The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-05
CHURCH ORGAN s DopG1NG.

CHURCH ORGAN 8 DODGING.
The Deseret News continues its ar.
rogant assumption that it alone is en-
titled 10 ask questions and that il is
its privilege TO limit the direction and
purport of the questioning.
Something over a week ago the News
fired number Of questions at The
Tribune, which it evidently supposed
would be either reluctantly answered or
that The Tribune would be unable 10
candidly, the next morning, and in re-
turn, proposed certain questions for the
News to answer. That organ, however,
says that those questions were irrclc.
want Irrelevant 10 what? They are
irrelevant to the line of inquiry Of the
News; but so is ne News's line of in.
quiry irrelevant to our questions. The
truth is that, no questions or discussion,
bearing upon live issues in Utah, are
irrelevant for consideration, and neither
is the News the sole Judge of what ques-
tions should he asked or what subject
discussed, or what is irrelevant or what
is not
The News has simply got itself into
a hole. il thought it could put some
"stumpers' to The Tribune. But its
"stumpers' were not stumpcrs. But
our return questions appeared to be
stumpers to the News. since IL evades.
lodges, and finally flatly refuses TO
answer
The News says that it does not see
what our questions with regard to the
graft perpetrated by the County Com.
missioners in the publication of dc
linquent tax list has to do with the ques-
ton as 10 whether so-called American
officeholders are responsible for the
stockade. Well, what of It! Suppose
one of these things does not have any
bearing upon the other. Both are live
questions. and both arc proper subjects
for popular discussion. II it Just AS
proper for Us to ask the News as 20
what il thinks about that graft, as it
is for the News 10 ask us questions in
regard TO the "stockade. - And still,
in a way. while it is claiming its right
TO decline to answer our questions. the
News makes n snarling, reluctant an
swer. saying that ''if the case the tax
list publication is as represented by
The Tribune. which, of course, is doubt.
full, - the transaction "is as censurabe
as the expenditure by the socalled
American council of thousands Of dol
lars Of the taxpayers money contrary
to the pledges made when the million
dollar loan was asked for''
With regard TO the first proposition
in the matter Just quoted. we desire TO
ask the News to point out any mis-
representation by The Tribune in the
matter of the delinquent tax list public
graft. The statement in The Tribune
is not doubtful. as the News very well
knows. 1t is quite we'll aware that our
statement Of this case tells the exact
facts; and yet, it stoops to the willful
falsehood of stating that our presenta-
tion Of the case is doubtful. Such ma.
ligpant treacberv TO truth as is repre-
sented on this point by the News, which
knows perfectly that our statement Of
the case is exactly right, is what dis
graces that paper in the public estima-
ton, and makes il loathed nuisance in
the intelligent discussion of any public
question,
The second point in the quotation is
that the American Council expended
thousands of dollars of the taxpayers
money contrary 10 the pledges made
when the miIlion-dollar loan was asked
for lnasmuch rs tine church admins
tra;ion with Mr.. Morris at the head,
was in power at the time the million
dollar loan was voted, and inasmuch as
it was that administration which re-
pndiated the pledges il had made. the
appalling stupidity or the appalling dis
honesty, whichever IT is, displayed by
the News on this point, is something 10
excite either pity or horror. The Amer.
lean party had nothing whatever TO do
with those pledges; but so far as the
Americans had anything 10 do with
them, it insisted, and conspicuouslv The
Tribune did so, that the pledges made
TO the taxpayers when asking them to
vote for the bonds should be faithfully
and honestly lived up TO. This was not
done First. the Morris administra.
ton. which pledged itself 10 retain the
water right at the discharge Of the con
duit into the Farley : reservoir, as a
;:reaf Iii "s:ct g.. a." thc r;ght 10