The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-13
b. E. GRANTS POSITION.

TO a communication which VIC have re-
ccivcd from Mr.. b. f. Grant. As al
ways, this paper is determined TO treat
all with fairness and. in so far as 1T
is able, TO give them full public hear
ing The letter is under the caption,
"'B. +. Grant Replies -
Mr. Grant first denies one assertion
made by this paper, saying: "As
matter of fact | never did run either
II saloon or Il store in Frisco Per
haps The Tribune WAS mistaken as to
The name of the town Perhaps 1t WAS
Milford. If that he true, then MT.
Grant Is denial not only loses all force,
but it speaks i'll for any intention upon
his part to honestly meet the issue,
The burden Of the communication,
however. goes into what MI Grant
seems 10 think is an effort on the part
OF this paper to obscure local issues
under criticism of his personal CON
duct. That is not true. as the files OF
this paper will show, We do not know
that Elder Grant has been following
this papers course in the matter to
which he paid part attention in h's adj
dress on the evening of Monday, De.
ccmber 9th, namely, the "stockadc-
If he has, though, he viii know that
The Tribune constantly and consistent
ly opposed the establishment of that
institutions; that since the fear has
been expressed by some that it might
be rcopened We have urged the sheriff
to keep in suppression that which MI
Grant boasts he did suppress. We have
argued that the agency which IS sup
posed TO have closed the 'stockade
should have the ability and the wiling
ness 10 keep it closed. As to other
conditions affecting the morality OF
Salt Lake City, Mr.. Graut has merely
to 90 over thc files of our paper, which
we shall be glad TO submit TO his
scrutiny upon application, to know that
our stand has been consistent and
against the things OF which he com
plains. lie admits that we assisted ma
tcriaIly in the slot machine crusade,
although we did not consider him a
factor in that at all; and If he VIII
take the trouble to make examination
he viii find that in other respects our
course has been in consonance with our
attitude in that particular
There is one paragraph in Mr. Grant s
letter that is altogether deserving Of
reproduction here. 1t is broad, en-
phatic, and If carried out in practice
it would have the effect Of getting at
immortality Of all phases. Here is the
paragraph:
For my part I believe these needed re
forms are possible They cannot he
brought about by ignoring the evils with
which We are surrounded. The remedy
lies in publicity. There is little hope Tor
the patient who denies his symptoms. The
hardest ills TO treat arc secret Ills. Let
us proclaim our strength by admitting our
errors and setting out TO give them sane
and heroic treatment
Will Mr. Grant agree 10 accept his
own advice in the broadcst sense, and
to put it into practice upon that line
All the way through his letter he IN
fcrs that Salt Lake City is one Of the
most immoral municipalities In all the
land. That is not true, as statistics Will
show-except in one respect, Not any
where else in this country is 1t possible
for scores Of men TO defy the law OF
God and the statute of the State, as
is done here by those who engage in
poIygamous marriages and thus fill the
community with illegitimate offspring
As he SAYS, "the hardest Ills TO treat
are secret Ills This new polygamous
practice is begun and usually conducted
in the utmost OF secrecy; the church
Of which Mr.. Grant is u distinguished
member aids the culprits in hiding their
misdecdS; it is impossible TO obtain a
conviction because of this. The church
denounces the remedy of publicity as
applied 10 this evil by The Tribune.
Mr., Grant declares that there is hit
tic hope for the patient who denies
his symptoms The Mormon church,
It's speakers and its publicists deny this
new polygamy at every opportunity.
Docs Mr. Grant mean TO say, then,
that there is little hope for curing
the church of this evil; and that in
spirit of hopelcssncss on this score
it is our duty to apply our corrective
measures to only those immoralities
which may be more readily detected
and punished "Lct us proclaim our
strength by admitting our errors and
setting out to give them sane and
heroic treatment says Mr.. Grant. By
scarcely any other expression could he
have read the Mormon church more
telling moral lesson. Not i'll all the
years has that organization exhibited
the strength which Mr.. Grant SO much
desires; for it has skunk away from
dealing in righteousness with the new
polygamous evil which, though secrcted
TO great extent, he and we and all
other people know to exist right here
in Salt Lake City.
The Tribune has not the least fault
to find with Mr.. Grant on account of
his activity in any legitimate reform
movement: but We do think that he
should be consistent and comprehensive
when he takes up tho matter Of kin