The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-05
INTELLIGENCE. VIRTUE, VICE

In answering a recent comment in
this paper upon a previous utterance
In the Caldwell Qdaho) Tribune, that
esteemed journal remarks.
The Salt Lake Tribune has fought
the Mormon church so long. and we might
say so valiantly that II can no longer
dependent I'm the Mormon people. IL tho
salt Lake Tribune would only admit in
ITS own mind that the Mormon people
are people OF precisely the came In
teliGence, virtue and vice as other church
people II could more intelligently dis
cuss church influence"
1t Is with no carping disposition to-
ward our Caldwell namesake that the
salt Lake Tribune expresses some in
dignation and surprise at the lack OF
appreciation shown for this papers
compliments, uttered through the years.
10 the Mormon people for such industry.
thrift. sobrlety and other merits as they
may possess. The Caldwell Tribune
Will scarcely live long enough-in any
sympathy with the political purposes
of the Mormon chiefs-to say as many
kindly things OF the Individual Mormon
as have been circulated throughout the
world by this paper. In the present
! controversy II has been as delightful
as it has been just to speak OF the in
telligence and virtue" of the mass of
the Mormon people, and we have often
done so without associating too closely
with those words the "Ylce" which the
| Caldwell Tribune places next to "vlr-
tue In It's designation of their char
acteristiCs, The contention OF the Amer
lean party Is not with the Individual
Mormon because of any lack on his part
OF certain merits universally recog.
nized The criticism is of his subordi-
nation of his individuality to the de-
cree of system whose operations arr
entirely antagonistic TO the experiences
and the highest moraiities of civiliza.
ton. Does 1t make an offense less that
! 1t shall be perpetratcd or aided by a
man otherwise good? One of the great
! est faults which justly may be founo
with the Mormon argument Is that II
assumes that It's leaders are so good
| that they can commit wrong with in.
punity. Indeed. that is the essence of
the case. II represents tho greatest
| danger 10 Utah and surrounding coun-
| try, When a specific charge OF specific
wrong is made and substantiated the
plea of the Mormon press and preach,
ers and their sympathzers is that the
Mormons are good people. And yet
that Is no answer, but merely an eva-
| sion. For instance. the constitution OF
this State. adopted enthusiastically by
the church leaders. provided that there
| should be no secular influence in the
| public schools. The Mormon superin-
tendent of public instruction found thai
Mormon religion classes were being
taught in three hundred and sixty public
| schools In this State. When The Tribune
attacked this violation OF the constltu-
| tion the retort OF the church and It's
/ political sympathiZers was. In effect,
the reply which the Caldwell Tribune
makes to this paper, that the Mormons
possess intelligence and virtue"-and
this, as may be plainly seen. was no
answer, but an evasion. Again, for in
stance, when the Mormon leaders and
all their allied polygamsts assented TO
| u,
1896. by the law of this State us a time
up to which all children born In plurai
marriage should be legitimized, they
made pledge to the world and to
babes yet unborn that births In the re-
lation OF plural marriage should cease
after that time-they having given to
themselves long enough period In
| n i,l, f, ol1 h.I
amists throughout the world. When
The Tribune called attention TO the fact
that the continued begetting OF children
after that time was an incalculable
wrong TO the innocents, the reply was,
in effect, that the Mormon people pos
| sessed intelligence and virtuen-anu
this was not an answer, but an evasion.
! And still again. for instance, the COLI
stltution of Utah forbids any union OF
church and State, and yet by specific
| proof The Tribune has demonstrated
that the church dominates in all the
affairs of State, and the reply vouch-
| safed Is. In effect, that the Mormon
people possess Intelligence and VIII
tue"-and this is no answer. but an
| evasion,
The Caldwell Tribune presumably
knows affairs in Idaho, and therefore
II must be cognzant of the bargains
made at legislative sessions by Mormon
lobbies; 1t must be aware that these
things are not only pernicious in them
selves and In their instant and direct
effects. but they are extremely hurtful
|
| wealth. 1t Is no answer, but merely an
evasion to say that Methodsts also eX-