Your letters of the 24th & 29th ult.
have been received, the last one having just come to
hand, and been perused with considerable interest.
I was very glad to hear of your movements, and
that you are taking the business of the emigration
in hand so promptly and pursuing your investiga-
tions so thoroughly. You will now be in a position
to decide understandingly as to which is the best and
safest route for the people to travel by. Your
familiarity with the Guion Steamships and the
methods they employ will enable you to judge with
Page 2
considerable certainty as to the merits of the two lines
and to decide which, under the circumstances, is the
better line for the Saints to come by.
Respecting the newspapers of which you make mention, and from which you send us
extracts, you will be better able to decide after
seeing Maude, who can give you the information
necessary concerning them and the power of our
friends to reach them. His presence in Washington
will enable you to understand the situation much
better than it would be possible to learn by letter
or by telegram, as he can give you a knowledge
of the influences which are at work and the ability
of our friends to reach papers and persons that may
be necessary to make our business successful.
I trust you have been able to see him and that
your interviews have been satisfactory. We received
a dispatch from him after he reached Washington,
in which he informed us that he had not yet
met with you.
Page 3
The documents sent for by Brother Franklin S. Richards have been sent in part. The
dispatches requesting them found us in a bad position
to supply that which he asked for. All our doc-
uments were taken hurriedly out of the Historian
Office and were not left in such an orderly manner
as to enable anyone to readily find any document
that might be needed. Not only did it require a
thorough search of all papers, but unfortunately the
person who knew their whereabouts was not in the
city. This has occasioned great delay. A batch of
documents were sent yesterday; some more will be
sent to-day, though we fear, from Brother Richards'
dispatch, that those sent to-day will not be in time
to answer his purpose. Our attorneys in the Legislature
have been so busily employed that it was almost im-
possible for them to spare the time at once to get
up affidavits of the kind required. If they had had
a little more time, they could have arranged better;
but the Legislature being so near the close of its session
necessarily compelled them to spend the greater part
Page 4
of their time in that body, or great injury might be
done by hasty and ill-considered legislation.
I have had a quorum of the Twelve
within reach now for some little time past. I think
it important that when needed we can have a quorum
of our Council, so that the responsibility may be borne
by the Quorum. Questions are constantly arising of
an important character, and I do not wish any of
us to be placed in a position where it could be said
by absent ones that if they had been present they
should have recommended a different policy. Besides,
I think it due to the brethren that having the
responsibility they should have the opportunity of giv-
ing their views. We had a meeting last night;
there were present nine of the Twelve—myself, Brothers E. Snow, F. D. Richards, Geo. Q. Cannon, B. Young, M.
Thatcher, F. M. Lyman, J. H. Smith, and H. J. Grant.
Respecting ex-Senator Pomeroy, you
will learn, doubtless, considerable from Maude and how
far he can be trusted.
Page 5
We regret that Brother John W. Young should
feel as you describe. His expressions concerning being
left in the lurch or being crushed have no founda-
tion in fact. There has been no such disposition
manifested by the Committee towards him. We have
treated him with all the consideration and respect
that could be reasonably asked. Certainly we have
tried to treat him with more courtesy than we think
we have received. If he will only reflect as he should
do, he will see that there has been no manifestation
on our part to do him the least injury, or to treat
him in any way that should displease an honorable
and upright man. The Committee certainly have ask-
ed no more from him than they themselves are
expected to perform. Money is placed in their
hands; but they will have to account for its expendi-
ture; and this is but reasonable. Confidence cannot be
maintained in any other way. We owe it to ourselves
and our future reputations that we should be able to
render a strict account of all that passes through our
hands, so that no suspicion can arise as to our
Page 6
management of funds. In asking him to do the
same, we have as much regard for his honor as
we have for our own. We know that it is the
only way that we can take to inspire confidence
and to remove feelings of distrust. We sincerely hope
that he will see the propriety of the request that
we have made, and that he will join heartily with you in your labor and manifest that confidence in
making known his plans that you desire.
My health is good, as well as that of all
the brethren, so far as I know. The weather has
been somewhat wintry since the last of February.
With love to yourself, to Brothers Caine, Young, Richards, Penrose, Nuttall, and Gibbs, in which the
brethren join,
I remain
Your Brother,
W Woodruff
[sideways text] Wilford Woodruff
Rec'd Mar. 12, 1888
Ans'd [Mar.] 13 —[1888]— [end of sideways text]