Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-12-16 | Page 4 | A Threatening Invitation

A THREATENING INVITATION. The church organ has come to the defense of the tithe system as at present pres-ent practiced; and among many things It says that "any tithe payer is perfectly per-fectly welcome to make Inquiries as to the expenses of the church." Certainly. During fifty years every member pf the congregation was Invited to express himself concerning the officers of the church whose names were presented at conference. Finnliy the opportunity seemed so good and the occasion qo Jti3t that one young man, Sam Russell, accepted the invitation; he rose from his place amidst assembled Israel and protested against the selection of one of tho officials on the ground of un-worth; un-worth; and then, what happened to Sam Russell Is one of tho historic Incidents In-cidents of Utah. ' Knowing Russell's fate in this communitythe com-munitythe way the poor kid was hounded and driven and ridiculed it Is not likely that any more invitations of this kind will ever be accepted. Just ojie man in fifty ycara "dared to squawk." And he was practically outlawed out-lawed by the religious community, although al-though ho had performed a mission; while tho person against whom he had offered a good objection was immediately imme-diately afterward seated with tho high dignitaries of the church In tho chief pulpit of the Tabernacle.