The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-23
AS to "Jo Smith

IIarpcr's Weekly having referred to
'Jo Smith as "an atrocious takir,
two saints wrote in protest, as iolloWsi
Logan. Utah. September lG, 1909.
To the Edtor of Eiarper's Weekly:
Slr-As a young Mormon Of today: VITO M',
regularly reads your Weekly grrt2,nig
recent editorial on 10 smith
think you should not so NlS3rouS,I, e,l,
attack man as 'aWocious lalar anu r,,.
thousands of youl' couutrymcn regard as
a very remarkable, good. and excellent
man.
The influence that Joseph Smith has
cScricd upon all Mormons Of my ac-
qudintanCc has IN no way tnnl nav
been able 10 perceive worked for thelf
We invite you to visit salt Lake CITY
ana other Of our Mormon c@mmnnlllrs.
am sure YOU win hnd us n,o ploSpcf@mH. n,II
happy people with our Schools oui
churches. our farms, and our places %
business
And / venture to say that never =
week passes in any Mormon househoIn
where the name OF Joseph Snlth - H"'
mentioned with reverence.
We beg Of you in tho future 10 io'-
bear speaking MY of him ! am; ar;
Chicago. NJ. September y. 1909.
7" the Editor of lIarpcr'S Wc'hiE ,,,.
Shin your Issue uf September Iilh
notice an article entitled ~ Mou"-
m-ut so Ju Smith" which docs not s"eih
10 have undergone the usual censorship
that cnaract"rizcs your weekly output
In the first place. the matter lI'et'n
Is rather bcldtcd. as the dedication WnltI
nearly four years ago--I think December
%. 1905. tIe uc-huBdTcdtn anniversary
OF Mr. Smiths birth.
Secondly. thc article savors 'lroneif
Of rancor that one hardly expects IN
Harpcrs Weekly Il Is somewhat mac
curate and quite misleading. whatever
else may he said OF Mormon polygamy
1t was never an attractive" but rather
a -"rcpellant tenet 10 most OF the as
riples. as * evidenced by the com
para live few Mormous that were induced
10 practice it. despite the rlGor ana
fcrvUr with which 10 was preached IN
Utah prior to 1850. Moreover Mr.. smut
has not generally been given credit ior
having taught poyEamE. that honor nav
ing been reserved for his successor. BrlS'
ham Young
Again. however mistaken Mr.. smith
may have been i'm his Views. that hc Was
lzntion." and one that did tho country
great mischief are open TO question.
and | think but few OF your readers are
Of that pcssimistlc type uf mind which
acCords him the power OF having done
the country any great or permanent m
Jury.
If the Mormous would have wiltcd nat
uralIy under the touch or Christian civil
izatiun and the laws OF the United Stai'S'
why not now permit them to DO so dulGt-
Mormons and impose upon tho public
with hot shot like the article men
toned / am. sir.
ALBERT NJ. MERRILL.
TO which that paper makes the fol.
lowing editorial reply:
10 SMITH
Not long since there were reports IN
tho papers that there were 80 be cerc-
monies at sharon. Vermont in honor %
Joseph Smith. who was born there and
became the founder Of the Mormon
would make an address. and that sundry
officials OF Vermont had been Invited To
attend. Commentators I'm tine newspapers
held that il was incNpcdi"ut that there
should he any participation by Vermont
officials iD these exercises Sharing that
opinion. we supported IL. and spoke Ol
the Lattcr-day saint as "au atrocious
ialiir' and AN enemy OF civilization
Two letters are printed IN another col
umn the writer's OF which Chide us.
respectful To a rcvcrcd founder OF Nor
muniSm.
There must inevitably be discrepancy
OF sentiment between MOrmons and Cen
tiles about the prophet Joseph and his
lBcaChngS. Perhaps Smith was NOT SO
much an "atrocious" fakiy as a dcluded
one" That he was a fskr no Mormon
win he CouN iuCcd. we fear. by our assert
ing It, and no one who is not Nor
mon needs To be convinced OF IT, So VIC
shall not press that now.
No wise person wants wantony Ia fluut
the MOrmpnS. So far as their religion
goes they have been taken I'm, and In
that particular most OF them are proper
objects OF pity. Mr.. TAFT spoke ~ their
tcmplc the other day as Mr. Roosevelt
did before him, lie was criticized for
doing 50. but not we think with jus
tlcc. They are American citizens and