The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-07
A PLEA FOR MERCY

Editor Tribune:-I notice you are at
it again When will your unholy crusade
against the Mormon religion cease? VIII
you ever deslst from your malicious at
tacks upon principles which to us are
enduring and sacred? Your appetite for
contention and strife seems to grow by
what IT feeds upon. What reason can
you give for dragging Brother Breeder
from his natural station Of obscurlty
into the glare OF the public gaze, and
there attempting to bring into rIdicule
practices which in conscience he, or any
other man similarly trained is bound to
follow? You accuse our brother of at
tempting, by the use of his official po-
si,ion TO which he was called and or
dained by the holy priesthood, to cor
rupt the fountain OF justice in the case
OF the Ogden boodlers, You dismiss with
sneer of contempt his simple child
like explanation of the honesty of his
motives and the nobleness Of his pur-
pose In all that he did pertaining to this
matter. Your conduct in this case is
the more reprehensible for the reason
that 1t is evident that your reporter
extracted the explanation and the state
ment of facts making the explanation
necessary from Brother Breeden at a
time when his mind was resting IN a
of guile WAS absent. The redoubtable
Major by degrees unfolded his story ut
,erly innocent OF the thought that he
was being led into trap" by the uu-
godly representative of The Tribune.
You are asked In ell franlsness, is there
anything inconsistent in an attempt on
the part of church official of Brother
Breedep's rank and dignity to influence
the action OF mere Judge in case
where the reputation of brethren like
Chambers and Craig is In question? A
Judge is chosen only TO administer the
law Of the land and dispense human JUS
tlce; he by reason of the infirmaties and
limitations OF the finite mind may go
far astray II permitted unaided to solve
the intricate questions that naturally
arise when n brother is accused OF a
crime OF which he Is actually guilty.
In these cases II is convenient and often
indispensable that some one In close
touch with the infinite should Intervene
otherwise the very elect would often ,
suffer for the transgression of man made
laws. II the exigencies of any particular
case requires such intervention who is
better fitted for the task than the Major7
He stands near 10 the throne in Gods
Kingdom and Is, notwithstanding his lack
of guile and common discernment, one
OF the moet trusted among the GENTLE !
his inspiration does not reach him di- |
rect: IL comes by A more or lees cir |
cuitous route. but II loses nothing OF It's |
force and effect iu the course OF trans
mission. So that when Brothers Breedep |
and Spry appeared before the Ogden
Judge there was not lacking that spirit !
OF true discernmept which enables even
a member of the Gentle quorum OF our
church 10 unerringly advise as to the
proper procedure when brother is
overtaken in the commission of a crime,
Your reporter affects to scofr at
Brother Breedens explanation that he
entirely divested himself of his ofiicial
position before he entered upon the la
bor of causing or attempting to cause
the current Of justice 10 flow In proper
II Is true he does not state
lust where the divestment occurred but
his simple statement satisfies us that n
did occur; and we are confirmed In this
belief when we consider that the Majors
great and good friends. the apostles,
have very frequently performed q SINH