Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-31

Barry. II tthe article) would be Pc
culiar II IL were not In some respects
so common. In an Introductory note bS
the editor we are treated TO the graft
flying concession that the Mormon
empire is one OF the vital elements OF
this republic" being Immediately as
sured that ut Is strange and In some
respects an abnormal growth" After
some more in the same line, the some
what startling information is put forth
that the Mormon political power is
steadily growing toward the avowed
aim Of the Church-temporal control of
this government" Tho writer Of the
article IL then introduced, with the
explanatory statement that he has
been in this Mormon country preparing
the material for the article, from which
we are to presume that he Is well
equipped with inside Information OBJ
tanned at first hand and concerning
whose authenticity there should there
fore he no question. II is my present
purpose to show. by exact quotation
from some OF the Parsons writer's
matter and comparing them with what
/ arc wei hllbNli HtifdDOhA W w AlhN
facts in the case, just how accurate,
| truthful and proper the article is. II
| begins with "A description" of Joseph
| =. Smith. in which many of the fiatu-
| lent Measurements In common use for
| a good while are incompatibly blended
| with some that are new and If even
/ partially true would amount to the rec
| Of to ,uI
| sivoness far beyond anything we meet
| In everyday life. For instance. after
stating that President Smith is several
times a millionaire, the paragraph
concludes with the statement that con
wall street and In Washington he is
alike a power, one of the guiding forces
of this republic today" Yet. two lines
further along. with no other disconnec-
ton than that afforded by a new para
graph, VIC are grayely informed that
he president SMITH Is not brilliant in
any sensel That he is not n business
man Of more than commonplace ability,
and that as politician almost any OF
our American ward bosses could stand
him or A faint ray Of light comes in
the next sentence which is to the effect
that he is not self-made. l should
rather think not. man whose po-
tentiality Is so pronounced that it can
bring 20 terms that plutocratic oil
garchy Of New York which makes and
unmakes financial conditions through
out the whole country II not the world,
and who Is so strong at governmental
headquarters that he is one OF the guild
ing forces OF the republic, could hardly
be self-made. IL would be almost, UNI
der such circumstances, violent sup
position to conclude that he IS even
self-controlled or sclf-directed. II
would certainly require the tnterposi-
ton and guidance OF some power vast
ly superior to anything we recognize
as of the human kind. to enable a man
of great attachments and extensive
cspa bilities TO accomplish the wonder
full feats spoken of; and what would II
take in the way of such power to en-
able one who Is not brilliant but is
commonplace" to do 1t? self-made
man. relying upon his own faculties
and the experiences of and precedents
set by his own kind, would cut an ex-
ceedlngly sorry figure If he set out TO
accomplish such marycls OF consumina-
tion as are airily yet seriously passed
along TO the credit of Joseph F. smith
BY one who, blinded by his own faulty
laboriously seeks to beiittle the man
and make naught of his real achieve
ments upon the earth.
A great deal that follows Is OF such
character as shows II to he not infor-
nation Of the kind promised but a
repetition OF the stock arguments and
assertions with the stale ISLANDERS In |
use by the anti-Mormon propaganda |
for a long time past. And even In |
the use of this musty mass of verbiage
the Parsons writer bungles badly. |
1t would be worse than a waste OF |
time and spare TO follow him through |
those meanderings. especially when, |
a l. trNan udla F.sr tNE
OF nevness; and here Is |
gem Of purest ray serene" that Is
quite new:
brigham Young, however, carried |
on his vengeance strenuously. His |
'avenging angels swept out over the |
region, where he held |
his reign. and oblitcrated all who were
not OF the faith"
Ever hear, or read of that before, |
any of you? l wot not. II It had been
given out In less serious vein, less with /
an evident purpose Of impressing the
reader with the belief that he is going |
over accomplished facts, and had taxi
en- on somewhat the outward charac-
teristics OF the Baron Munchausen
stories, or Robinson Crusoe, for in
stance, Il might be got along with;
but the most credulous In our midst
are ant to draw the line at palpable |
put forth with serious
brand on them. That excerpt VIII not |
be denied, for the reason that to deny |
Il would be to dignity It, and dignity
IN such association would be as much
out OF place as a pig In a parlor.
The advent II Col. Conner and his
command Is made a great deal OF by |
he writer in question. IL is somewhat
/. pity that the departed commanders
name and station should be used 10
bolster up a mass OF silly and alto
rether Intellectual falsehood, for really |
not one OF the statements made In
,uch connection has more than a SEM
,lance of truth as its foundation. Here
$ a specimen brick:
The following day Connor marched
lis men up the street I'm front OF the |
Bee Hive, and paraded there for sew
raj hours Young fed to Antelope |
STAND. in Great salt Lake, accom-
,anied by his Danites, and did not |
make a move-in opposition"
There are few trining Inaccuracies
n this statement. In the first place, |
,onnor did not march his men up the
treet In front Of the Bee Hive nor
anywhere near II. consequently he
ould not have paraded there for sew
raj hours, or one hour, or at all. Sec
ndiy, Young never ned to Antelope
sland, or elsewhere. at the time spok- |
n of. and as 81 result his "Danites"
whatever they may have bccn) could | {
ot have accompanied him there, II
e was outside Of his premises at all |
I the time spoken OF, he got back | {