The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-31
uNscRUPULoUs PoLYGAM1sTs.

| EoR
That was most interesting talk
given by Prof. Joseph Jenson at the
| chapel exercises the other day in the
| Agricultural College at Logan. Fro
fessor Jenson traces the troubles OF The
college back to the times when the no
torious polygamist, Joseph M. Tanner,
| had to go because his presence at the
! head of that institution threatened TO
prevent the appropriation of S4o,O00
by Congress to maintain the Expert
ment Station which is connected with
opposed to President Kerr as his sue
cessor: he wanted Nh Widtsoe, who is
now the newly elected president of the
college, TO succeed him, and he threat
ened Professor Jenson, who was oppos-
ing Widtsoe, with dire vengeance in
case he kept up that opposition. Jcn-
son did keep it up. and now the ven
geance of the polygamous cult is being
dealt ont to him, as Tanner promised
that ii would be.
"A
which prevailed at the time that Kerr
was displaced by the newly appointed
trustees whom Governor Cutler selected
to carry out the polygamous Tanner
programme 1t was freely stated at
the time that the purpose was to polyg-
amize the college. That is to say, to
bring it under the dominance of the
polygamous eult, and to make
it the educational exponentef the
polygamous sentiment of the ruling
hierarchy of the church, The Tribune
rave expression to this sentiment when
the trustees took their recent action; a
prompt and heated denial was made
thereof ut the time, but the insincerity
Of that denial was apparent even then,
and is now manifest to all.
1t seems that the present situation at
the Agricultural college is the result of
determination Of the polygamist ex-
ponents In this State to 'fvindicate
President Tanner, and to show that
those who opposed him when he re-
signed to save the appropriation are
sure to come TO grief, That is to say,
it is to be an example of polygamy tri
umphant and monogamy PROSTATE I'M
der its feet. This purpose, so plainly
avowed by President Tanner, has now
been fulfilled. That President Widt-
soc is a polygamist. we do not affirm,
although rumor has connected his name
very definitely and positively with that
practice So far as we know, however,
proof is entirely lacking in that direc-
ton. But that the polygamous cult or
sentiment IS in the ascendant in the
control of the college, there can be no
doubt. There can be no doubt, further.
that the bitter hatred towards President
Kerr has its origin and main incentive
in the fact that President Kerr re-
nounced polygamy, returned to the mon
ogamous state, and has thoroughly re-
nounced the polygamous doctrine, That
the polygamous plottcrs have been able.
through persistent working for the past
eight years, to carry their purposes into
effect. is merely to acknowledge that
the church has been supreme through
out, that its main purpose and idea is
polygamous, and that it put Cutler in
the Governorship because he was
known to be the willing tool 10 carry
out any purpose that the polygamists
had in view: and that the church lead
ers exercised their power to the end
of putting him there for that purpose,
and that they were able to do so, is the
shame Of Utah. 1t is the complete vim
dication of the American cause and the
absolute proof of everything charged
against the law dcfying church leaders,
alike as to their crimes. their pledge.
breaking, their insinccrity, their trea-
son. and their contempt for American
institutions and for republican govern.
ment,
And now, doubtless, VIC shall be told,
as we always are told in like circum-
stances, that the real persons to blame
in all this matter are not the ones who |
have brought about this villainous state !
have had the candor and courage to
tell the facts. In the opinion of the |
church leaders and their "mouths'
in Utah. it is never the crime that is |
to be despised, but those who tell of !
that crime and endcavor TO have the |
perpetrators brought to JUSTICE and the |
State delivered from the incubus of |
law!essness- 1T VIII undoubtedly be |