THE CONQUEST OF ARID AMERICA 



men's faces. That the mines would some day be worked 

 by " Gentiles " he had no doubt, and he rightly calcu- 

 lated that his own people would enjoy more prosperity 

 by feeding the miners than by working the mines. A 

 few of the many millions afterwards taken from the 

 mountains around Salt Lake would have facilitated the 

 growth and equipment of the Mormon industries im- 

 mensely during the early years. But time and patience 

 accomplished in the end all perhaps more than an 

 abundance of original capital might have done. Nearly 

 all the industries essential to a complex and symmetrical 

 business economy have been established for many years. 

 Every important settlement has its co-operative store 

 and bank. From the great beet-sugar factory at Lehi 

 down to the smallest mercantile enterprise in the small- 

 est hamlet, the business is owned by a multitude of stock- 

 holders. 



The capital represents the surplus profits of the many. 

 The system bears no likeness to Socialism. Nothing is 

 owned by virtue of citizenship nor of membership in 

 the church. No one owns a dollar's worth of stock who 

 has not earned and paid for it. The system is nothing 

 but the joint-stock company with what may be called a 

 generous and friendly interpretation. That is to say, it 

 is really desired that everybody shall have an interest, 

 and that all shall share the benefits. It should not be 

 understood by any means that all have an equal owner- 

 ship in these various enterprises, for the Mormon system 

 has not resulted in making men equally successful. All 

 have had an equal chance however, and the weak have 

 been watched over and assisted by the strong. In- 

 deed, this latter is one of the few good results to bo 



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