The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-11
Slums, Buns, and Priestly Graft

cheaper TO transport paupers than 10
feed and care for them. For some time
Cheyenne. being near nj hand and Just
over The Colorado line. was the faNorite
dumping ground for Denyer's paupers.
SO long as Cheyenne returned only six
out of every dozen of the citizens
loaned TO her, Denver smiled and was
happy. But when Cheyenne began to
return all of DenVer's donations plus
interest in the shape of all the beCgars,
crlpples, 'Iost nerves, dope hcnds.
@ moochers' and su,ns shipped to
Cheyenne from Omaha and Kansas City,
Denver began. TO cry aloud against the
evils of transporting paupers.
The transportation of panperS and
slums is developing into quite an in
dustry among the cities of the middle
west, Chicago and ST. Louis unload
their undcsrablcs on the smaller cities
near by, and these smaller cities pass
them on TO other cities and towns. 4
caste of professional migratory pauperS
has been formed. The nauper popn
abon IS increasing al rate vastly in
excess Of tina, of the self supporting
population. Poor taxes are becoming
heavier and heavier each year. Rail
roads, mines and factories annually de-
strov and MAIN thousands and thou
sands Of husbands and fathers and
throw the helpless families on the pub
lie to support.
Utah is not free from poverty and
paupcrismi and the ills to be suffered
from this source will be more intense
there than elsewhere. These are the
reasons; Firstly, the system of priest
hood graft That has been in vogue in
Utah for the two generations past has
impoverished the mass Of the Mormon
people. All the means and wealth Of
the Mormon people are held IN few
selfish hands. The mass OF the Mormon
people are poor. The masses of The
Mormon people, poor as thev are now !
are doubly and trebly taxed by tithing
and enforced donations. This manifold
taxation consumes their surplus and
prevents the accumulation of capita
among them. Added to this general
priesthood graft is the private priest /
mood graft, which organizes companies,
irrigation schemes and other circum-
ventions 10 separate the simple from
their savings, and then uses prieSty |
counsel to sell the stocks to the saints. |
The poor. patient. vainlr toiling masses |
of the Mormon people have been taxed. /
rthed, grated upon ard 'fcounscled
into pIcstlv money traps until the dav |
of general impoverishme is not far |
distant. Worst Of all. this system de
stroys individual initiative, lowers the |
standard of living, the standard of edu-
cation and intelligence, and the gen
cral economic efficiency of the Mormon !
people, and thus untts them for the !
intense strife for livelihood now be !
ginning. Much pauperism will he en- !
tailed by this system.
Another prevalent practice Of the |
Mormon church is to persuade old and |
decrepIt men aud women 10 convey all
their property 10 the priesthood. Rob. !
berry of The weak and aged has long !
been a practice OF the Mormon church !
This practice robs children of their in
heritauces and deprives dependents of !
homes and support Many paupers arc
thrown on the public in this manner.
Polygsmv leaves MANY paupers, de !
generates and weak minded in its wake. |
II is notorious fact that polygamous !
fathers in Utah give about az much |
support and attention 10 their wives |.
and offspring as the polygamous rooster !
does To the chicks.
Takcn all IN all. the system estab.
lshcd and maintained by the Mormon
priesthood is a pauper factory working
over time. Now the day has arrived |
when life calls for efficiency. strenu.
ositv and intelligence. From this time !
onward the evils of tho system will |
daily become more apparent Young
Mormons see the evils nov. The system |
must break down. Very truly yours.
NEPHl Il. WILLIAMS.
Denver, May $. 1910.