The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-10
great province containing 100000 4
square miles. I
NO PROGRESS MADE,

| fully up 20 tho standard in attendance,
but there was more than usual dis
satisfaction expressed by tho authori'
ties with the people. The inculcaton
10 be q peculiar people, Keeping them
/ selves aloof from the world, is an echo
! Of the old exclusvcness. The exhorta-
| tion TO be moro diligent in tithe.pay-
! ing. 10 be more obedient TO counsel, and
/ 10 submit with meekness TO tho IN
| quisitorial visits of the block teachers
aud ward counselors and bishops,
showed that there is creeping IN con
| dition of affairs not pleasing 10 the
Authorities it appears from this ex'
hortation that the people are becoming
more independent and arc considering
! their personal interests, as they ought
certainly 10 do.
! The church officials receive vast
amounts Of tithe-money, amounting 70
| an average OF over two million dollars
year. and make no accounting for
the money. No one knows what is
done with il, but everyone has pretty
good idea that large amounts are spent
abroad, and the community is by that
much bled for the benefit Of foreign
parts, through investments and specu-
lations in Canada, in Mexico, and else
where. The public hears about these
investments and about the great things
that arc being done by the church IN
other countries. what rich possessions
certain of the elders have. and how the
colonies are thriving and that those in
charge OF them are making money; but
they do not hear Just where the money
comes from To start all these great
spcculations and developments. No one
can understand, however. where else
that money can come from than from
the tithe fund contributed chiefly IN
Utah, and so this money is taken away.
making serious drain upon tho com
munity s wealth The reply is fire.
duently made that those who contribute
this money have alone an interest IN
what is done with it; but that is fall
lscious. on two grounds. First, those
whU contribute money never hear what
is done with IT. second, drain of this
kind on n community affects everyone
in that community, and especially every
business man therein. 1T rs q plain
case that with two million dollars taken
out of Utah every year, Utah is by
that two million dollars the poorer.
II makes no difference whether that
money is taken away from this State
b. church investments. by foolish
specuations. by grab bag operations
on behalf of certain persons. or IN any
other way The objection is that the
money is gone, and the community IS
very clearly the loser by the amount
so taken.
The falling off in. tithos. which we
Judge to have been the case, from the
complaint made by the leaders, is, so
far from being hardship or wrong,
the best thing that could happen to the
community; and IL is encouraging in
another way, in showing that the peo-
plc arc Judging for themselves as to
what they ought TO pay in the way of
titbcs. rather than letting their bishops
dictate to them arbitrarily what they
must pay.
II appears furher that the people
are rcsenting the gossipy, inquisitoTlal,
prying visits of tho minor officials OF
the church, and the nosing into their
personal affairs with view 30 dictat-
ing what the members shall do in bust
ness and social affairs, and in their
family relations. inasmuch as the COM
plaint was made that the people do not
-ubmit with the former docility to this
sort of thing, we conclude that here
also is an encouraging feature upon
which the whole community should be
congratulated. II shows that the peo
pie are getting a personal self-respect
and Independence Of view which for
merIy they lacked. We rejoice in this
as something decidedly tending TO re-
form. and decidedly to the betterment
of personal conditions.
We had hoped that there would be
something decisive delivered from this
conference upon the theme which was
dealt with by the last April confer.
cnce. We refer 10 the question of po-
lvgamv At the April conference the
church authorities. for the first time,
came ont in open reputation of po-
lygamy. We had hoped that at the con-
ference just passed a further step would
be taken in this line; and whereas the
the April conference warned all the
saints 10 cease from disohedience TO
the Manifesto, that the present con.
ference would go n step further. and
warn all those who disobeyed that
Manifesto that thcy would be delv.
cred over 10 the civil authorities to be
dealt with according TO law. We sug-
cested this as the appropriate and
proper step next 10 be taken in this
direction. We regret that IL was not
taken. and we note with disgust the
fact that the church organ not only
repudiated the wcll-meant and friendly