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Show 28. r e s o u r c e s of t h e p e o p l e w i t h i n t h e m s e l v e s , w h i c h w o u l d a l s o p r e s e r v e their social unity. The m e t h o d s of c o - o p e r a t i o n w e r e not y e t perfectly worked out• That was a p r o b l e m f o r t h e m e r c h a n t s , and i t was l e f t for them to s o l v e . As one w r i t e r s a y s " t h e i n s p i r a t i o n of t h e movement w a s f r o m t h e C h u r c h , w h i l e i t s s u c c e s s w a s i n s u c h men a s J e n n i n g s , Hooper, E l d r i d g e , and Clawson, b u t e s p e c i a l l y was t h e c o m m e r c i a l c a s e w o r k of Mr. J e n n i n g s , w i t h h i s E a g l e Emporium, r e q u i r e d f o r t h e f o u n d a t i o n of an i n s t i t u t i o n c o l o s s a l enough for a whole community". The movement h a v ing been started, meeting followed meeting. They were h e l d i n t h e v a r i ous w a r d s a l l t h r o u g h t h e C h u r c h , w h e r e t h e m a t t e r was e l a c e d b e f o r e t h e p e o p l e and s u b s c r i p t i o n s f o r s t o c k were t o be t a k e n and s e n t t o t h e o f f i c e of Mr. H o o p e r . At t h e O c t o b e r c o n f e r e n c e a r e s o l u t i o n w a s u n a n i m o u s l y a d o p t e d p l e d g i n g t h e p e o p l e to be s e l f s u s t a i n i n g * The i n t e r p r e t a t i o n placed on t h i s b y P r e s i d e n t Young w a s t h a t a " L a t t e r - d a y S a i n t s h o u l d n o t t r a d e w i t h an o u t s i d e r , " f o l l o w i n g up t h e o l d d o c t r i n e t h a t had been p r e a c h e d f o r y e a r s t o "Trade w i t h and s u s t a i n y o u r f r i e n d s ; l e t your e n e m i e s h a v e none of y o u r s u b s t a n c e w i t h w h i c h t o w o r k y o u r downfall* Of c o u r s e t h i s b r o u g h t o p p o s i t i o n , a n d n o o n e k n e w b e t t e r t h a n t h e G e n t i l e M e r c h a n t s t h a t i t meant r u i n t o them i f i t were l i v e d up t o . Bitter n e s s of f e e l i n g g r e w b e t w e e n t h e d i f f e r e n t f a c t i o n s of t h e c o m m u n i t y . The g r e a t o v e r l a n d r a i l r o a d was a l r e a d y b u i l d i n g , and a s i t gradu a l l y a p p r o a c h e d U t a h new p r o b l e m s a r o s e . I t was t h e t h r e a t t h a t the r a i l r o a d , t h a t g r e a t c i v i l i z e r w o u l d b r e a k i n n i e c e s t h e Mormon commun ity. Yet t h e Mormons w e l c o m e d i t and d i d a l l i n t h e i r power t o h a s t e n its progress. Put t h e r e were grave d a n g e r s c o n f r o n t i n g t h e Church and e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e c o m m e r c i a l l i n e , and i t was t h e s e t h a t made P r e s i d e n t Young so a n x i o u s t o g e t t h e g r e a t c o - o p e r a t i v e movement l a u n c h e d b e f o r e . the railroad reached Utah. On F r i d a y , O c t • 1 6 t h , a m e e t i n g o f a l l share h o l d e r s i n t h e c o n t e m p l a t e d s t o r e was h e l d i n t h e C i t y H a l l when officers w e r e e l e c t e d a s f o l l o w s : - B r i g h a m Y o u n g P r e s i d e n t , J c m n M. B e r n h i s e l , V i c e P r e s i d e n t a n d w i t h t h e s e G e o r g e A . S m i t h , G e o r g e 0,. C a n n o n , Horace S . E l d r e d g e , W. W. L a w r e n c e , , a m * W i l l i a m J e n n i n g s c o m p o s e d t h e direct o r a t e • A c o m m i t t e e composed of F r a n k l i n D. R i c h a r d s , A u r e l i u s M i n e r , H e n r y W, H a i s b i t t a n d J a m e s W o o d m a n s e e w e r e a p p o i n t e d t o d r a w u p a c o n s t i t u t i o n and by-laWs and t h e s e c r e t a r y was a p p o i n t e d t o r e c e i v e sub s c r i p t i o n s , by t h e f i r s t offNovember if p o s s i b l e . But t h e a f f a i r al t h o u g h o r g a n i z e d d r a g g e d on u n t i l t h e c l o s e of t h e y e a r . E a r l y i n 1 8 6 9 a c o m m i t t e e w a i t e d on t h e P r e s i d e n t f o r a d v i c e , but h i s o n l y a n s w e r w a s , "Go t o w o r k a n d d o i t . " S o o n t h e q u e s t i o n again c a m e u p " w h a t s h a l l we d o ? " a g a i n t h e r e p l y , " g o t o w o r k a n d d o i t , " "but how?"the questioner continued, "we h a v e n ' t e n o u g h m o n e y , we h a v e n ' t the g o o d s - ' , we h a v e n o b u i l d i n g , we h a v e n ' t s u f f i c i e n t c r e d i t . " " G o t o w o r k a n d do i t a n d I w i l l show y o u h o w " , w a s t h e o n l y a n s w e r t h e y c o u l d g e t . They went to work, but t h e a f f a i r s t i l l l a g g e d . In the meantime e v e n t s h a p p e n e d t h a t gave t h e movement f o r t h e -Salt Lake m e r c h a n t s a new m e a n i n g . I n t h e l a t t e r p a r t of November a c o n v e n t i o n h e l d a t St. George f o r ed the "Southern Utah C o - o p e r a t i v e M e r c a n t i l e Association," w i t h E r a s t u s Snow p r e s i d e n t , a l s o a b o a r d of d i r e c t o r s a n d o t h e r officers The n e x t movement came f r o m P r o v o , a n d t h i s p r e s e n t e d - a more for midable appearance. 1 |
