The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-06-05
FROM THE LOWER REGIONS.


France, the lily-bannered, sunny
land, has its " natural enemy in foggy
England. We of the sadly bachelorized
mountains and valleys have ours in the
Southern Sodom and the plains about,
where prophet-preached polygamy is an
exhausting pump that would make a
perpetual vacuum in this would-be re-
ceiver of fair femininity. Thus at least
are we enemies, and thus do we not
sympathize with the Lion of Utah, in
that's number of his tithe-ridden, rebel
lious sub-saints in the rural districts,
with a spirit of resistance that is grow
ing rapidly, recently refused to pay into
the Church store houses q tenth of their
carnal gains as they needed it to pay
their individual debts. They gave
President Brigham a deal of trouble.
He journeyed into the provinces and
preached unto the people of their Saint
ly duty, besides doing a little ungodly
wire-pulling with the Elders. He has
been measurably successful. We have
in the Ne1cs the text of the former, and
would like very much to have a report
of the latter. The following extracts
are from the " Remarks of " President
Brigham" at Bountiful City, May IL.
Here is sigh for the olden times, lit
tie piece of selfishness, a puff for our :"
old carding machine, and an expose of
the ruinous extravaganza that melted
the people to refuse the tithings:
When we, as a people, can come to under
stand that we can live by ourselves, then we
can live of ourselves, without any outside
world. We did live so when we first came
here. Were there any stores to go to Were
there places to go to where money could be
hired ? Did we live? Yes. Were we healthy
Yes. Much healthier, as a people, than we
are now. Did we grow and increasel Yes,
and as soon as we had time to till the earth
and reap a crop, we produced wheat and corn
and potatoes. We turned our cattle on to
the range to make our beef. We had plenty
of wheat. We began to make our clothing
here. We drove in sheep and we took care of
the wool, and made it into cloth. L brought
a carding machine with me. 1t wa the only
one in the Territory for years, and it carded
up a great deal of wool. We made up this
wool into cloth and wore it. When the gold
came, then merchants came and the spirit of
speculation came. linen men ran TO tue EOlQ
mines to get money; and then was the rush to
the stores. Says the husband, "I must have
a suit of broadcloth and n fine pair of boots"
while the wife and daughters said they must
have nice bonnets and dresses; and this has
been continued until we have involved our
selves.
And here Brigham informs the Moth-
ers in Israel that unless he instructs
them how to darn their damaged hose,
cure infant chickens of tho "gapes," and
wean stubborn calves from their affec-
tionate bovine mothers, they will all go
to ruin in a bunch
Now, some of my brethren may ask, "Bro.
Brigham, do you expect to dictate me where
I shall SOW my wheat, and when shall sow
it, and in similar matters2" 1 have said and
will say again, if Brother Brigham had time
to be in every house he would teach them how
to keep house. How many sisters set up their
stockings by guess work, and do you know
the number of the yarn and the number of
needles to use2 In this matter 1 would in
struct many of the sisters, if they would not
take umbrage at me for doing so. The sis
ters ought to know about housekeeping and
the brethren who farm, about farming, but
they need to be taught. Do you ask me If 1
am going to dictate you in such matters? If
an not to dictate you, you are not to be
saved in the kindgom calculate to be saved
in. If know something that you do not
understand it is my duty to teach you.
We would suggest if the Prophet has
lately had any useful revelation con-
cerning quartz mining, ." town site
entries" or banishing grasshoppers he
could find field for his usefulness in
this happy land of Canaan ~rI