Passing Events

Passing Events. New wards and changes for the month of April, 1911, as reported by the presiding Bishop's office: David Ririe, sustained as bishop of the Perry ward, Rigby stake, to succeed Howard Streeper; George A. Adams, sustained as bishop of the Monticello ward, San Juan stake, to succeed Frederick I. Jones: Edward M. Atkin, sustained as bishop of the Tooele ward,Tooele stake,to succeed Silas C. Orme. Thomas W. Winter, a pioneer of 1850, died in Salt Lake City, May 1, 1911, 77 years of age. He was born in Bath,England,and was baptized into the Church at the age of ten, coming to the United States in 1849, and arriving in Salt Lake City, February 5, 1850. He was a member of the famous Captain Ballo's brass band, and took a prominent part in breaking the ground for the temple and the laying the corner stone, and in other work of the pioneers. John W. Taylor Excommunicated.—The following notice appeared in the Deseret News in the early part of May: Today by unanimous vote of the council of the Twelve Apostles, it was decided that John W. Taylor be, and he is hereby excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for insubordination to the government and dicipline of the Church. Francis M. Lyman, In behalf of the Council. Salt Lake City, Utah, March 28, 1911. Tom Loftin Johnson, Democratic congressman, 1891-5, from the 21st Ohio district, and also four terms, 1902-10, mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, died April 10. He was the author of three-cent carfares in Cleveland to which he owed his numerous elections to the mayorship. He also advocated strongly the single tax theories of the late Henry George. He was born in Georgetown, Ky., July 18, 1854, Of his career it is said, he was always in the center of some storm, financial or political.

PASSING EVENTS. 755 Henry Cox, for many years foreman of the old smithy in operating the building of the Salt Lake Temple, died April 16, 1911. He was born in Sunderland, England, joined the Church in his native land, and emigrated to America, crossing the plains in 1865. His skill as a blacksmith attracted wide attention in those early days, and he was later placed as the chief of the temple blacksmith shop, holding the position for seventeen years. He was one of the first settlers in the 21st ward, and took an active part in Church work all his life. "Mother Stories From the Book of Mormon" is the title of a nicely printed story book by William A. Morton, author of The Gospel Primer, Primary Helper, and the Ghildren's Life of Our Savior, etc. The volume consists of twenty Book of Mormon stories, suitably adapted and attractively told, and dealing with interesting incidents in the life of Nephi, Lehi, Zeniff, Sons of Mosiah, the Three Nephites, Samuel the Lamanite, two memorable battles, and Christ's visit to the Nephites. Every mother in the land should find the contents of this book of great interest to her children as bed-time stories. More Congressmen.—On the morning of April 27 the House of Representatives passed a bill providing for the enlargement of the National House of Representatives from 391 to 433 members. The apportionment to the several states will be made on the basis of the population shown by the recent federal census. This bill is known as the Houston bill, and leaves the legislatures of the different states to re-arrange the congressional districts in their respective states on the basis of the new population, one member for each 211,877 inhabitants. Utah will gain one member. Elizabeth Richardson Huffaker, died in Salt Lake City, April 26, 1911, and funeral services were held at the Waterloo ward house, Sunday, April 30, 1911, She was born in New Hampshire, May 28, 1829. Her parents joined the Church shortly after its organization, moving to Kirtland, in 1838, thence to Nauvoo. Mrs. Richardson experienced all the sorrows and trials incident to the troubles there, and later, to pioneer life in the west. She married Simpson David Huffaker at Nauvoo, in 1845, and with her husband crossed the plains in Jedediah M. Grant's company, in the fall of 1847. Mrs. Huffaker was a member of the Relief society organized by the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo; she was the mother of fifteen children. A decision against the Standard Oil Company was rendered by the U. S. Supreme Court, May 15. The court affirmed the decision of

756 IMPROVEMENT ERA. the Circuit court of Missouri in the case of the United States vs. The Standard Oil Company, which company is enjoined and prohibited from voting the stock, controlling or directing, supervising or influencing the acts of its subsidiary companies, by virtue of its holding of their stock. Corporations are satisfied with the decision, particularly the trusts, and a revival of business is predicted. A "reasonable'' restraint of t*"ade is recognized by the court, and this gives "good" trusts a lease of life; but the Standard Oil was adjudged a monopoly engaged in an ' 'unreasonable" restraint of trade, and so was dissolved. Writings of William Halls is a well arranged book of some 150 pages just issued from the press of the Deseret News, containing twentyfour essays and poems, with an auto-biographical sketch of the author, William Halls, one of the early English missionaries, and pioneers of Utah. The volume is dedicated to the author's children, grandchildren, and the young men of Zion. The essays consist of a study of the philosophy of the gospel, showing the truth of the fundamental principles of Christianity, and the evidences that prove the divine mission of Joseph Smith as a Prophet of God. There are four characteristic poems, "The 'Mormon' Creed," "Blind Obedience," "Bill Jones' Hay Rake" and the "Church Tramp.'' All together the essays are of the kind that build faith, stability and character. The author's address is Mancos, Colorado. Reciprocity in "Favored Nations."—Some have raised the question whether under the proposed reciprocity treaty with Canada, the clause in existing commercial treaties with Great Britain, Germany and other European countries promising them the same treatment as the "most favored nations" might also give them the right to demand for their traders the low duties conceded to Canada. The U. S. Customs Court on April 10, decided this question in the negative, referring to the tariff act of 1897 which empowers the president to negotiate reciprocity agreements with other countries. The court holds in substance that when a concession is made, in consideration of a concession from the other country, the clause referred to does not apply; as otherwise a third nation would secure without any concession what was given to the nation with which the reciprocal agreement was made in consideration of a concession. South Pole Expeditions now number four: Captain R. F. Scott of the British Antarctic Expedition; the Norwegian expedition party, Captain Roald Amundson, with Nansen's old ship the Fram; the Japanese expedition which left Wellington, New Zealand, in February;

