Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-07
MoRMoNs AND NoN.MoRMoNs.

rbo anti-"Mormon" Interpreter Of
evil omens has for some time pest GU
deavorcd to create the false impress
sion that the I.attcr-day saints are
animated by feelings Of hostility TO-
ward all nom "Mormons." and especl-
ally toward the members OF tho 50
called American party But these ei
forts must necessarily FAIL Tor t"e
simple reason that they have no
Foundation in fact The history oil
the church and the present att'tuuo
of the people, stamp the assertions
of the local champion Of anu-'Mor-
mnnismp as falsehoods.
Have tho Latter-day Saints ever
antaeonized the Immigration into
Utah OF any respectable class of ciu-
zens or any industry that would DC
for the material benefit Of the people Z
Lot us see. AS early as 1852 President
Brigham young, then governor 81
Utah, and the Legislature netiuoIe"
Congress ito provide for the estao-
lishment OF national central railroa"
from some eligible point on the MIS-
.5ssippi. or the Missouri rivers, 90 S"n
Diego. San Francisco, Sacramento OF
Astoria, or such other point on or near
the Pacific coast, as the wisdom OF
YOUR honorable body may dictate.
The Latter-day Saints were go far
from desiring isolation from the rest
OF the world, that one OF their trs'
concerns was to ask for a trnhFco"-
tinental railroad.
one of the reasons given for tue
necessity of this was That mo less
than 5000 American citizens have per-
ished on the different routes WITHIN
the last three years, Tor the want OF
proper means of transportation
That proves what the feelings OF the
"Mormons' were at time when they
sim smarted under the fearful wrongs
they had suffered at tho hands OF MODS
in the States. They further pointed
out In this petition that the ininoral
resources of california and these
mountains, can never be fuzzy develop
cd to the benefit of tho people OF the
United States without the construction
of such II road
such were the views and sentiments
of the people here at that time. They
were anxious to have n highway from
coast to coast. with Utah as one Of the
pleasant stations on the road me
construction of such road meant the
opening OF the doors of Utah to all
the world They were further anxious
to have that road constructed in the
Interest OF the mining industry both
in California and here, as they stated
in the petition. That Is a sufficient
answer to the silly charge that the
"Mormons'' have over been the enc
mics of the mminr Industry For in
stance: In his "Answers to Ques-
tons ranphi~I esd Ia la63 Tor
the purpose OF advertising Utah.
President George 4. Smith stated
among other things that the mineral
resources OF Utah afford a field for
enterprise worthy the attention Of cap
italists and scientific men" Does that
sound as hostility to mining and smelt-
ing2
II is true that the leaders OF the
Church wisely ENCOURAGED the early set
tiers to establish the agricultural and
manufacturing interests first Any
other course would have been suicide.
But they never antngonlsed any other
Industries. as has been falsely alleged
by enemies of the church.
AS for the observation-disclosures OF the
Latter-day Saints in their Intercourse
with people of other denominations, II
was from the beginning the policy Of
the leaders Of the Church to encourage
the Saints TO gige all a fair hearing.
Distinguished ministers OF the Episco-
pal church, the Methodist church, the
Presbyterian, Congregational Baptist,
Unitarian and other churches have on
various occasions occupied the plat
forms OF Latter-day Saints meeting
houses. In 1871 Methodist camp
meeting was held IN this city Pres-
dent Young invited All, and especially
the young folks, to attend this gather
ing. He gave notice OF Il IN the taber-
nacles In this city aud ogden, ANA
through the Deseret News That Is
the way on-"Mormons' have been
treated by tho "Mumons" I'm Utah
from the very earliest days of their
settlement here.
The IAtter-day Saints cannot consist
entity take any other attitude than one
of brothcrly love 10 all mankind. Thoy
have been taught TO regard all men az
tho children of the same Eternal ia.