The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-12
THE DANTE BAND ADMITTED.

1T is gratifying TO note that some
newspapers, like some people, never be.
come too old to learn. In the Deseret
News editorial columns of last Wednes.
day evening we find the following:
The reference to the "Danites" reminds
us that n strange misunderstanding ex-
ISIS In the minds Of non Mormons regard
ing mat bund. They generally suppose IL
10 have been Mormon institution sane
TONED by the church. BY anti Mormon
writers II has even been represented as
a body guard TO the prophet Joseph
The truth is that IL was an abortive at
tempt at forming 4 secret organization
10 ught the church, as well as all law
and order.
Of course, the principal item to be
regarded with the utmost seriousness is
the fact that the Deseret News has
finally come to the point where it will
confess that there ever was such an
organization as the .aDanite Bald. -
For "nigh on to forty years" The
Tribune has attested that truth, and for
an equal number of years the Descret
News has denied it. Now to "tho law
and the testimony"
Another admission that there was
such an organization as the "Dauite
Band' is made by, the church organ
in such vivid brightness Of truth as TO
be dazzlingly surprising when it says:
''The organization known as 'Danites' ;
and Destroying Angels was the CON
ception of DR.. Sampson Award at
Far West, Mo. He was an un-
scrupulous fanatic who was expelled
from the church as soon as his vile
schemes became known to the
prophet" That isn't all, either. Here
is most astounding admission from
the News:
This is the famous DANTE" organiza-
ton. IL never was a church institution.
affidavit stating that the Latter-day
Saints "have a company consisting OF all
that are. considered true Mormons. called
Danttes., and Orson Hyde partly cor
roboratcd this falsehood,
Now, with respect to this thing. Just
as in the contention concerning new
polygamv, The Tribune promises to
give the Deseret News n fair chance
TO abandon its position. Meantime,
Gas in the new polygamy controversy
VIC Sndi plOCCSu W tcH u uluS anu
name names.
Elder Sampson Award was n DANTE,
as the News says. However, we must
dispute that he was communicated
from the Mormon church on that ac-
count The hand OF fellowship was
from him simply because, as
a DANTE, he made things little too
warm for Joseph Smith, DANTE.
Sidney Rigdon was DANTE. He
was one of Joseph's closest advisers.
He even went so far as to aspire to the
chief leadership after the death Of the
alleged prophet. He was only excom.
after Brigham Young, Dan
ite, had succeeded in gaining the upper
hand in tho DANTE gang.
Thomas b. Marsh was tho president
Of tho high council at Nauvoo, lie
was DANTE, and he was one of those
who made most strenuous objection to
Joseph Smith s coniugal ,looseness, 1t
was to Thomas B. Marsh that Joseph
Smith, Just the day before his death,
said that polygamy would yet prove to
be the destruction of tho Mormon
church II was Il confidence between
DANTE and DANTE, as we can show by
the testimony of David Whitmer, one
of the three witnesses TO tho Book of
Mormon.
Apostle David Patton was a Dante.
TIC was never excommunicatcd from
tho church for having been such-in
fact. they now revere his name as that
Of "martyr.o But he was killed
while engaging in one of the DANTE
raids in Missouri. He was an in
rendiary and a freebooter, as were all
Of the Danites, in addition to holding
the Melchiscdek priesthood.
Elder Dimmicle b. Huntington was a
DANTE. He remained faithful to the
end" DANTE though he was. And
many a scurvy trick he turned at tho
bchest Of tho chief Dante, Joseph
Smith,
Elder John Corrill was a DANTE He