The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-05
STREET EVANGELIST
STRIKES FROM SHOULDER
Heated Arguments Follow Dis
course of Rev. Templeton
on the Streets.

A scene which has seldom been wit
messed in Salt Lake in later years was
the center of interest for many people
at the corner of Second South and Main
streets Tuesday night The whole af-
fair was precipitated by the Rev. Sam
uel A. TempletGu, who has for the past
seven years been street evangelist.
representing the faith of the Family
Church of God. The Rev. Mr.. Ward
| has for some months past been IN
Salt Lake on his chosen mission, and
early Tuesday evening he started TO
address the passing throngs on the sub
| ject, Christ, the Power, and Wisdom
of God.''
The evangelist made few spicy re-
marks, which soon gathered for him
throng of people which blocked the
| sidewalk. His remarks were inter
spersed with some accusations against
| the Mormons which caused many inter
ruptions from listeners OF that faith.
In speaking of how very particular the
Mormons are about preaching from
their pulpits that they are law-abiding
citizens, and arc right in their every
belief and sentiment, Rev. Mr.. Tenn
pleton said
What Mr.. Templeton Said,
''If the Mormons are right, If they
have the love of God in their hearts,
if they have the love OF the law in their
lives, why do they have to talk about
it so much7 The love of God keeps
those who have it so that it Is apparent
to every man who sees. The love OF
the law keeps every man right 80 that
his neighbors may see. So far as heaven
is concerned, all the Brigham Younos,
the Joseph Smiths, the apostles and the
priests in the whole organization, all
the fittings and all the sacrifices made
to the heads of the church, will not take
men and women TO heaven. 1t is the
love of God, brethren, the love OF right,
the desire to do that which Christ
taught us that will take MS to heaven.
"Christ did not believe In setting up
an hierarchy in order to bring people
into the fold and keep them there bv
main force; to take their earnings,
which should go toward the education
Of their children and the support of
their families, and divert it to the sup
port of the heads of the church in lux
women slaved day in and day out, with
out even attaining competence in
their years of toll and hardship
Such passages as these aroused the
ire Of the Mormons present, and the
speaker was interrupted many times bv
those who did not desire to hear facts
plainly stated without establishment.
Tramp Evangelist Heard.
The address of the Rev. Mr.. Tenn
pleton was ended after II clock, and
he had not yet stepped from the COW
cred wagon, from which he spoke, un~
til the audience was astonished by see
ing a tramp step into the street and
begin to speak. Many thought the man
soon convinced his hearers that he was
very much sober. The man was Richard
Ward, tramp evangelist. Picturesque
to the last degree, q full month s
growth of beard on his face, battered
yellow hat in his hand, his clothes old
and worn, out of shape and ragged, the
man presented a picture as he stood
harangueing the crowd, such as is sell
dom seen. In the audience were men,
many of them, of superior education,
and to say that they were amazed at
the eloquence and remarkable learning
Of the apparent tramp, would be put
ting it mildly History, from the time
of Christ down, Scripture from Genesis
to Revelations, flowed from his tongue
with equal huency>
-Four Separate Addresses.
Ward had just gotten fairly started
when a Mormon enthusiast broke loose
about five feet away, and soon forced
the wandering evangelist to desist
Then another good Mormon started to
defend the church and the prophets,
and soon there were four separate ar
guments waxing warm, each man hav-
ing his little bunch of listeners, his
supporters and his detractors Until as
late as II o. clock the street was crowd
ed with people. on the west side, lis
tening to the loud talk and heated ar
guments One young fellow quoted
Scripture like preacher and swore like
a pirate during his arguments for Nor.
monism.
Several times the arguments grew so
heated that it looked as though the
question would be settled by fstic en-
counter, but fortunately the crowd was
good -natured, and no pugilistic argu-
ments were INDUCED in.