Show In n nth th the e Beg B Beginning g 1 inn n n i n g 9 sy By j. j J Cecil Alter cr Snatching Laurels Did Brigham Young originate the saying It is cheaper or better better better bet bet- ter to feed the Indians than fight them Certainly it was to be preferred as a system if iC they could anI only induce the In Indiana Indians Indians In- In diana to accept the plan as a sub sub- But whose plan whose suggestion was it in the beginning beginning begin begin- nin ning That word two heading harks back to the old practice of ot crowning crownIng crown crown- ing the victor with wreaths of laurel leaves Instead of ball bats and brick bats bat It refers a little littlemore littlemore more specifically to the habit of the humankind humankind- for example of attributing nearly everything good in the Democratic party to Thomas T Jefferson ert and In the Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican party part to Abraham Linco Lin- Lin co cola coln n. n It refers still more specifically specifically cally to the careless habit of at attrIbuting attributing at- at to James Bridger for instance all the flock of extravagant or atrocious western western west west- em ern stories and to the point of ot attributing every good thing that came carne out of Zion to Brigham Young Laurels to Spare Hud Had He lie President Young will not suffer suffer suf suf- fer from the loss Joss of an placed Ill though well fitting wreath for his memory Is crowned with a areat great reat pile of ot well earned laurel leaves end and wreaths of tribute Certainly Certainly he would be the last Jast to object object ob ob- ob- ob to havin having on one wreath pointed out In his great rent array as not be belonging be- be longing to him It mB may be worse to leave leayo the wreath untouched where it has lain Jain for nearly three- three quarters of a century for it is but one of many evidences still extant that not all the wisdom of the Mormon people perished with Brigham Young nor did It abide with him solely when Indeed there were scores of men contemporaneous with the great leader whose happy and prosperous progeny flourish In these valleys today whose timely advice and great wisdom became the advice ad and pronouncements of the church authorities through President Young and whose speeches and writings became virtually vir vir- the official interpretations of or the law and the approved practices practices tices of the people of that day and of at this a Now with all this preliminary arousal the reader may suffer a sense of anticlimax in the denouement denouement denouement de de- de- de for we only Intended to point out that Brigham Youngs Young's justly famous and laudable theor theor theory the the- or ory that it was sas to say the least more sanitary and less sanguine to feed the Indians than to fi tight fight ht them apparently became his theor theory theory the the- or ory by adoption only the earll- earll I est est known record o of such a a. re remark remark remark re- re mark being that penned by Dr Willard Villard Richards a physician o othe of the old school who at the time he enunciated the axiom was S l serving as editor of the News It may be presumed that Dr Richards being a 0 member of the first presidency reflected the at attitude attitude at- at attitude of the church authorities and even that the remark had been made by some one else Inthe in inthe inthe the council perhaps Brigham Young Nevertheless Dr Richards Richards Rich Rich- ards was a n. very astute gentleman fully able to wear such a n. laurel gracefully and fittingly In his own right hence our willingness s to concede to him all the glory honor hon hon- or and distinction apparently abiding in the article in the News soon to be quoted A of Greatness Surely one mark marl of Brigham Youngs Young's greatness was his ability to discern a good thing because of Its s Intrinsic goodness s regardless regardless regard regard- less Jess of Its origin and it is confidently confidently confidently dently believed that the great pioneer is now assisting with the process of transferring the bet bet- Indians than fight honorarium to the tho brilliant and faithful man who first gave it life and legal tender in the public prints But before giving the excerpt it would be best in defense of our position to scan the writings fostered fostered fostered fos fos- and inscribed by President Young at the time and somewhat subsequently for evidences of his hisor hisor hisor or others' others use of the celebrated saying saying- The policy best suited to permanent peace with the Indians was as paramount from the begin begin- ning Scarcely a sermon ermon or letter Jetter and never an epistle of oC the authorities authorities au au- au- au was uttered without some discussion of or the subject President Young was the leader In these discussions due to the vehemence of f his convictions that there must be no fraternizing with the Indians and no retaliation upon them for wrongs done except except ex ex- with proper hearings However However How How- ever the expression was not employed employed em em- so far as found and mot not for many years ears did the phrase become current after it was first written in an obscure paragraph on another subject Planting for Indian Indiana October 20 19 1950 1050 O this editorial appeared In the Deseret News New under the name W. W Richards Wheat Sowing The Sowing The time for lor sowing fall wheat is rapidly passIng passing passing pass pass- ing for this season and It is a duty of oC the first magnitude for every everyone one to put all aIl the seed in inthe inthe inthe the earth they possibly can cart Suppose Suppose Sup Sup- Suppose pose there are thirty thousand inthe inthe in inthe the valleys of the mountains a avery avery avery very reasonable calculation and bushels bushels bushels bush bush- every Individual wants ten els of wheat annually which might be a little more than would be bo consumed provided other grains groins v vegetables meats and groceries were plenty yet the calculation is safe for a little wastage by the of cattle and other causes of destruction destruction destruction de de- de- de and it will require three hundred thousand bushels of or wheat to supply the people now in the mountains during durin the current current current cur cur- rent year Add to this a 8 double population by next harvest and six hundred thou thousand nd bushels must be gathered or the people come to want then add to this a afew afew afew few thousand bushels to feed the Indians and certainly it would be cheaper feeding the Indians than fighting them If iC that shall prove to be policy and a n few thousand bushels more to satisfy I the calls of the traveler tra And that little aside or chance remark tossed In to give full lull measure and meaning to another preachment has become the head postulate on the banner proclaiming proclaim proclaim- ing ing- the humane solution of or the vexatious Indian problem among among- the Mormons in fl the early days das So good so trite and antI so 80 Bible- Bible like in its ils wisdom and Its permanency permanency per per- did the phrase prove to tobe tobe be he it was sub subsequently gathered up polished a bit b by usage e and I attributed to Brigham Young |