The First 100 Years: A History of The Salt Lake Tribune 1871-1971 by O.N. Malmquist

The Irrepressible Conflict THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE was born into a frontier world of inflamed conflict — economic, political, ecclesiastical and social. Unlike most newspapers, it was not established primarily as a business enterprise to record the events of the period. It was, initially, a product of and very much a part of the conflict.

The founders, excommunicated converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, could not have been so unrealistic as to expect it to become a profitable enterprise in the foreseeable future. They had had previous journalistic experiences at considerable out-of-pocket expense. They knew their new daily newspaper would be a spokesman for a very small minority. What they probably did not realize at the time was that this minority carried within itself an irrepressible conflict.

It was, as they quickly discovered, made up of dissident Mormons who were opposed to the church's economic and political policies but who were unwilling to crusade for retroactive destruction of the institution of polygamy; of moderate gentiles who were in partial agreement with them; of embittered apostates and excommunicants; of vindictive anti-Mormons who were determined to wage total war upon the church.

While the avowed goal of The Tribune founders was to generate and support a New Movement of accommodation to replace the successive policies of, first, isolation and then insulation, their projected coalition was soon shattered by the diverse ele-