The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-24
Ousted From Office Because He
Had Temerity to Read
The Tribune.
THIS THE UNPARD0NABLE
SIN OF THE CHURCH
Some Inside Facts Regarding
the Ousting of Bishop Enniss
of Draper Ward.

little town down in the lower part OF
Salt Lake county. AS the report comes
to The Tribune. that meeting set some
things afoot that have not only dis
turbed the good people of Draper, but
have begun to take such shape as to
startle the presiding "prophets in the
Mormon church For several years past
there has been an effort upon the part
Cf one particular member of the Jor
dan stake presidency. namely, Second
Counselor j. w w. Fitzgerald, to oust
from office Willard B. Enniss, for many
years the good bishop of Draper ward.
There appear TO have been many rea
sons for Fitzgerald s antagonism to-
ward Bishop Enniss, some Of which were
personal and others OF which seemed
to have been Hlnspired.
Democrat-and Independent!
During his incumbuncv of the Office
cf counselor to the Jordan stake pres
idcnt, Elder Fitzgerald has been an
active politician, particularly in behalf
of Commissioner Mackay of this coun
ty. Bishop Enniss is and has been not
only Demoncrat, but an insistently
independent man; both of which atti
tudes snlted neither Fitzgerald nor
those who are Gin authority over
him - While Counselor Fitzgerald has
gone about the Jordan stake privately
nropc.Ilng Mormon voters in the direc-
tion desired by his church chiefs, and
consequently e.3oused by himself, |
Bishop Enniss has determinedly
blocked the Fitzgerald game as soon
and whenever it showed np in the Ora |
per ward: Whenever Fitzgerald said. |
- II ~ the desire of the first presi !
tcncy. the bishop said he didn I care
If 10 was Again. ii is reliably stated, |
the good bishop frowned upon and de
nonnced in unkind terms some bust
ness transactions which he declared TO
have been decidedly of questionable
character, and III which be declared the
counselor to tbe stake president played |
not nnimpcrtant part.
And so 1t came about that Fitzgerald |
determined TO oust the indepepdent En-.
Mss and TO rcplace him with one of due.
llle character and docilc disposition. In
this he appears to have been supported |
ny the church presidency, as the out
come will show
Tried to Steal March.
~ the ward conference held at Drapor
two weeks ago last Sunday the stake
presidency, prNiJy advised Bshop En-
mss that II was desired to make n
change in the bishoprc of the ward.
THIS announcement. however. was not
made to the bishop until the meeting
~ "hlch action WAS taken was we'll
II progress; aud he had previously re
rciyed 90 official notice whatever of
such Intention
And vet there were difficulties be
fore the stake presidency, for whom
Elder fitzgerald appeared as spokes-
man He stated TO the people assem-
bled that it had been "deemed wise"
nv 'fhe brethren TO make change
IN The Draper bishopric, removing
W l-r,l
tuting Elder Soren Rasmussen There
were buz7ings in the congregation; but
Elder Fitzgerald. in masterful fashion.
Prorecded with the matter in. hand
All who Irc in favor Of sustaining
your new bishop will please signify It
bv raistng the right hand.n ordered
the bossful Fitzgerald, Fifteen hands
vent llazily up, by actual count. econ,
trarv by the same sign requested the
second counselor 4 hand of each mem
hcr' of the remainder of the conpreea-
tlon--about three hundred and fifty in
all. as ated-shot into the air with
snch pTomptitlIde as 10 dumbfound "the
trethTepD af the stake presidency who
had como into the Draper ward to run
things 70 suit themselves.
Insulted Pioneer.
Then Elder Joshua Terry. oood old
pioneer OF Draper. arose to his feet and
wanted 70 Know whv the proposed
change. He declared for himself thai
,nishop Enniss was good enough for
hlm- aud that the vote of the people
there showed that he was also GOOD
enough for the entire ward. He con.
tended that the showing was that ORA.
per wanted Mr.. Enniss, who was the
reople s choice. for bishop. and not Mr.
Rasmussen, who was the Fitzgerald Sc.
lection.
Mr.. Terry, the pioneer of the LITTLE
town. was practically told that he was
getting old and childish and that he
had better sit down; and the upshot of
1t was that the overwhelming vote of
the people in Draper ward. in favor of
Bishop Enniss. was entirely ignored. and
that the despicable minority vote in
favor of Rasmussen. tho Fitzcerald
favorite, was made to override t5e on.
tire situation.
Gontiles and Apostates Tabooed.
Ii should be stated here that another
cause has been given by Fitzgerald as
sufficient reason for the dismissal of
the good Bishop Enniss: and that was
that Mr.. Enniss had had the temerity
TO associate in business wav with
Gentilrs and apostates. Probably his
srowning sin, AS that was stated
by Fitzgerald. was that of late months
several copies Of The Tribune had been
known to have gone into Draper; that
the bishop had not seen 20 it that no
more copies were allowed to come in ;.
and that he had not hailed before tho
bishop court the persons who had
received the issues Of The Tribune com.
planned about.
Like Boomerang.
Since two weeks ago last Sunday the
officers of some of the various aux.
iliary organizations in the Draper ward
have been sending in their resigna
lions. Choir leader, organist and sing
ers are said To be disaffected-and all
because of the injustice that has been
done TO n worthy man by one whom
ecclesiastical iyrants. The situation
has become such that some apostles
will be sent down there on Sunday.
January !, to straighteu matters up.
Rpcaugp ri iahnr, 1r.o.. :. H.. |