that the President OF
the Church holds at his personal dis
posal the exaggerated and magnlned
ecoumulations Of years from every part
and branch OF the Mormon" organi.
cation, Is rs false and silly as the rest
OF the rubbish that some Of the leading
journals deal cut TO their readers as
gospel truth, The President OF the
Church does not own or claim to own
dollar or dime Of Church property.
ana there is no "hoardng" Of It for
any purposes The fact that the Church
was under the necessity, a few years
ago 10 Issue bonds tnow5in large part
redeemed) for million dollars to COY.
er It's large debts drawing big inter.
est. ought TO arouse 20 some common
sense the individuals and papers that
are repeating the stale and STUPID
yarns about the many millions IN the
control Of the Mormon" President.
our contemporaries al a distance may
rest assured that there has been no
change Of policy as 70 the conduct Of
the affairs of the Mormon" Church.
Its revenues arc its own, not the prop
erty Of any Individual and they are
managed with scrupulous care and hon-
esty and economy by the persons en-
trusted with their custody. The body
Of the Chutch is satisfied with their
opposition and that should no susa