The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-01
Elder Ben Rich'S Admission
Into Masonic Fraternity
the Cause.
RANK AND FILE ASK
SOME POINTED QUESTIONS
Edict Issued to All Missionaries
to Get Into Secret
Organizations.


story / gave you two weeks ago. and
which Tho Tribune printed, showing
that Ben f. Rich, president of the east
ern mission of the church, with head
quarters in New York. had been ad,
mitted into the Masonic fraternity,
said a prominent resident of Salt Lake
la The Tribune Saturday. This gentle
man stands close to several OF the
church leaders and IN view that his
ear is kept close TO the ground, he
knows whereof he speaks. Continuing
= he said:
''The rank and file of the church are
asking somo pointed questions. IheY
want to know why they are under the
ban Of Keeping out of secret socictles
when elders like Rich and other mis-
sionaries in the east and south are
given tho privilege which IS denied
them. And this is question which
was difficult for these leaders TO an
swcT, prolific as they arc with excuses
10 meet most any emergency. No dc
nial has been made of the story which
YOU printed. None can be. Mono will
be, But something had TO be done,
What Teachers Say.
"Now, these ecclesiasts have let the
word go out through their teachers that
Elder Rich has been released: that he
no longer is to have control of the
eastern mission, and that his hasty de-
parture for the east Friday night was
due to this fact. / should remark that
Elder Rich's departure was very sud
den. He came TO Salt Lake from Kays,
vile Friday evening and had one of
his several families meet him at the
Short Line depot with a trunk and grlp
and he reached the station with only
few minutes TO spare between trains.
His hasty departure was for effect only,
Elder Rich goes east not released
from his mission. but promoted by hav:
ing the southern states mission added
to the eastern mission. Elder Calls
will remain ostensibly in charge of
the southern mission and subordinate
will hold down the headquarters in New
York Elder Rich will he the man AT
tho helm. Meanwhile this will give
Elder Rich opportunity to slide around
among the Masonic fraternity in Ten
nessee and work up sentiment In favor
Of himself.
Has Been Set Apart.
"He has been directed TO do every
thing possible to keep himself in the
order, and | understand that letters
have already been sent by HIM to proml-
ncnt Masons at Chattanooga declaring
that the church has gone back upon him
because he is Mason; that he has been
released from his mission and that he
is not a polygamist, All Of which, of
course, is absurd, for he was directed,
as have all other missionaries in the
cast and in the old world, to get into
secret organizations in order that they
might meet the best people and thus
be enabled to spread the propaganda
Of Mormonism; the church has likewise
not gone back upon him. as l have
stated: it never goes back upon a polyg
amist because he lives his religion, He
has three wives. one OF whom only re-
Gently returned from New York, where
Hence the elder IS declaration amounts
To nothing, The reason, therefore, why
Elder Rich went east so suddenly is
apparent.
Want Presidential Recognition.
E'While on the subject Of spreading
the propaganda of Mormonism, at the
last meeting of the quorum Of the
twelve the question of securing the ap.
pointment of Il chaplain in the army and
also one in the navy was discussed. The
failure of Brother John =. Meakin to
he ordained a minister so that he might
be appointed chaplain in the army was
u severe blow to the quorum. but II
disclosed to them the temper of the
people. Therefore they abandoned the
method Of working through some other
church and will push their own elders.
''The matter Of having chaplain in
The army and also In the navy the
quorum maintains would help the mis-
sionaries. who could then declare that
the president of the United States had
recognized the church from q religious
standpoint and would largely aid in
spreading the gospel Of Mormonism.
Smoot aud Sutherland were appealed to
and the apostle assented at once, but
Sutherland baked, declaring that coulf
they induce the president TO make the
appointment IT would initiate against
him, because it would have a tendency
to jeopardize the Legislative ticket IN
Salt Lake county this fall, the one
thing Sutherland must havo in order
to succeed himself as senator. His
pleading availed. and the quorum,
therefore. will not urge an appointment
until after the fall election. But then
an elder must be appointed.
Proselyting in Germany.
"Over in Germany Mormon mission.
aries are not wanted The kingdom of
Saxony has just expelled FIVE mission.
aries IS undesirable alients. The Nor
mons have carried on an active propa~
ganda in Europe, and especially in Ger
many, during the last ten years, and
they have induced a number of per
sons, mostly women, TO cmigate to the
OI IHelT CTtC0 ana TO ADOPT
their mode Of life, but proselyting for
the church continues just the same. The
missionaries are not known as Utahns-
they are In the academies and colleges.
and music schools and Conservatives
but their habItation is not given rs
Utah. They register from the New Eng
land states.
fThere is now in a musical conservn.
tory in Berlin man whose home is in
Ogden. He was missionary in Ger
many two years ago, and was expelled
from the empire. At that time he gave
German authorities his parole that he
would never return. How we'll it was
kept is shown by the fact that he is
now student Of music in Berlin,
gives his home as Vermont, and is
spending the Mormon propaganda as
u missionary.
''ln the beet sugar factories in Ger
many there are ten Utabus ostensibly
studying the methods in vogue there,
bat they are missionaries and they arc