The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-21
"UNDER THE PROPHET IN UTAH"
IN

what I do believe 10 be one OF the most
, direful conspiracies OF treachcry IN the
history OF the United States.
Tribute to Mormon People.
Following this is tribute TO the
good qualities of the Mormon people
their heroic forttudc, their tender fra
tcrnity. their eentloness and their
staunchness. Mr.. Cannon recites the
fact that he was born and reared
among them. and that he is conse'
Quently bound to them by all the ties
of affection that naturally exist under
such conditions. IL is declared, how
ever, that "it is even through their
virtue aud by their very strength that
they are being betrayed by their
leaders. When they were poweress
they supplicated for Justice; but now
that the power is theirs. it is being
utilized by their leaders 10 cause
them TO in1ict injustice. These lead.
ers. covetous of wealth and influence
and political domination. have allied
themselves with great financial, com
mercial and political interests, turning
TO their own purposes The strength OF
religious prejudice in their followers
and the force of thcocratic tyranny as
exercised by themselves.
Example of Stubbornness.
Mr. Cannon tells how for years he.
Win olHtT SNUuHalHl%tlS Win Iuc
bounded Mormops, watched their stub
born retention of the polygamous prac-
tice. which they believed was divine
institution, and how they were in
consequence prescribed driven and
hunted. Their very fidelity brought
woe upon their heads, and tho future
seemed 10 hoIJ no hope When. a few
years later. a composition of the DIFF
iiculties WAS bad. and statehood had
4. Il. 4 Al
of the nntion and the voluntary eXer.
else of forgiveness and good faith on
the part of the Geutiles of Utah. he
pledged himself TO the work OF main
tanning the honor OF the Mormon pco.
ple and their integrity 10 the pledges
thai had been made TO gain their free
dom. Having that purpose in view.
The present story is written and given
to the world. II is at once an ex-
preston of personal gratitude, an OK
pospre of repudiating leaders and an
appeal for honest observance of sacred
covenant.
AS an Enemy's Country,
As illustrative of the ''undcr.
ground hiding that was resorted TO in
the eighties. story is told of a visit
Of Mr.. Cannon and his brother TO their
father, in the spring of lSSS, the elder
Cannon being sccrctcd at the house OF
a friend and sympathiZer living in
Bountiful. Guards picketed about the
place were encountered and success
fully passed only upon Identification
by them of the visitors. 1t was ms
if they were dodgiug military patrols
in an enemvs country or sentries
about All INVADERS camp. This Jour
new was undertaken at the request of
George .. Cannon, who had set for
his son 10 advise him concerning the
troublesome situation in Utah, and to
direct him as 10 the method of pur-
suing political mission 10 Washing
ton which it was desired that he uu-
dcrtakc. The condition at that partic-
ular moment is graphically described !;
Practically every Mormon man of
anv distinction was in prison, or had
into exile Nothing more terse could
be said to indicate the prevalence of
the practice that was the chief cause
OF controversy with the federal au-
thority.
How Women Suffered.
And there is n little incident cited
which, in modest word. but wonderful
color. goes TO show the part that The
suffering women bore in the tribula.
tions of that time: "a young plural
wife whom | kncw--a mere girl of
good breeding, of gentle life-seeking
refuge in the mountains TO save her
cohabitation,' had had her infant die
in her arms on the road: and she had
been compelled 10 bury the child,
wrapped in her shawl. under rock. III
grave that she scratched in the soil
with stick. In our dayi In j civi.
lized state!'
The story here is incomplete. in that
il does not name the man who was
thus shielded at this awful expense.
His name was, and is, Joseph Henry
Dean, former resident OF the old
Nineteenth ecclesiastical ward, whose
name appears in The Tribune S list of
new polygamists-tha is, of polyga-
nous offenders since the year 1890
and who has continued to ieopardize
the lives of women and babies since
that time. Sin our day! In a civ
ilized statel" However, the recital.
up to this point, indicates the deep
travail in which the Mormon people
found themselves on account of faith
to ''principle' that amounted al
most to n frenzy. and which could not
have existed except as fed and in
cited by men in whom they reposed
supreme confidence as vicegerents of
God Almighty himself.
Facing Total Confscation.
Added to these personal burdens of
affictioD was the fact that the prop
ertv of the church had been seized by
the United States marshal-everything
in excess of the value of $4,000
and the society was confronted with
possibility Of entire loss of its general
tithiDg fund Because of. the efforts
OF some of the church officials to cvade
process as to the property of the church
and because il was suspected that
there were other and uncovered at
tempts toward the same end. the Unit
cd States marshal had seized upon
every physical evidence of wealth that
could possibly be construed as belong
ing to the church. Describing the re
spective attitudes of the opposing
classes here, the story truthfully SAYS
that "Among the Mormons there was
an unconqucrable spirit of sanctified
lawlessnesg, and among the non Nor
mons an equally indomitabie dctermi-
nation to vindicate the law. Both
were. for the most part. sincere. Both