The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-31

Iiucal methods.
The "Church Farm
In Cache county. in this state there is
| q large tract Of land. many thousand
acres III extent, popularly known as the
| Church farm Title 10 this land was
acquired by this corrupt priesthood in
| fraud Of the laws OF this republic. You
all know that there are statutes of the
United States under which q citizen may
pre-empt $50 acres of public lands, under
| what is called the homestead law. The
statute requires that the pre-emptor shall
make settlement upon the land, and do
something In the way of Improvement
and cultivation; and then, after residing
on the land for the prescribed time. the
settler shall make an affidavit OF i'm
provement and settlement, and then he
tain patent from the United States.
Now, this counterfeit Christian priest
hood has obtained title 10 these lands in
this mapner:
MANY years ago it detailed certain Of
the brethren 10 make certain portable or
movable houses. and caused them 10 be
placed in tho center Of section OF m
occupied public land so that each of the
within the corner area Of the Tour quar-
ters OF the section OF $40 acres. These
four brethren would then remain over
night in this portable building thus
placed. one Of them in each corner
thereof.
In addition TO this they would plow
SolHS llIIONS aIouuu inc mousse dnQ SOW
some hsndtuls OF grain. They each were
then prepared to, and did, make the
affidavils that they had put house upon
the land and had planted grain therein.
as contemplated and required by the
homestead law. After that they assigned
the pretended rights thus acquired to
agents OF the church in Salt Lake City
and received as the fruits OF their fraud
tithing house scrip for four bushels OF
wheat, and on this assignment, supported
by lnese frauds and perjurers, patents
Tor these lands were obtained from the
United states and the legal title thus
passed 10 the church, where it now is.
II so happened that some OF the land
thus frauduently acquired was within
the grant OF land by congress TO the
Central Pacific Railroad company, and
the railroad company, having received in
formation OF the fraud, employed me TO
obtain the affidavits of several of the
parties who took part I'm these fraudulent
transac tions. as the foundation Of bill
In equity To set aside the patents on the
ground Of fraud. The case OF the rail-
road company was so plain and certain
that the priesthood settled with the com
pany In so far as Its rights had been in
vaded by these frauds and perjuries,
But no restitution has ever been made
10 the government for these fraudulent
and criminal violations of a beneiccnt
statute. l say criminal. because Il was
criminal, and You will all remember that
during the administration Of President
Roosevelt many persons Were sent 20
prison for like offcnses against the
statute. 1t is in vain that the present
members OK the priesthood may tell us
that IL was their wicked predecessors in
office who may have participated in these
frauds for the simple reason that they
are now in possession of the stolen goods,
with knowledge, or the means Of knowl-
edge, that they are stolen.
Thus you sec that this priesthood IL In
secular business, and in fraudulent busI-
ness more than i'm religion. That religion
is but a cloak for fraud and that 10 the
vices Of the wicked they add tl, vice nf
Hypocrisy.
Ny friends, it is written in tho economy
or nature. rs well as IN the Bible. THAT
he who saith unto the wicked, Thou art
righteous him shall tho people curse
nations shall abhor him.
OF what avail are all their prolesta-
tops OF righteousness and their swngGcr-
ing pharisasm III the light of such dis |
closures? They have robbed Il bcueficent
goyernmcnt of That which Its inuniiiccnc22
had intended for homes for homeless and
industrious people. and devoted il. not
10 any charitable uses, hut for the bene- |
iii OF themselves, because according 90
the benefit Of the priesthood only. for ii !
is said. And after that those who have |
thus been t!thcd. shall pay ono tenth Of
all their interest annually; and this shall
be a standing law unto them forever, |
for my holy priesthood. saith llIo Lord"
IN the case under notice this priesthood |
has stolen land from the government for !
the benefit of my holy priesthood - | |
respectfully submit that criminal hypoc |
TlSy can 20 no further, IL this be the |
WAY OF the Lord. | must decline 10 fol- |
low H. but J Wish to bc counted with !
those who sit In the seat OF the scorn-
fuI and who walk in the counscls OF the |
ungodly. and whose delight Is not In the |
way nf the Lord. For they may bca
their moral drums. and blow their holy |
horns from now till dopmaday, but they
cannot thereby obscure ruc record OF their |
open and apparent shame.
II tho attorney general OF the United |
states should now collect this evidence
and file IA bill IN equity to cancel the Pat |
cnts TO those lands rn the ground OF
fraud. there would not bo perhaps quite |
so much peace IN the tabernacle as there |
was on the occasion uT tn. delivery OF |
President Tafts celebrated sermon.
The Brutality to Thatcher
II this priesthood is thus corrupt i'm |
business, YOU may be sure that in so Tar |
as II has the power II VIII be u corrupt. |
lnE force in our social and political lifc |
Its history and record since tho adrIs- |
sion of Utah into the Union, justines the |
statement that IL is as corrupt In politics |
as In business. on the admission OF Utah |
10 tho union they made the promise 10
the world that they would surrender the |
political power which they had heretofore
exercised in Utah. and would thereafter |
refrain from interference in the political |
concerns of the people. and vet we find
them clcvating,. or at least permitting. the
elevation OF one of their apostolic ono
rum 10 tho United States senate as 4