The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-05
ENEMIES OF OUR PEOPLE.

In the title Of this article, and II
the varied uses OF the expression
abidcs much Of the Utah problem.
Probably in no other church, noI
among the solidified people Of any
other cult IN America. is such n phrase
so frequently used or made so momen-
tous IN directing the speech and the
actions of teachers and followers alike.
The lawyer, the doctor, the merchant,
the real estate agent, the artisan, the
commercial traveller, the iinancier, the
Judge, the cgislator-every man in
Utah not of the Mormon faiths sub
jected to the inquiry: Is he an
enemy of our people7'
Let II once be understood that law
yer is ''an enemy of our people, -
and his employment ceases by "our
people; where 'our people, are
serving on iuries even his Gentle eli
ents fear the prejudice which will be
aroused against him in the conduct of
their cases. If he is candidate for
judgeship, and it is whispered that
nc 10 VI Jul PcoPi'r III
is either slaughtered in convention or
at the polls. If doctor gains the
repute of being can enemy of our peo-
ple," no longer do Mormon patients
call for his services. Even the children
are taught from infancy not to buy
nickel's worth of candy from "an out
sider.'' if there is Brother Somebody
keeping little shop anywhere within
walking distance. The teaching has
always been that a member of the
Mormon church is offending his Goo
if he sells land to a Gentle, so that
the real estate man is also able to say
what it means to be can enemy of
our people"
Not long ago Joseph F. Smith, the
present president of the church, ad-
vised his followers at st. George that
they were not to dispose of their lands
to Gentiles, because they were Gene
mics of our people, " declaring that not
in all of his life had he sold foot
of ground to an "outsider.
The artisan may be among the most
skilled of his trade in the whole coun
try, but an ignoramus from a foreign
country will be given place IN the
shop or at the work bench, if only he
has been baptized and pays tithing
upon his earnings (the all-important
point in this case), and the skill and
of the other man will be
permitted to rot along with his body
f no other and ''outsiden opportu-
nlty were open to him. A commercial |
,rayeler would better buy a through |
lckct, so far as many of the strictly |
Mormon settlements sre concerned, bs
'ause the brethren who keep the shops !
will keep telling the sisters for a month
'r two that certain things have not |
arrived, so as TO give their order TO
he representative of Z. c. NJ. I. I'm
ess he can create some opening for
he employment of his money, the finan-
ier would not be allowed to become
ctiYe IN any Of the industrial affairs
4 tic community. The legislator either
lows to the mandates of the ecclesi-
stical authorities among "our peo~
'le, or he dances under the spiteful
ash of ostracism and opposition which
S applied to every "cnemy of our
eople.'
That unique expression, ''enemies of
ur people, is repeated thousands of
imes every day Ill Utah. 1t affects all
ersonal and public affairs, 1t incitcs
he most intense activities. 1t gov
rms majority OF the population in
II social, political and business rela-
ions. 1t is the guiding force of com,
lunity life.