Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-17
SANDERS ARE CIRCULATING.

SANDERS ARE CIRCULATING.
AS win be remembered. the local anti
mormon" contemporary some time
ago forged story to the effect that an
nouncemont had been made from the
headquarters of the Church, that plural
marriages were shortly to be restored
as the practice OF the Church.
The foundation for the story was saio
To be a letter read at a ward confer
ence in Davis Stake. A lady had told
tho paper referred to that the letter
contained something very sensational,
and this hearsay testimony. this sos-
sip, was made the foundation for an in
famous charge displayed in flaming
headlines.
The entire story, as was proved, was
false a letter containing Instructions
OF interest to members and officers OF
certain organizations of the Church
was read ut the ward meeting in ques-
ton. But It did not contain one word
about plural marriages. This was
proved. not only by authentic copies
of the lettor but by the original ler-
ter itself.
But, although the story was refutcd,
it continues It's round in the news
papers, aud that was the purpose OF
its first publication. 1t was invented
and given sensa tional send-off for
consumption abroad. Several papers
had the item as n correspondence from
this city. and now we gather from an
article IN the Washington Herald that
a Salt Lake visitor in that city has
given to the Washington paper the old,
exploded tale as Il veritable fact. He
calls 1t u ''semi-secret communication
construed to mean Il revival of polyg
amy, " though, as for the semi-seorecy
of it, It was given TO the Tribune 10y
Mr., D. Felt, and as for the construc-
lion placed upon it, no one outside the
Tribune Office construed it to mean
anything that all the world could not
know.
Mr.. V. $. Peet, of this city, happened
to be in Washington at the time the
canard appeared in the Herald and
he replied as follows:
Editor The Washington Herald
The statement of Philip n. Nelson,
of Salt Lake City, Utah. in the hotel
column OF your paper on Monday, that
the head of the Mormon Church had
sent out a semi-secret communication,
construed TO mean revival of polyg-
amy Is purely sensational and no,
one grain of truth In IL. If Mr.. Nell
son or any one else can show any letter
or communication from Joseph #.
Smith, president of the Mormon
Church, or his counselors, that the
Mormon Church intends TO ro-establish
pOlygamy in any degree, form, or man
nor, | viii give $1,000 for such a lettel
or communication on a copy OF IT,.
There are certain newspapers and in
diNiduals I'm Utah who, for gain, notori-
ETY.. or religious higotry, make general
statements Ike the above but they are
never able to produce shadow of
evidence TO sustain them. The Nor
mons have no more Idea of re-cstab-
fishing polygamy In any form than the
South has In re-establishing slavery.
AT It's most prosperous period there
was less than per cent Of Utah's
population I'm polygamy, and today
there Is not one polyganist In a thous-
and OF the population, There has not
been one plural marriage performed.
or even sanctioned by the Mormon
Church since September 1880 ON Sep
tenber II, 1905, | posted and pub
lished IN Utah and throughout the
country the following rewards, guaran-
teed by some Of the wealthiest nom
Mormons In Utah:
% If reasonable proof can be made to
show that-if even one plural marriage
has been performed or sanctioned by
the Mormon Church since that time,
September, 1880. / win pay $1,000 Tor
such Information; or II II can be shown
that Joseph +. Smith since he became
president OF the Mormon Church has
dominated or interfered with IN any
way the political actions Of any in
divldual or party ! viii give $1,000 for
such information
THE above rewards hold good today,
and VIII so continue for some time 10
come / am not a Mormon and never
expect 70 be one but / am Interested
IN Utah my home, and l am In thu
East now representing the business
men OF Utah. ana when such mislead-
ing statements. like the one above by
Mr. Nelson, / am here 10 answer IL.
knowing that such attacks on Utah
hinder immigration and capital from
flowing into her borders,
Washington y, o., March II, 1908.
We rofer 10 this matter again, be-
cause The appearance az this late date
OF The story In a Washington paper
shows how falsehoods originating In a
newspaper office In this city, about
the people here are circulating from
coast Ia coast That they are doing
harm 10 business here, rs beyond roa-
sonable dispute Is e not high time
for decent public opinion 10 assert II.
self, in the interest Of the city by put
ing the proper brand upon a specie'
OF journalism thai consists mainly n
me dissemination OF falsehoods2
II does not hurt the Church. Eve