| Show TIMELY THOUGHTS ABOUT CLASS distinctions SALT LAKE CITY utah march 1883 1885 editor deseth desert news wems the present time of persecution is and proscription one dile which induces reflection upon many subjects we are often admonished that as a people we should be united and endeavor to sustain ourselves in the early daya of the settlement of these valleys the people were all comparatively ively poor aud and every man was compelled to labor hard to sustain himself and his family oft re recurring curri currl drought grasshopper plagues an and other calamities combined combine to keep tile the community down to ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL financially and socially and in consequence a feeling of equality unity and brotherly love pervaded the w whole ole oie if one possessed greater intellectual gifts than another he was willi nir to lend his knowledge for his neighbors improvement pro the people had been driven and subjected to hardships and privations and were reduced to a common plane and because every mans mauls hand was against them they felt to help and sustain each other and the spirit spir it of unity and love prevailed with the advent of wealth and pros times and customs have changed C so have the people we have become A MIXED PEOPLE will any observant person say that toay day there Is the same close friendship and brotherhood among amons us that existed in early times or that even prevailed a few years ago I 1 mean us as a community for I 1 am well aware that the ie great majority among us still possess in an eminent degree degre e that that is the characteristic of the true saint in early days who ever heard any portion of the people referred to as woe TOE HE aristocracy to today oday o day it is common to hear such expressions pres ores as theu then the upper ten our best society the high toned the better class instead of the moneyed class etc to be received in id certain society now a person must belong to the upper ten doin doln his standing in the church his faith and integrity integ ncy as a latter day saint are not particularly taken into consideration we have reached this position grad bally and have hardly noticed it having havin lived through all the slow changes and being generally more or less tainted withe with it but those who lived here years ago and have of late ate years been absent from this city see a great change when they come again into our midst A prominent young man who iad lad had lived ived herein here in his boyhood and was a member of one of the leading families in n the church in those days but who fo or r years ears cars past has been residing in one of the te distant settlements said in a meeting some months a ago go that when he ie came to salt lake and visited the colue ionic of his boyhood he scarcely recognized the members of his own family amily they had become so excessive I 1 I 1 y fashionable and high toned that tiey they were horrified at his MORMON simplicity and he said the influence he felt was entirely different from that he had ex perlen perien ced when as a family they had lived ived in a simple happy homelike manner and could exten extend tile the warmest welcome to their friends tri trl ends though they wore a homespun coat or cotton dress realizing that the mind and heart were the he standards of the man 17 and not the iress dress he wore AS we have become comparatively wealthy and have had brought amongst us the so called civilization of the world we are gradually but surely unlacing placing integrity aud and an devotion to our common cause at a discount when compared with the refinements nine fine ments of the age hence we find the wealthy outsider whose only recommendations are a thorough acquaintance with the usages ol 01 fash conable society a fashionable suit of clothes and in many cases an empty head to say nochim of a bad heart in some instances a welcome elcome visitor in many a mormon home where the poor member of the churl church who cannot boase such a perfect knowledge of the rules of etiquette and such brior gorgeous attire I 1 but who is in possession of many noble traits of heart and mind would be looked down upon and hardly tolerated I 1 would not create the impression that I 1 despise culture and refinement ortha tIdo not greatly admire them for I 1 consider it part of the duty of every latter day saint to cultivate TRUE refinement AND politeness but because one has been fortunate enough to be born bora of parents who have secured a goodly ly store of his worlds riches or lias has been able to amass them for himself is that any reason why he be should dispose hi his poorer and less fortunate friend and does such action evince true refinement I 1 think not yet know of many instances instance in our cit where people who are pretty I 1 I 1 well off I 1 and move in this so called aristocratic circle who look down flown upon others and almost despise them because they are aye only far farmers menil mensy men or Ilie lile mechanics chanies chantes or in some of the humbler walks of life even though they are members of the same great brotherhood it has become a common thin lhing thing with oneff one of our papers when re fening fering to those who occupy seats ln in the first circle at the tile theatre to classify them when speaking of audiences assembled at performances as the first circle element making or division between the people these things may way beall beail be all ali very well with t ile the world but I 1 con isder that class distinctions di s are arc out of place amongst the people of god they have a teli teti tendency dency to divide and separate us CASTE should not be known in tho the midst of the latter day saints but at all times and everywhere we should seek seik to draw near to each other and benefit one another in every possible way helping the I 1 ignorant gu 0 rant to intelligence aiding the uncouth and unpolished to become renn refined ned putting away exclusion ana and all ali such things from us there is 11 proscription reo PEO exercised against us by the world without our practicing it toward each other we should remember that all is not gold that glitters and that great minds and noble hearts are of afien ten clothed in the garb of the laborer and the nil ill e artisan I 1 do not think for a moment that this caste exists to such an extent in our midst as it does in the world not by a great deal but there is far too much of it and I 1 fear it is increasing I 1 am ot the opinion that now Is a good time to begin a reformation in this matter let us seek to bridge over the chasm that has been forming ana dividing our people into classe classes s and become again that friendly brotherly loving and united people in the fullest sense of the word that we were wont to be and that our brethren and sisters still are in mani many many cf f the settlements where gentile civilization has not corrupted them TOMASO |
