Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-04
TheMormon Church and the Sugar Trust

Editor Deseret, News-In the Janu-
ary Issue Of Hannpton's Magazine ap-
pears an article prepared by a Mr.. Jud-
son G, Welliver on 1.-THE Mormon
Church and the Sugar Trust" which 1
think should not be allowed to pass
uncontradicted. 1t Is certainly a mat
ter of surprise that the author should
not have taken greater pains to learn
the actual facts when they were so
easily obtafnablc, and that q magazine
OF such standing as Hampton's, should
allow Itself to be used to disseminate
so many false and misleading state
mentS.
Mr. Welliver starts out with the as
sertion that there is partnership of
the Church and the Sugar Trust for
the domination OF the beet sugar busi-
ness OF the country. He calls this "tho
most remarkable partnership In the
United States" In truth It would be,
II 1t happened to exist, The plain,
blunt fact Is, that there Is no such part
nership-lt being self-evident absurd
ity-hence the really remarkable thing
is the idiocy OF the assertion.
Mr. Wclliver undertakes to tell all
about the acquisition OF the Mormon
sugar factories by tho trust; also oil
about the holdings of the Church IN
these "trust-controlled factories" The
most casual reader must be able to de-
tect Inconsistencies and contradictions
IN Mt. Welliver's own statements.
Everyone who understands anything
about the sugar manufacturing busi-
ness In the intermountain country. can
tell him q great many things which he
ought to have known, but evidently did
not. before he wrote his article. II he
had taken the pains to obtain and use
correct Information his contribution
might not have been so sensational, but
1t would have been moro reliable-and
he himself would have appeared in a
less ridiculous light.
Here. for instance. are a few facts
about the beet sugar business which he
could have depended on.
Tho Church played a very important
part in the establishment of the pioneer
factory In this part of the country, that
at Lehi. Throughout the entire West
there was hardly a single factory in cx-
istence at that time-certainly there
was none in the intermountain coun-
try The Church used some of its
means, Its credit. and It's influence to
get this factory built. and into opera
ton The authorities urged church
members to subscribe for stock. Lead
Ing men preached and promoted tho
project at every convenient opportunity
and some OF them financially embar-
| rassed themselves to see 1t started
Few of the financially strong men OF
| the community could be persuaded to
| invest Still the Church leaders per-
| severed, assuming greater and ever
| greater burdens In order to carry 1t to
completion.
For years the struggle went on, the
successful financiers looking on, ask
| ance. the sugar enthusiasts untlismayed
| by the difficulties which beset them.
After while success came. Encour-
aged by q small bonus granted by tho
| Deg1slature-an act which was almost
universally approved In view of the I'M
portance of the industry which 1t fos-
tered-the manufacture of sugar was
begun. Soon the bonus was withdrawn.
but the industry was established, and
sugar was made at a small profit AS
nothing succeeds like success, the sugar
people were now commended as wise
and far-siRhted business men. Now
everybody was ablo to see. what these
men had seen from the beginning, that
the industry meant much more than
proht to a few stockholders Perhaps
Mr.. Wcllivcr doesn't see II yet: but the
beet growers who have received thou
sands where they formerly gnrnered
hundreds from their lands, soon be-
came aware of ii. The farmers, the
merchants. the railroads, the West gem
erally-ail these. quickly perceived il
win SUCCESS and profit came fame al
soi and II WAS not long until the dictum
went abroad and WIS generally accent
ca. tnat the founding and prosperity OF
INC LEM factory was far and away the
greatest agency for the welfare and en-
rlchment of the community that had
YET oeen evolved. In spite OF Mr. We'll
nVcr ana his Sneers, that dlctum stands
yet, extended now. however. TO the nu-
' "'r"nS 'h"r factories since started ur