| Show VACATING THE GARDO HOUSE NOTICE has been curved on the receiver by the leef tea bishop J B R winder that the he gardo house will be vacated on the first of december this house erected by the late president brigham young reverted to the church of jesus christ of latte rd saints after his decease in the settlement of his estate it was occupied by president john taylor as a parsonage by vote of the church in general conference after his death president wilford woodruff as the president of the twelve apostles occupied it and since his ic accession cession to the presidency of the church he and his counselors have used it officially under theft ease taken by bishop winder in november 1887 the house was seized by the receiver under the rulings of the courts and it has since been in his formal possession the church paying rent for the use of its own property in order to keep it from occupation by persons who might not properly preserve the furniture and fittings of the establishment the increased rent required when property was boomed in this city was paid to the receiver this has proved a very heavy financial burden it was hoped that when the litigation over the church property was brought to a head the Gardo house would have been judicially declared what it is in fact a parsonage connected with the church and therefore exempt from escheat under the act of congress but the indications are now that for some time at least this act of simple justice will not be performed and the venerable president of the church prefers to retire from the occupancy of the parsonage which he ought to enjoy rather than continue to pay the great rent that is required V we understand that luring during the put past four years yearn no less than has hag been paid by the church in rents rente for occupying its ita own property on much of which it had bad possessory rights and claims before the act of 1862 was passed limiting the real estate holdings ings of churches churche 3 in the territories J 1 I the legality of this exaction is a matter for the courts to determine its lt iii injustice justice cannot fail to strike every fair mind with convincing force we do not think that any but the most bitter of efanti anti cormons mormons Mor mons whether they be religious or irreligious will approve of the policy that seizes the property of an unpopular religious body rud and either turns its chief ministers out of buildings devoted to their use or demands from it an enormous rental for premises clearly its own the vacation of the church parsonage by president Wilfor woodruff dWoodruff to in the year of his age should it seems to us araw draw the attention of the country to the injustice to is being done to the mormon ly church a body that has submitted to the popular demand at a greater sacrifice than any but its members can fully understand and something should be done to re lieve the government from the odium which must sooner or later attach to the course it has pursued under statutes specially framed against a religious institution ution |
