The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-03
TO RULE OR RUIN.

There is some substantial evidence
that the chief hierarch is not satisfied
with his business influence upon the
railroads entering this State, even
though that business influence is sup
plcmcnted bv his political and ecclesi-
astcal power Presumably the current
proposition for railway commission
with plenary authority emanates from
his desire to hold the transportation
companies in a position of subservience
to him from which there can be no
early escape.
Joseph f. Smith s attitude toward
the industrial and financial concerns of
which he is not the internal autocrat,
is best betrayed by the utterances of
| the Deseret News on the smelling in
tercsts of Utah and the disastrous re-
suits which flowed from those utter
anccs, reinforced rs they were by the
private counsel of Mormon church &C.
clesiasts, Smith and his coadjutors of
| the church had no direct interest IN
the smelters: vet they sought to cXer-
else espionage and authority over them
to subject their owners and managers
to the payment of political if not
money tribute, perhaps both. Organ
lied effort was made TO obtain for the
church, through its presiding bishopric
or some other general authority. the
engagement of labor for the smeltcrs
under the plea that the employees could
l,. aI ctr CnhInptInD n
church discipline, and therefore would
not engage in strikes or other move
ments calculated to disturb the secu-
rity and serenity of business progress.
The Tribune exposed the dangers of
this scheme and advised the smeltcr
men that they would exchange a tenn
porary difficulty for a greater and per
manent one; that once allow the thin
end of the church wedge TO enter into
their business the church would drive
IT home, that for the sake of the tlthes
TO be extracted from their members
who would be thus employed and for
the sake Of the political and possibly
the additional financial tribute which
they could extort, the church chiefs
would obtain such mastery in the situa-
tion that the smelling interests would
be at their mercy. Conscious that diff
6culties with their laborers were to be
avoided by all safe and honorable
means, The Tribune still advised the
smelter men that they would sink
themselves in the quicksnuds of diff
Guilty if they consented TO any such CO.
operation with the Mormon church.
Having utterly failed to gain dom
ination by this means, the enragcd
church officials made n direct attack in
public and in secret upon the smelters.
Through the Deserct News and through
the priestly utteranccs of the hierarchs
the threat was openly made that. If the
existing law could not suppress the
'smelter nuisance additional legisla-
tion would be procured under which
these great institutions would be com.
PEELED To bank their fires and 90 out
Of business. The result rs known of
all men. Under pretense of protecting
the small agricultural interests immedi-
ately contiguous 10 the smelters and
possibly affected by their fumes, an
organization was communicating
lv under the direction of thc church,
it's organ and of6cials-and organized
proceedings were begun largely at their
instigation to crafty the vengeful am
bition of the ecclesasts TO rule or ruin,
and in the misused name of the agri-
cultural interests serious blow was
struck at the magnificent smelling in
dustry of Utah by means of which
practically all the mining interests of
the State are maintained and by means
of which all the agricultural interests
of Utah are made prohtable-for with
out the smelters very few mines could
run at a profit. and without both mines
and smcltcrs the farmer of this STATE
would go back 10 the era of his indi
vidual consumption Of his individual
production with tithng scrip for a
medium of exchange and with years
accumulation OF cash only sufficient TO
pay taxes.
Now the same method Of bulldozing
and chicanery is TO he adopted concern
ing the railways. 1t is not with the
hierarchs any devotion to the interests
of the public. They care nothing as to
whether railway commission is neces
sary or unnecessary; they care nothing
as to whether railway. rates are Just or
unjust so far as they relate to the
common business of the common peo.
pic. They want special privileges for