PASSING EVENTS. 757 and, lastly, the recently organized Australian expedition led by Dr. Douglas Mawson. When the long antarctic day dawns, these four expeditions will begin their final dash for the South Pole. All of them are at present passing the long southern night in different winter quarters. These expeditions will doubtless meet harsher weather than those of the north but they travel over a continent and not upon a frozen sea. The antarctic region is a realm of desolation, there being no human being nearer than Cape Horn, which is 2,300 miles from the pole. Animal and vegetable life are practically unknown on the antartic continent. Affairs in Mexico during the month moved with great rapidity, for that land of tomorrow. On April 23, Madero signed an armistice for five days, "to negotiate peace in conferences to follow." Peace negotiations continued for several days, the armistice being extended from time to time. While the situation was yet unsettled, based upon the refusal of President Diaz to resign, the impatient army of Madero numbering three thousand secured his consent to take Ciudad Juarez, and on May 9 there was fierce fighting in the streets of the city, Federal General, Juan J. Navarro finally surrendering himself captive after two days of battle, to the insurrecto,Colonel Garibaldi, on the 10th. The dead num. bered sixty and the wounded more than a hundred. The city was burned and ruined in many parts. Four Americans were killed in El Paso and sixteen wounded. On the 11th, General Madero formed a provisional government with Juarez as capital, and named a cabinet, himself the provisional president. The soldiers were in bad plight, and the wounded suffered greatly. General Orozo was displeased with Madero's neglect of the soldiers, and for a time, on the 13th, there was danger of rebellion among the rebels, owing to a clash between the military and civil authorities of the new government. In various other parts of the country barbarous fighting continued, the federals generally losing. On the Nth, a five-day armistice went into effect, and it was announced that President Diaz and Vice President Corral will resign, while Minister of Foreign Relations De La Barra will act as President ad interim, General Madero, President of the Provisional Government, to be called to the City of Mexico as his advisor on the reconstruction of the government. On the 21st, representatives of the government and the insurrectionists signed a peace compact, which ends the war that was begun November 20, 1910. The political battles of reconstruction now begin. An Anti-''Mormon" mass meeting was held in London, April 28, under the presidency of Bishop Welldon. Resolutions were passed calling on the government to take steps to stop activities of "Mormon"

758 IMPRO VEMENT ERA. missionaries in England. The London Times has sent a special representative to Utah to investigate "Mormonism," the action being brought about by the activity of English clergymen against the Latter-day Saints' missionary efforts in England. The Times representative, Mr. H. Perry Robinson arrived in Salt Lake City, April 29, to remain four or five weeks. He said on his arrival: "It is against our ethics to state just what we are going to do. I desire to learn the facts absolutely as they are, and to give my paper the absolute truth." He secured a statement from President Smith which appeared in the Times on May Day, as follows: Times, London:—"The President of the Mormon Church has given me the following for publication in the Times: To Ministers oj the Gospel of all Denominations and to the Public oj Great Britain-—With a view to counteracting the misrepresentation now being made in England and in the hope to establish the truth, I declare that during the nine years of my presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no man in the Church having one wife has been permitted to take to himself another, and no one in authority in the Church has been permitted to perform such a marriage under pain of being excommunicated from the Church. No person in any land is invited to become a member of the Church with the expectation of living in any other marriage state than that which obtains in all Christian countries: but all persons are invited only to join us as brothers in Jesus Christ and to share the fulness of grace vouchsafed to us as we believe in revelations. The Church enjoins on all its members obedience to the laws and to all properly constituted authority. Any statement to the contrary or which ascribes to the Church any willingness to countenance or encourage any form of immorality or loose living whatsoever is false and will bring condemnation on its authors. We ask you to unite with us in opposition to all appeals to passion or prejudice at this time,and earnestly solicit the most searching investigation into the conduct of our members in every community of the Church. We pledge ourselves to do all in our power to assist in such investigation. May the blessing of God be with you always. The above was also read and approved by Presidents Lund and John Henry Smith, who with President Joseph F. Smith constitute what is called the first presidency of the Church. It is therefore official to the fullest extent. All unite in requesting me to impress through the Times on the English people the extreme desire of the leaders of the Church for an exhaustive and dispassionate investigation. Robinson.