The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-11
THE TITHES, AS BUSINESS

''Well, the tithes; what about them
You don Z pay any of them, and what
have YOU got to do with this question,
anyway?' is the arrogant formula
frequently heard on the lips of de-
tenders of the priests who rob the poo
pie in the name of the Lord, and en-
rich themselves from the tithes under
the lead of the devil.
The truth is, that every citizen is
interested in seeing that those who
receive money from the public are en-
gagged in an honest business and that
they apply the money solicited to the
purpose desired by the donor. Thus,
the United States denies the use of it's
mails to those who deceive the public
and get money for no proper equivalent
or right public purpose, The courts
will enforce an accounting by those
who handle other people, s money, and
require such person to deal lawfully
and honestly in their trust, That is,
usually the courts will so require. But
if the power that is hiding it's fnan-
cial operations from those who supply
money to it, is also powerful enough
TO defeat a Judge in his reasonable
ambition to be reelected, then, if he is
a tmorous man, or if he wants very
much to be reelected, he will not
apply the law TO the case as he would
do if the one who should account has
not the power of election or defeat in
his hands.
But the principle remains unassai-
able The one who takes and uses
other people s money is in all respects
of human obligation bound to give an
accounting for that money The courts
require such accounting from receivers
whom they appoint; and in general, all
fiduclary accounts are required TO be
reported upon. The same rule applies
in churches; the treasurers and fnan-
clal committees make open statements.
But III one church there is no showing
at all The Mormon church de6es the
salutary and otherwise universal rule
that the person handling other people IS
money must show what he does with It,
AS a question of economies, also, the
absorption of two million dollars a
year in tithing money, with no account
ing for 1T, cannot possibly be a matter
of indifference TO the public or to the
student of political and governmental
institutions. The withdrawal Of that
vast sum yearly from the ordinary
channels of business and industry, can
not but have whitening effect upon
community life. IL is a loss too SER
ious to be lightly regarded. Its cf
feet must be momeDtous. This is ap-
parent in the average settlement where
there are few or none who refuse to
pay tithcs. That settlement is dead,
and remains deud. The life is squeezed
out of it. But in places like Og-
den, Park City, Salt Lake where
large proportion Of the people or a
majority of them, pay no tihes, the
community is prosperous, progressive,
free, and independent in thought
it is not possible for the economist
or any one who is concerned for the
public veal, to see this difference be-
tween communities without anxiety
and desire to relieve the tithe-op.
pressed community az much rs posi-.
BILE, 1t is not possible for a progress
sive community to fail to wish that
other communities may also be pro-
gressiyo and able to advance by their
own productiveness, instead of being
robbed Of the profits which they have
earned and that should go TO their adj
vanccmcnt, When all advance, then
all are prosperous; but when some or