The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-29

pGoacned oy nundredS oil MormonS
who commended our work and gave
private voice TO the hope that we
might succeed in freeing Utah so that
they themselves might be free After
l Joined the staff OF The Salt Lake
Tribune. as chief editor these came
TO my office by stealth and In OBJ
Nious fear. | could not blame them
then. nor do now, The cost Of open
defiance was too great
One woman, the first wife Of
to me to enlist I'm the work OF the
party (Her husband was living with
young plural wife, We accepted
her aid. Her husband cut off her
monthly allowance. and she had TO
take employment as a book canvas
ser, so that she might be able TO earn
her living.
Revolts Against Tyranny.
Mormon who came out openly for
us was superintendent OF a business
owned by Gcntles. He was some
what prominent as an ecclesiast. and
he was Sunday school worker in his
ward. He reconciled his wife and
daughter 10 his revolt against the re-
crudcscence OF polygamy ana the ty-
ranny OF the church's political con-
trol. He carried with him the sym
pathy OF his brother, who was q.
newspaper editor. He won over some
Of his personal friends TO pledge their
sturdy ever 10 retreat, too indepen-
dent in his circumstances TO be drv-
en-. and with too clear a vision 10 be
led astray by the threats, the power.
or the persusSions OF the hierarchy,
Yet, before long. he came 10 con-
fess that he could not continue to
help us openly. His cmploYers-his
Gentle employers-had notifcd him
that his work In the American party
would be dangerously injurious 10
their business They were In hearty
accord With his Views; they recog-
niZcd his right as a citizen TO ACT ac-
cording TO his convictions; but-.they
dared not provoke war OF business
rcprisals with the commercial and
financial institutions OF the church.
He must either cease his active op-
position 10 the church leaders or lose
his place OF employment He retired
from the fight.
Sacrifice for Principle.
Another Mormon who Joined us was
Don G. Musser son Of one OF the
church historians. He had been a
missionary in Germany and in Pales-
tine. He had been a soldier In the
Philippines and had edited the first
American newspaper there. His con-
tact with the world and his eXpcr
fence in the military service of the
United States had given him a high
ideal OF his country: and feeling OF
loyalty 10 the nation had superseded
his earlier devotion to the prophets
His family was wealthy, but he was
supporting himself and his "oung wife
by his own efforts in business.
As soon as he came out openly with
the American party. his fathers home
was closed against him. His bust
ness connections were Withdrawn
from him, He found himself unable
To provide for his wife, who was in
delicate health. After losing strug
gle. he came to tell us that ne could
no longer earn a living in Utah; that
he had obtained means to emigrate;
that he must say goodbye And we
lost him.
Church Favorites Exposed,
Two other young men-the son and
the son law of an apostle-came 10
me and asked helplessly for advice.
They admitted that the practices Of
the hierarchy were. to them. A vio-
lation of the covenant with the ma
ton. a transgression of the reyela-
ton from God given TO MILFORD
securities OF community association.
But would ] advise them to sacrifice
their influence in the church bv join
ing the American movement pub
licly? Or had they better retain their
influence and use II within the
church 10 correct the evils that we
were attacking?
with awful sincerity they spoke of
conditions that had come under their
own eyes. and related instances to
show how merciIessly the polygamous
favorites of the church were permit
ted to prey on the young woman
teachers in church schools. They
spoke OF J. NJ. Tanner, who was at
that time head OF the church schools.
a member of the general board or
education and one of the Sunday
school superintendents. According to
these young men-and according 10
general report-Tanner was marrying
right and left.
Involves School Leader.
knew Of young Mormon Of
Brigham city, who had been suitor
for the hand Of Miss l., a teacher
at the Logan college. He had been
away from Utah for some time, and
he had returned hoping to make her
his Wife. Stopping over night in Salt
Lake, on his way home. he saw Tan
ner and Miss L. enter the lobby
OF the hotel In which he sat They
walk TIE floor Of his room ali night.
struggling against the impulse TO
break in and kill Tanner. and damn
man who had been ordained by the
prophets to wholesale polygamous
prerogative.
He had kept his hands clean of
blood, nut ne nad been living ever
since with murder in his heart. Could
these two sons Of the church do more
to remedy such horrors by using their
influence TO have Tanner deposed. or
by sacrificing that influence in an
open revolt against the conditions
that made Tanner possible? I could
only advise them 10 act according to
their own best sense OF what was
right They did use their influence TO
help force Tanners deposition. but
we lost the public example Of their
opposition TO the crimes of the HER
archy.
Fight for Recognition.
relate these incidents as typical
of the different kinds OF pressure
that We're brought to bear upon the
independent Mormons who wished 10
aid us. and nj the local difficulties
against which we had to contend.
WASHINGTON, Of course. gave US no
recognItion, and we did not succeed
in reaching the ear of the nation.
Hero and there newspaper noted
our effort and paid some small heed
io our protest hut the overwhelming
success Of The Republican party-apd
the dumb driven acduiescence OF the
Democracy--in Utah and the neigh
boring church-ruled states. left the
agitation with little of political in