[J. Reuben Clark]
Pursuant to an appointment made by President McKay for Brother Alexander Schreiner to see us at 9.30, we'Brother McKay and myself'began an interview with him at about 9.45, which continued until nearly 10.15. The interview grew a bit stormy, I furnishing the storm when Brother Schreiner tried to "pull some fast ones," so far as I was aware of the facts.
He began to build a story which was designed to make him The Organist in fact, even if not in name. I called his attention to the fact that President Grant had told Mrs. Schreiner, her father, and her mother, all three separately, that Brother Schreiner could not be The Organist. He was a little bit hazy in many of his statements. He was not quite prepared to say what it was he wanted, but he made it clear that he intended to edge everybody else out, and more or less to take over the Temple Block so far as the music was concerned. He misquoted the letter, which we had written to him, so flagrantly'having in mind the statement which he had made in his letter that he had resigned "in accordance with your (our) wishes,"that I felt in doubt about any other statement he made.
I am sure I was unduly rough with him, and I do regret it, but he seemed to me to be so obviously building up a record, carrying it to a point to such great selfishness, that I allowed myself to get out from under control a bit. He acted very much like a child'a spoiled one at that.
After this twenty or twenty-five minute discussion we told him to come back tomorrow, that we would in the meantime talk with the Bishopric and then let him know the situation.
Later in the afternoon Brother McKay and I, after the Council meeting, had a considerable discussion about it, and agreed that we would stand by our letter to Brother Schreiner of May 24, particularly the paragraph which reads as follows: "When you return, you will continue to be the senior member of the organists corps. Your work with the choir will be under the leader thereof, and the general supervision of all your work will be under the Presiding Bishopric."
We both agreed that it was of the essence that the spirit of the Sunday morning broadcast must not be disturbed.
[The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]
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