Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-26
MUcK-RAK1NG GONE MAD.

a gentleman OF Boston has decided
to see notoricty by digging In the
graveyard of tho past And so ne
comes before the public with the in
formation that Benjamin Franklin was
postoffice thief. Patrick Henry loaf
er and a blatherskite, Samuel Adams
and John Hancock defaulters and even
George Washington u more or less
suspicious character.
Commenting on this Infamous at
tempt at llbelIng the dead, the Wash
ington Herald says;
THE average man will hardly care to
peruso tho so-called evidence In support
of these indictments, we imagine. be-
cause. even II the counts. together and
seycrally, ring truE-which, likely
enough. they do not-he is only mildly
interested at best. He will be disposed
to admit that these pioneer patriots
had their faults. They were men, not
demigods. Being men who accomplish
cd things-great things-they made
enemiesi perhaps many OF them. Such
has ever been the fate OF those who
would move forward and progress to
better things and nobler ideals. In all
probability, there were circumstances
here and there in the life of every one
of these old-tlmers that might have
been-and were, doubtless-twisted
around to angles of sinister slgni-
flcance. There may be fragmentary
records of some kind and another
that. standing for themselves and
occasional shortcomings. So much by
way OF an effort to believe that this
Mr.. Stark is neither a faker nor
fool! AS for Franklin, Adams. Han
cock ct al, however, we shall continue
to accept them as good men and true,
just as history has so long Set 1t down.
regardless of muok-rakers In general
and this Stark In particular. We know,
from authentic and undisputed testi-
mony, OF the wonderful things they ac-
complished for the cause OF liberty and
freedom, Whatever there was in them
that was evil-if much or little-We
prefer to forget"
We quote this for the special con-
continuous, performance of mud=slingers
that Is offered here In Utah as an evil
dence of American patriotism. There
never WAS greater outrage perpetrat-
ed in this country than this savage,
brutal character assassination that has
no TekdTu IOT e1lUtT uGda Vi living VI
the Mormon" faith,
: 1t is not difficult for those who are
so<disposed 10 find some plausible ex-
cuse for mud-slinging. The best men
that ever lived had their faults. Moses
had blood on his hands: David failed.
Peter denied the Master, and
our Lord himself though without
sin, was classed as malefaotor.
There is not prominent man In his
tory against whom something cannot
be said by those who are disposed
to let their tongues wag to promote the
interests of hell. For no man is per-
feet. But as long as their service to
mankind is greater than their personal
and faults. they are en-
titled to be judged by that service and
able shortcomings.
And such, we claim, were the mon
and women who founded the American
Republic, They were not angels, but
the children of mon. Such were the
founders OF the Church, and the Pio-
Hc6TS OF Oldn. Iney were not angels
They were not even perfect In every
thing. They wero men and women,
with human impcrfcctions to over
come. But they were noble men and
women, inspired by noble motives, and
they were chosen instruments in the
hands Of God. to do the work they did.
They are entitled to the honor and
respect of succeeding generations.
They arc entitled to a place OF honor
in history. by the side of the diseov-
ercrs and explorers of America. tho
Pilgrims and others. and they will be
given that place. too, by impartial
OF important events.
The undertaking that reyels among
the graves. in order to injure the lfv-
ing descendants OF the noble dead. is
vicious. That is the kind
with which Utah is cursed, with the
apparent approval OF men and women
who dare to pose as Christians and
Americans.