The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-20
MAX FLoRENcE's ENTERPRISE.

MAA fLOhGN C6 . 6NI6hHhlS6.
The public is quite familiar with the
sensational story, printed first in Tho
Tribune, of the invasion of the temple
by a man who had access thereto for
other purposes, but who used his PRIV
ileges TO get surrcptirlously, pictures of
the rooms, the furniture, and the fur.
nisbings, As TO the ethics of this there
can he no two opinions: as TO the prac
teal results there can be many.
Ordinarily, one would not expect that
Mr.. Florence, who appears TO have come
be able TO make very much out of the
sale Of them. for tho mere showing Of a
room, with its furniture and furnish
iugs, is of no great interest to any
body. and very few would care TO see
pictures of that kind, since those pic
turcs would amount practically to moth
ing, and wonld arouse no keen curiosity.
At tho same time, with the modern
moving picture apparatus, and with
the modern idea of attaching phoDo
graphic lectures or explanations TO PIE
lures as they are unrollcd with ven
trioquial tricks, the possibilities of
sensational exhibits are very great. The
endowment ceremonies of the church
are pretty fully known. by reason cspe-
ciallv Of the testimony in the Smoot
ease, and it would be easy enough for
Max Florence 10 get up a representa-
rion. with lifelikc figures in il. of the
endowment ceremonies in connection
with the rooms. the furniture, and the
furnishings of the temple Scenes
could be enacted of the ceremonies in
the different rooms that would I'M
doubtcdly be very curious and. wheth
er true TO life or not. would be likely TO
attract large crowds The possibih-
ties of this, OF course, have been init
mated by Mr.. Florence himself in in
teryiews for The Tribune. If he is
unscrupulous enogh TO have been in the
game from the first, and is ready TO
utilize these pictures to their utmost
possibility, there is no doubt but that
he will be able TO present 10 audiences
moving pictures and photographic Ice
lures and conversations of the most
sensa tional character.
1t is now intimated that the church
itself Will print views Of all Of the
looms OF the temple with whatever is in
them by way Of furniture, hnIshings.
curtains. adornmeuts, pictures and the
like. This would be a good move, un-
doubtedlv, if it were merely matter
of showing pictures of the inner parts
Of the temple. But, as reply TO what
Max Florence intimates that he may do
in the way or using these pictures TO
illustrate endowment ceremonies and
the like in the temple. such an exhibit
OF pictures by church authority would
hardly do much 10 Kill the sensation
that Florence could produce.
On the other hand. if the church
should deal with Florence. which it has
cmphsticaIly said il would not do. con
| sidering him a "thicf and black mail
er. the deal would necessarily he very
runsatisfactory, for. though the church
| might reccdc from lis position of re-
i
fnsng 10 deal with "'thief and black.
mailer, II would never be sure that
| Florence or somebody else would not
have duplicates Of the pictures, and
that II would bc obliged. il il wished
10 suppress the matter, 10 buy and buy
again and again, in order TO he sure
that everything was bought up and
suppressed.
II is not in the least likely that Max
| Florence and those acting with him
have confined their reproductions 10
but one set: on the contrary they uu.
doubtedly have numerous sets Of these
pictures. Necessarily. in order 10 pro.
teot themselves, they would he obliged
20 have more than ono set. This being
true, how could the church leaders ever
be sure, even though they stopped 10
buy, that they were buying all! That
certaiuly would he impossible, and the
fact that the church had entered into
negotiations and had undertaken 10
buy would be n continued incentive to
others 20 pursue the same game
There would be absolutely no safety in
the CHURCH buying these pictures; aud,