The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-24
LIQUOR AND SANITY GRAFT.

In the midst of lot of other cdi-
torial trash printed in the Deseret News
on Monday evening, we find that it
says; "But, did any one ever notice that
sheet THE Tribunel uttering word of
warning against squandering money IN
saloons, gambling hells, or dens of in
fanny? Neyer.n
Ever since The Tribune was estab-
lished it has opposed the damnable
conditions which 1t found to exist IN
this city under the rule of the Mormon
chief priests, Of every character, IN
cluding those named. There was day
in this municipality when there was no
man in city Office who was not also
either counselor to the president Of
the Mormon church, or an apostle, or
a high priest. or an elder. Under the
rule Of these men the city distilled
liquor; it sold the vile stuff at the
Getty Liquor Store whose portals
were embellished with the symbol of
the "All-Sceing Eye" and the motto,
"Holiness to the Lord, - both of which
are the exclusive property of the Nor
mon hierarchs. Saloons were privileged
TO remain open at almost all hours,
Sunday as other days, and it was per
mitted by ordinance that the dispensers
of 'sValey Tam could sell TO any per
son, male or female, over the age Of
fourteen years Under the rule of these
supposed priests system of ''moon-
shining existed in the Territory, con
| trolled mostly by men of their own
stripe. the product of which was served
10 the Mormon people, and all others,
under the benediction of the higher of
the high priesthood. The whole liquor
business was conducted upon an Illicit
basis, 1t became necessary for the
United States internal Revenue col
lector to sue the Mormon priests for
the revenue tax of which they had
robbed the Government.
Such conditions do not exist today
because The Tribune opened a deter
mined fight upon them. And The Trib
une has won that fight,
But let us see what the "prophets
themselves have TO say against the
liquor traffic. In sermon preached by
President Joseph +. Smith in the Sal
Lake tabernacle on April Is, 1898, (not
long ago, you see) the following occurs
Some OF our pretendedly ,pious people
a few years ago, were shocked and hor
rincd by seeing the symbol of the All
Seeing Eye and the words Holiness 4
the Lord in gilt letters over the from
OF Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institu
tion. Especially was this the case witt
, some OF our brethren when they founC
these letters over the drug department o
T. c. NJ /. Why was II? Why. some o
these pious &? Mormons found that 4
c. NJ. l.. under the symbol OF the All
Seeing Eye and the sacred words. "Holi
ness TO the Lord sold tea and coffee
and tobacco. and other things posslb
> that Latter-day Saints ought not 10 use
3 and at the drug store, n. {. NJ. ]. KEEP
liquors of various kinds for medical pur
poses. II was terribly shocking TO som
OF the Latter day Saints that under thes
8 holy words liquors should be kept 70
sale.
Then Joseph F. went on to assure tn
= saints that this business hurt no on
: at all Except the pious Mormon &
who in open day or under the cover o
night would go into the drug store an
Q buy liquor 10 drink Mr.. Smith ais
:. gave reason for this liquor sellin
@ BIZ the Il. c. NJ. l., under the embleI
). and "holy words" described an
Q quoted by him. He called further a
tention 10 the bibulous saint and sal,
''If he could not get it there, he woul
e not patronize 4. c. NJ. /. at all, br
i. would 90 somewhere else 10 deal.
/ Purely a matter of business with I'll
d propbets,' you see.
5, 1t would seem to all sensible pcrsoI