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Show TOUOHY ABOUT TITHING. Let us say again, that the books of the church a"re open to anyone who is a title-payer and who cares to inspect them, but that tho finances of tho church Is no business of The Tribune. Let us furthor sav that the Latter-day Saints have perfect confidence in the auditors of the church and aro willing' to take their word at a hundred cents in the dollar everv time. Dcsoret News editorial, ed-itorial, April 0, 1000. And then, in winding up its article arti-cle in answer to our remarks concerning concern-ing the absurdity of the pretended tithe report made to the conference by the alleged auditing committee, tho Xcws asks: "Is there any church that makes such a report?" "Wo will answer the query first by sa3'iug. Yes, ihc Reorganized branch of its own creed organization makes such a report. It is true that this report re-port is not read in detail to tho conference, con-ference, but it is print oil, fully itemized, item-ized, in the oflicial journal of the church, copies of which are available to every adherent of tho sect. The report, re-port, therefore, is distributed broadcast in tho oVganizal ion, and with its contents con-tents the members aro able to familiarize familiar-ize themselves if they so desirp. The Tribune has never suggested that a complete and itemized accounting, be read at the conference obviously that would be a waste of tirao and would not be particularly onlighlening, in that the general mind would become confused con-fused in the mas of figures presented. But if is nothing but right ihat printed copies of a comprehensible and detailed report in this matter should bo placed iri the bauds of contributors of tho funds involved. s,o that thr- could examine ex-amine the same at their leisure, if they so desired. Now, the News .knows quito as well as docs The Tribune that the books of the church are hot open to lithe-payers lithe-payers except in so far only as their own accounts are' concerned. To sa' that the books are open is to mcau in general terms that every detail of the accounts is open to tho scrutiny of the tithe-payer, which' the church organ or-gan knows is not true. "We defy nuy membor of the Mormon church who is a contributor to the tithe fuud to go to the presiding bishop's ofiiro and ascertain as-certain how much, for instance, has heen invested by the church (out of the tithe fund) in any iudustrj- which it maj- have been tho boast of tho church that it has benevolently "fostered." "fos-tered." It is the presiding Ijishop who keeps the general accounts, and from this official the tithe-payer would be able to gel no information whatever. what-ever. The only enlightenment that he would bo able to get at. all would ho from his own local bishop, and this would be a mere statement of his own personal accouni. Together with the protended general report of the alleged al-leged auditing committee at conference time, this constitutes the. entirety of the information afforded to him. But because this miserable sop of supposed satisfaction is thrown out to the contributor, con-tributor, tho News sols up the hypocritical hypo-critical and dishonest plea that "the bookfare open." As to tho "perfect confidence" which the church organ asserts the saints feel in the auditing committee, this confidence is on a par with all tho rest that is imposed in tho prioslhood. From babyhood tho members of the church have been taught that it is a grievous sin on their part to question the priesthood for a moment; that thoy aro'to 'accept the dfficinl wonlTin' church matters without question; that to do otherwise is lo set out on tho high road to apostasy; and that to apos-tatizo apos-tatizo is (o commit tho sin that is inferior only io the shedding of inno-cont inno-cont blood. Tho "confidence" is merely mere-ly fear; the faith is only an exhibition of docility. "When it comes lo privato transactions transac-tions between leaders and followers, tho latter havo learned lo thoir deep sorrow, sor-row, limes without number, that vcr' often the hierarchical signature is more worthless than tho intrinsic valuo of tho paper upon which it its written. The principal fear of tho News and the hierarchs now is that tho saints will discover that tho titho manipulators arc no moro depondablo in dealing with their ccclesinstico -financial trusts. And a matter of this nature is ovory-bodj-'s business. |