The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-28
FACTS, NOT RUMORS.


|
In one Of its editorial articles of The
issue of March Is the Deseret News
has the following explanation to make
concerning its derelictlon in the mat
the public:
But the News refuses to print as
| facts the scandalous stories OF The Trib-
une, for the simple and all-sufficient rea-
son that that, paper can not be believed
on any question relating to the church,
or church members.
AS to that, let us see. The News
designated as scandalous story
the recital of facts made by this pa
per concerning the new polygamous
cscapades of one Joseph Marion Tan
ner. The church organ intimated there
by that the story did not contain the
facts, but was u fabric of falsehood.
1t dismissed the matter altogether
with that statement. refraining from
giving to it's readers the absolute facts
as they were recrted by this paper.
Tanner was a member of the general
Sunday school board of the Mormon
| church. He has been removed from
that position, IS not even the polyga-
nous cult controlling the church could
muster the effrontery 10 retain as a
high exemplar TO Mormon children
one of his immoral status. Since the
publication made by The Tribune con-
cerning Tanners new polygamy the
condition in the church has developed
to admission of his guilt OF the offend
ing charged There is now no attempt
to deny it in any quarter. but on the
contrary there is general admission of
the truth as given by The Tribune.
Yet the News has suppressed the facts,
preferring to attempt to fool its read
ers by its silence. But ii has not done
so, and has merely brought upon itself
the contempt Of a large segment of
the Mormon people on acco'F.t of the
cowardice it thus exhibited, This is
but one instance; there are many 9th
ers in which similar tactics have been
pursued by the church organ.
In that same article. and speaking
concerning infractions of the law and
the pretended rule of the church 1--WE
say pretended because a rule is not
rule at all when it is merely used as
cloak to deceive), the News says:
The church, as far as we know has
| handled every case that has been brought
before the proper ecclesiastical courts In
the regular manner. and that Is all any
church can do.
This may be technically true, but
its very technical truth is evasive of
the crux of the question, Such cases
as have been thus handled have been
dealt with secretly and the results sup.
pressed, so far as official publicity is
concerned And, then. there have been
so few of these Investigations as com
pared with the large number of in
fractions. So far as The Tribune is
able to discover no action whatever
has been taken in any case except
measure of safety as against discon-
tent in the church itself or in avertine
the danger Of arousing injurious pub
lie sentiment. The Irregular manner
in which such complaints are brought
before the ecclesiastical courts is in
itself sufficient to defeat any purpose
at prosecution. Complaint must be
made by a member of the church
otherwise no notice will be taken of
it. The member is necessarily under
the control of the chiefs, and il the
latter do not desire to see a certain
individual handled for his offenses
they utilize their peculiar methods to
prevent a complaining member from
bringing the charge. And there is
always reluctance Of brother TO prose
cute brother, even If sufficient evil
dence be available to at least cause
an investigation Then there is al.
ways the almost insurmountable diff
Guilty of furnishing the proof. That
of course. may be drawn from the par.
ties themselves to the unlawful act
provided the power of the higher au.
thority be cxerted to that end. But
the higher authority is not disposed
TO so exert its influence. and therefore
there are no Investigations Of new
poly Famous offenders except where pol
icy impels the leaders to order that
some action be taken. These also are
some facts that the News does not
dare to print.