The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-15
A PARALLEL CASE.

The church organ here is very fond.
whenever a calamity occurs In my part
OF the world, OF suggesting and some
time directly charging that the same is
due to the wickedness of the people of
the locality In which that calamity oc-
Cured In the recent disaster at San
Francisco this view was put forth by
the News. and reinforced, on the edi-
torial page by g long screed from
President Joseph F. Smith dealing with
the vengeance that God would take In
various material ways upon people who
would not repert and receive the
gospel"
We are reminded of this stupid folly
and unctuous humbug by the news
that has been coming to The Tribune
from Ogden. which gives accounts OF
the ravages of an insect that Is de-
stroying the tomatoes OF that vicinity
again this year and Is also attacking
the beets. If there Is any potency In
the proposition that In order to avoid
evils of this kind or disasters that oc-
cur In the physical world, a people has
only to repent and believe "the gospel"
then there must be something wrong
with the people OF Weber and Davis
counties. What is the matter with
their repentance? In what respect do
they fail to come UP to the full meas
ure of receiving the gospel" But ac-
cording TO the News and President Jo-
seph F, Smith, there must be some
dereliction on their part, or they would
Eut suffer the affliction referred to.
which remind one in degree of the in
sectferous Affections that were visited
upon the Egyptians for their resistance
to God. Or Is 1t the logic of this pecu-
liar cult and the peculiar minds of
the leaders that such Affections are to
be scored only against outsiders7 And
that when the like troubles appear in
Zion. they do not count as visitations of
the Lord or as warnings to the people
to repent?
But 1t is a plain case that IL these
physical evils and visitatlons are in
nicted upon people In the world at large
by reason o2 their unrighteouSneSs,
then 1t Is hard to escape the conclusion
that whenever there are like Affections
in Utah there is a like reason for them.
At the same time, it must be confessed
that the County Commissioners of
Weber county do not appear to be very
firm In this faith themselves: for In
place of accepting the idea that repent
ance and a more complete belief in this
gospel Will relieve their case, they
have had the impiety to ascribe the
trouble TO some material cause and to
seek relief by some other means than
faith and repentance, They have, in
fact, taken the view that they can help
themselves in this matter by the ap-
pointment OF an assistant horticulturist.
horticulturist in making a destructive
war upon the insect pests The Com
mlsSlonerS thereby show their lack of
the Deseret News sort of faith. and in
It's idea they may be lighting against
God; but 1t must be confessed that they
have displayed a great deal more sense
in this, matter than the News does, or
than Smith did when ne undertook to
prove from authorities which he quoted
that physical Affections coming upon
the world are sent by the Lord because
of the unbelief of the people living in
that region. AS practical proposition
we will back the County Commission
ers Of Weber county every time against
the tweddle of the News and slush of
President Smith.