Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-25
TRUE PROGRESS.


vocates Of the proposed bond issue Is
this that the protests come only from
"Mormons, and that the "Mormons
have always opposed progress and i'm
provements. This is one of the colos-
sal falsehoods. that are depended upon
to catch votes 1t is one of the nrenda o
elous allegations every truth-lovins
citizen must resent
1t would be easy to retaliato by say
ing that the advocates OF the bond
issue are. many IL not all Of them
individuals who hope TO get undue
profit from the public funds. That
there are individuals in almost every
large community, who are In position
to control the expenditure to their own
advantage, Is We'll known aud such
individuals would, of course, vote for
bonds and urge others to vote to al up
the treasury to overlooking. But II Is
not necessary to make the controversy
unduly acrimonious
The falsehood that the "Mormons
are, OF always have BEEN adverse to
progress is refuted by every page OF
their history. Look at the Pioneers. ON
the 23rd of July. 1Si1. the vanguard.
two hours after the arrival in the valley,
commenced blowing and irrigating. On
the cath when President Young and the
remainder of the party arrived. they
found that i've acres Of ground had
already been broken, and MILFORD
Woodruff, before tasting food. put in
half bushel of potatoes, hoping to
save some seed for next year. That
very evening some of the brethren rode
up the canyon TO look for timber. Such
was, and is, the Mormon spirit. No
sooner had the Pioneers arrived in the
valley than they started the building
OF this magnificent empire.
In the spring of 1S49 field of about
5000 acres had been surveyed and plot
ed. There were three grist mills and
six saw mills in operation. The location
of tannery and a foundry was con-
templated as soon rs the snow should
leave the mountains. Captain Staus-
bury in 1880 found a city containing
5000 inhabitants. Each ward was en-
closed by substantial fence. The
homes Were comfortable, though mostly
built Of adobes. The "Bowery,' a
temporary place of worship, accom-
modated 5000 personsi and mint was
In operation. At the time of the death
or Brigham Young. in 1877, Salt Lake
Valley had been transformed from
desolate wilderness to richly Guilt
waited and fertile land, the home of
over 100000 souls
In 1884 member of the British par
lament wrote:
Salt Lake City is the finest town OF
its size in the Western states. Instead
OF the bare comfortless appearance OF
many new American towns. n large
part of Salt Lake is cmbowered in
gardens and orchards
The Latter-day Saints not only re-
claimed land and beautihed their
homes, but built, by the wise counsel
of President Young, 400 miles of the
Union Pacific. and 600 miles OF the first
transcontinental telegraph line. They
constructed over 500 miles OF local rail-
roads and 1900 miles OF telegraph lines
without any subsidy whatever. Minis
and factories sprang up everywhere.
The entire history OF the Latter-day
Saints is standing refutation Of the
false charge upon which the worthy
rivals of Munchausen are asking their
friends for bond votes,
The fact is that Utah, during the
wise management OF the early settlers
grew much more rapidly than ii has
done in later years. though at first
everything was against II. If the
progress had continued on the same
scale as during the first 10 or 20 years,
this City would now have had 100000
inhabitants, probably, instead of $4,000.
The strife for which a particularly
contemplate class Of antl-"Mormons'
is responsible, has retarded progress,
though il has not been able to stop IL
entirely,
That class is sim holding back the de-
velopment OF the city II depends on
falsehoods and the stupidity and in
difference of voters for It's influence.
II is useless TO ontrust public money
to the control Of the bigoted Intensely
selfish and INSCRIPTIONS leaders of the
warfare upon the best interests of this
city why should the citizens fur
nlsh the liars who rule the Council
though not members OF it, with funds
TO continue their nefarous work. \ vote
for bonds at this time is vote
against progress, and that is the only
reason why really progressive citizens
oppose the scheme.