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Show Makes Comparison Between Its Environment and Shuns of New York. NO GRAFT INIQUITOUS AS TITHING SYSTEM Does Not Deem Unfortunate Foreigners For-eigners a Menace to Our Civilization. A. Theodore Schroedor of New Vork, whoso erudition as to the source and history of Mormonism is accepted by ecclesiastical writers, is in Salt Lako City for a few days, a guest at the. Fifth Fast, hotel. This is his first visit here, except in passing through, for six years. He has been on a trip through southern Idnho and northwestern Utah, and spent. Thanksgiving hero with a feeling that he had much to be thankful thank-ful for. i Mr. Schrocdor's imporlnnt work, "Origin of the Book of Mormon.' f which represents many years' investigation investi-gation of the sources from which the saints' alleged ro elations came, will he published in The Tribune, the first, installment, ue.vt. Sunday. Thursday evening, in speaking of Salt Lake City arid its changes since his last stay. and. his work in New Vork. Mr. Sch'roedrr said : 1 havo just (hitshcd a ride about the city and am delighted v:h the many improvements im-provements and evidences of prosperity. These things and ihe icilectlons Inspired by meeting with old and valued friends j whom I have nol seen for six years has I led me to retleet upon the changes that i have also taken place In myself. As I ' see this beautiful -Ily with Its moun-I moun-I talna. abundant fresh air and sunlight. ! I contrast it with iho sight 1 of. en sc on the lower east side of Nw Yo.rk city. , Tills Is the section inhabited by the unfortunates un-fortunates of the curio who nr exploited ex-ploited and oppressed almost lo ihc point of extinction. I there occasionally sp.c I children 12 or more years of nge who Imv never soon a blade of gra-JK or a growing tree, because their parents can't apace the car fare necessary to got tin-in lo the public parks. Hev- also I can 'Ind 2S00 people living on two acres of , ground, and only fou-Ptory buildings ai i that. They are packed In like sardines, a half do.-:eii or more eating, cooking. ! working and sleeping la ono room. I'om-i I'om-i pared with such conditions the very poor-j poor-j eat here enjoy a paradise. 1 Foreigners Not; a Menace. ! 1 do not slim1 the view that these un-j un-j fort unn le foreiynurs ai a niennco to our I elvKixHlhci. Instead of causing our de-I de-I geneiacy, tlioy only tiring It lo light. I That the Amerlcun public In Its greed for ! gRln will tolerate aitific'ally crested j economic conditions which leaves Ihe sweatshop and th: physlcally-rnlnoii!' ; child labor a pouslblllly Is a terrible Indictment In-dictment of our alleged Intelligence and charity. That In our mad rush for t he I nickels we should become .oblivious lo the conditions which in practice denies to j millions an co.ua! chance In life Is an outrage. i'ou are prosperous here and I am glad j to nee thai this prosperity is not. mo-! mo-! nopollzed by the saliils. because , this , proves Mint it Is not due to any Intimacy i-between the Almighty nnd Holy .loc. the I profit gatherer. j The n"w outlook upon economic prob-i prob-i loins which has come lo me from my f "jcperlenoes In the siums of New York I hat- also produced a change in me perhaps as great a"? any 1 see here. 1'pon all social problems I think 1 am more radical than ever before. I have been persuaded that thrt most radical labor agitator Is much nearer truth and Justice than Is his pretentious exploiter. 1 am ever an eager listener to his- tale of woe. and am not so ready to criticise as perhaps I used to be If he should bo extremely radical. My broader- outlook upon Ihe church has also lefi me a more radical opponent of religious dogmas .and practices. prac-tices. 1 seem to see nmre clearly than before thai all churches are more or loss the organized defenses of vested wrongs. Preachers and Pew P.ept. Willi rare exception the preacher Ir the defender of the exploiting rich who pay the highest pew rem. and never see anything but the mistake of Ihe unfortunate unfor-tunate classes who, with poor equipment equip-ment are struggling for the realization of a dimly conceived economic Justice. The priests of all denominations are much alike In this, and though often, perhaps usually unconscious of the power of wealthy persons lo control their utter- anccs by Indirection, ihe control Is cf- tleient. The Mormon church, 11 seems 1 to me. differs from others chiefly in this. I that it does not depend for supuort upon Us wealthy lavmnn ln rather makes the opportunity for acquisition of wealth an Incident to eccleslnstlcal preferment. I know of no graft so Iniquitous as the tithing system, and no trust so contemptible contempti-ble as that one in I'lah which claims a monopoly on corner lots In heaven. A lithe gatherer who accounts only to God must lie doing something with Ihe money that honest men could not approve. |
