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Show THE TRIBUNE'S INTEREST IN THE MORMONS. Editor Truth: The Tribune of Sunday, May 12th, groaned a big groan over the way in which Superintendent Ben Rich of the Southern States Mission secured funds for the support of the worthy poor and current expenses of their meeting house, etc. The Tribune frothed at the mouth and headed its editorial " Bleed Them, Bleed Them." Mr. Ben E. Rich sent out the following follow-ing circular letter as published in the Tribune. " We have two funds in the ward which arc maintained by the voluntary volun-tary donations of the Saints; the fast-offering fast-offering fund, exclusively used for the support of the worthy poor, and the general ward expense fund, used for current expenses, such as lighting, heating, repairs, care of meeting house, etc. "The ward expense fund is collected collect-ed by a committee of brethem and sisters who have been appointed to that work, and we bespeak for them courtesy and promptness on the patt of the saints. The members of this committee make many sacrifices in order to perform their duty, and their work should be appreciated and commended by every member of the ward, and all the assistance possible should be rendered to make their work as light as possible. "It has been customery in the past for the Saints to leave their fast offerings of-ferings with the clerk, and wait until the proper credit had been given. This has often caused inconvenience and delay, and therefore we have instituted in-stituted a system which, if followed out, will overcome this difficulty. " We arc handing you herewith a little slip and an envelope, and it is desired that you place on the slip the amount you wish to contribute to the fast offering fund, and after signing you name place the slip with the contribution con-tribution in he envelope and seal it. The envelope is to be left with the clerk on fast day at the fast meeting. It is suggested that when you find it impossible to attend, and still desire de-sire to contribute to the worthy poor, that you send the envelope to the fast meeting. " At the end of the year, when you come before the bishopric to settle your tithing, the accounts of your donations do-nations both the ward expense fund and the fast offering fund will be shown you for your approval. As to the disbursement of these funds, 1 : financial statement will be read at our regular ward conference for your H The Tribune then comments as H " What care is taken to be very dc- H filiate in the matter of collections! H Never mind about going to meeting, H but be sure to send the money! But H a significant matter is contained in H that letter. The bishopric is careful H to say that an accounting will be ren- H dcrcd as to the disposition of the H funds contributed. The hicrarchs H collect approximately two million dol- H lars each year in tithes alone, and H probably an equal amount is annual- 1 M ly collected in the shape of ward and I M special donations. Even the little M ones who attend school have their M "nickel Sunday;" the children who H belong to the primary classes are M compelled to pay their donations; the M mutual improvement associations M have their "dime Tuesdays." Every- ' H thing is paid for by donation aside H from the regular ten per cent tax. H And all of this money is withdrawn H from the resources of the State, tnak- H ing it the business of everybody in H the commonwealth to know what be- H comes of it." H Why docs the Tribune worry so H about the Mormons? It wants to in- 1 jure them and the State of Utah. 1 M If the Mormons want to raise mon- ' H cy for the worthy poor and keep an M account of the' funds thus collected , M whose business is.it? They are not M collecting or trying to collect from M the Tribune or any non-Mormons. ' M In October or "Mormon number1' . M of the Presbyterian Assembly Her- I M aid for 1902, one whole page is de- f, M voted to the best methods of begging M money (not from Presbyterians alone 1 H but from everybody) for their mis- 1 H sions exclusive of any other church t H expenses. One preacher gives his H experience, (which has been general- jj H ly adopted by the Presbyterians.) H On the Sabbath before the offering 1 H was made he preached a sermon on 1 I Home Missions for which he had been collecting material during the ; I interval since last the subject was J I presented. (I suppose his material I was the Utah Devil, the Mormon I Home, the very poor public schools 1 I of Utah,' Polygamy increasing, etc.) B 'I His people had come to expect this as I1 his best effort. The envelopes were li ft r JJ H nil that d:iy distributed in the pews, H directed to every member of the- con- H grcgation, young and old, even to the H baby, great pajns being taken not to H omit anyone in anyway whatever con- H nectcd with the church. The envc- H lopes not taken from the pews were H sent by mail or delivered by messcn- H -gcr during the week. This often had H an effect equal to a pastor's visit. H The Tribune complains because the H Mormons ask the children to contri- H butc to help the worthy poor and H says nothing when the Presbyterians H' shove a begging envelope under a H' baby's nose hoping that the father or H mother will dig up because the in- H fant offspring has been so highly hon- B According to Chapter 10 of the Presbyterian Confession of Faith, B which can be had at the Dcscrct News Hb book store, no matter how much that HI little baby or its parents contributes, HI if it happens to be one of the non-HJ non-HJ elect, when it dies it will be consign-Hl consign-Hl cd to the Lake of Fire where the worm dicth not there to suffer Hb and sizzle in utter torment without HJ intermission forever and forever. Hi There is hardly an issue of the Ha Tribune in which Mormon polygamy HJ and Mormon tithing or church col-Hb col-Hb lections arc not rehashed. It is as HJ hard up for brain fodder as it is for HJ subscribers when it devotes a large HJ portion of its columns in berating HJ or wailing over the methods by which HJ any church sees fit to ask its mental ment-al hers to contribute to the worthy poor Hi The Tribune is also losing sleep HJ because the Mormon church docs not HJ render to it a monthly statement ot HJ money that it expends. What busi-HJ busi-HJ ness is it to the Tribune what the HJ Mormons, the Methodists, the Pres-HJ Pres-HJ byterians, the Free Masons, the Odd HJ Fellows, or any o'her church, lodge, HJ or society docs with their money as HJ long as the Tribune docs not contri-HJ contri-HJ butc to them? HJ On April 12th, 1905, Mrs. Frcder- HJ ick Schoff stated in a speech at HJ Wyalusing, Pa., that she had been rc- HJ quested to raise a large amount of HJ money for the Hon. Frank J. Cannon HJ to be used in unseating Senator Smoot HJ and that she was pleased to state that HJ she had already, raised him $3,000. HJ Will the editor of the Tribune please HJ publish an itemized account of how HJ Frankic spent that money? It would HJ be rich, rare, and racy reading. HJ Yours truly, V.. S. PEET. HJ Salt Lake City, May 15, 1907. |