The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-01
THE DOLLARS AND CENTS.

cheap Jack Mormon promoter of
cheap business enterprises was making
his plant against The Tribune the other
day for what he called this paper S in
furious course toward men ot his class
He remarked: "Hcre We arc spending
our days and nights 10 bring money into
the State, and The Tribuncs fight
against the hierarchy is turning all our
efforts to naught and robbng us of
dollars and cents, That is the way We
look at this conflict
And the reply Of that good friend
of Utah to whom he was speaking was
as follows: eyes, and that is your
cause-'dollars and cents. 1t is nothing
to you that the good faith of the State
shall have been broken; it is nothing to
you that succeeding generations must
repair the wrong Of this time in pain
and suffering and loss if we of this gen.
Grafton do not ourselves correct the
/ wrong; it is nothing TO you that the
State cannot attain to its high dignity
and its safe prosperity and its enduring
stature in the Nation and the world so
long as the evil domination of an evil
cult obtains here. You merely want
the dollars and cents, as you say
and that is what your patriotism to the
State and your loyalty to the Nation is
made of. That is your measure of de-
votion to law and to decency.'
And that answer was good ono, for
1T reached TO the sublimities of this
present situation. The good name Of
the State IN the world, justly gained
by the good conduct of the State and
her people, is Of value which no "dol-
lars and cents can measure. The State
in the highest sense Of the word can.
not be built by money nor upon money.
1T must have the things of better worth
in order TO hold the considerate atten-
ton of mankind; in order to keep and
to attract people who are the most valu-
able in their citizenship, in their powers
of material and ethical upbuilding.
The response covered the case from
the viewpoint of law and ethics; but
there is something to be said upon the
! lower plane which alone such cheap
Jack .Mormons as the cheap promoter
are qualified to occupy. More money has
come into this State Of Utah within the
three years since the American idea
was launched in the Bamberger hall
meeting than in any other three years
Of the State s history. That cheap
promoter, and plenty like him, had
worked for years without accomplish
ing any substantial returns for Utah.
They were always failures. Either their
enterprises were worthless or their
standing abroad was such that they
could not attract the support of enter
prising men and enterprising capital,
Always the best kind of projects, rep.
resented by the right kind of men, have
had good hearing for Utah in the
East. but never so good hearing as
during the three years since American
citizens began to assert themselves and
the National idea in this community.
Men who would not have come to Utah
under the old regime have joined with
the forces here because they have seen
the certainty Of the overthrow of eccle-
siastical domination. They have come
and brought their money with them;
they arc making their homes here; they
do not shun the fray; all that could
drive them away would be if the con
fict were to cease before the rule of
the hierarchs shall be anuuiled.
What folly it is TO talk of injury 10
business in Utah because OF the battle
which is being waged! There is not
a merchant, there is not real estate
man, there is not n professional prac-
titioncr, there is not laborer, but must
sense the improved conditions since
Americans sounded the note of honor
able conflict TO gain honorable peace
In this community. The very promoter
who decries the fight, and he is a very
small cult, knows that the fight has
made commercial prosperity: the pro.
fessloual man who chants his weak Law
for peace knows that peace upon the
present basis under bierarchical rule
would turn the community back to bar
barrie conditions; and every real estate
man. who tells his polygamous friends
that he deplores the unrest, knows that
before the American party was launched
people were leaving this town in pla-
toons--no one would buy any real
estate, and houses were being vacated
by the dozens. while now there is ac-
tivity closely approaching boom, All
the business argument is against the
sordid creature who cries that he is be.
ing injured in "dollars and cents by
the conflict. il is the wall of the weak
ling. But an Affirmative argument in
behalf of business ms resultant effect
Of tho warfare would not Justify the