Being one of the Committee of Supervision
over the affairs of the German paper, the
"Intelligenz blatt," I deem it my duty to
make hereby to You a report about some
of the recent occurrances.
Last Tuesday morning Mr. Jos. W. Dittrich,
the Editor, wrote to me, in my capacity as
Committee member; and told me, to take notice
and bring to the notice of the other members,
that in consequence of some reports
concerning him, as having indirectly
caused the arrest of one of our Missionaries
in Bohemia (Austria.), he feels so
embittered about the way he has been
treated, that he "protests as an under
the law legitimized Editor against the
further issuance of the above named
newspaper under its own or his name.
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He further says, that he will take lawful
steps to secure unto him his literary rights,
acknowledged in every Country, if
the Committee should refuse to tpurchase
his ownership or right from him. I paid him a visit and there I
learned that he intends to leave Utah and thinks we shall pay
him enough for this right or
ownership, to get away. I tried to
encourage him from the standpoint
of the Gospel, but aggreed to nothing
concerning the other matter. We
aggreed however, that the present
number (now in the press,) should
appear under its title, only Mr. Dittrichs name should be left out.
I have notified Bro. Maeser
concerning the matter.
Now this morning Mr. Dittrich has
sent me another letter, protesting
against the issuance of the paper
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alltogether, unless we satisfy him
for his claim of ownership as founder
of the paper. He bases this claim
on the following points:
1. He is the founder and qualified
under the law.
2. It was not his intention to issue a
paper in the interest of Mormonism
purely; that he has been asked
in a correspondence from Washington,
whether he had read the article
"robbery of Church property" before he
published it.
3. If the paper ceases to exist, the Committee
still remains responsible to pay him
said recompence for the time of its
existence, because the Committee used
his paper as an advertising medium,
and contracted ^for^ advertisements to the
amount of 700 Dollars, without hiasking
him for his consent.
4. If the Committee even changes the
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paper, and only 1 of the present
advertisements is left therein, such
act would be punishable under
the law.
He demands therefore a sum large enough
to enable him, wife and 4 children to
leave here and go to Paris. He
thinks by going thus away with a
good sum, he saves us the ugly
lawsuit, and a scandal, which the
American press eagerly looks for.
Dear President, I bring this to your notice,
and if you have to give to the Committee
some council, as we meet next Monday
at 730 in the Presidents Office, we
would feel greatly obliged to you.