"Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year," was the word of the Lord to them, "and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." President Taylor resolved that something of this spirit should enter into the teachings and proceedings of the Jubilee Conference. "It occurred to me," said he to the Saints assembled on that occasion, "that we ought to do something, as they did in former times, to relieve those that are oppressed with debt, to assist those that are needy, to break off the yoke of those that may feel themselves crowded upon, and to make it a time of general rejoicing."
Many of the Saints had been gathered from the Eastern States and the countries of the old world through means furnished by the Perpetual Emigration Fund Company. A company organized for the gathering of the poor. The manner in which the poor were assisted to emigrate by this company was as follows:
The company forwarded the means necessary for their emigration and took their notes at the legal rate of interest. When the notes were paid, the money was thrown back into the fund to be used again in assisting others. But many of those thus assisted were old and decrepit; and after their arrival in Utah, poverty refused to release his clutch upon them, and they found it difficult and in some instances impossible to meet their obligations. Then others, the fund company not being importunate in its demands upon them, became careless and neglected to take up their notes. Others lost the faith, and with it, in most cases, all sense of honor, and ignored their obligations. Through these causes a large indebtedness to the fund had accumulated by the year 1880. The principal of the indebtedness amounted to $704,000. The interest, extending along for many years, at 10 per cent. per annum, amounted to $900,000, making in all $1,604,000.
President Taylor proposed that one-half of this amount of the people's indebtedness to the Fund, $802,000, be released; that is, that the worthy poor throughout Zion who were unable to meet their engagements with the Fund be forgiven their indebtedness, not half of it, but the whole. The amount released was to be applied to their benefit in this way. The debtors able to pay were to be held accountable for the amounts they owed. "In former times," said President Taylor, in explaining this matter, "they did not release the rich, it was the poor. The rich can always take care of themselves—that is, so far as this world is concerned."
Then there was a tithing indebtedness on the books of the bishop of the Church against the Saints, amounting to $151,798. President Taylor proposed that one half of that, $75,899, be released to the poor on the same principle that one-half of the Fund indebtedness was released. Both of these propositions were carried by the unanimous vote of the conference.
The year 1879 was a very trying one in Utah. The drouth was excessive, and crops consequently light. The winter was one of the severest ever experienced, and thousands of cattle and sheep perished. Some people had lost their last cow, and others all the sheep they had. "Now," said President Taylor, "we propose to raise 1000 head of cows—not old cows which do not give any milk, nor any one teated cows, but good milk cows—and have them distributed among those that may be destitute in the different stakes, under the direction of the authorities thereof." The Church was to put in 300 head of the 1,000, the other 700 head to be furnished by the stakes.
He also proposed that 5,000 head of sheep be appropriated to the poor, to be distributed by the same authorities, 2,000 of which the Church was to furnish, and the stakes the remainder.
For years the servants of the Lord had urged the Saints to store up grain, but only a few had acted upon their advice. The result was that many were without grain even for seed. The Female Relief Society, however, had been wiser than individuals, and had stored up wheat in nearly all the settlements of the Saints. President Taylor now saw an opportunity to use it, and give a practical illustration of the wisdom that had counseled storing up grain. "Inasmuch as the brethren," he remarked, "had been careless and slow to heed the counsel of President Young in relation to storing away wheat, he [President Young] requested the sisters to do it, and some of us 'lords of creation' thought it a very little thing for our sisters to be engaged in. But we find now they are of some use, and that the 'ladies of creation' can do something as well as we 'lords.' * * They have 34,761 bushels of wheat? Who of you men can raise that much? Where's your wheat?" (Laughter.)
"Now," he continued, "those 34,761 bushels of wheat will be of considerable importance judiciously managed, and loaned out to some of our poor brethren. It will furnish seed wheat and after harvest they can return it again. We do not want any more harsh talk about the woman question after this."
A voice. "May they [the sisters] vote now?"