The Montana post., 1869-03-19
THE HEEL OF ACHILLES

OF
The Deseret Netos driven to a corner,
when it must choose between declaring
polygamy part of the Mormon relig-
ion, or turn its back upon the New York
World, in it's endeavor to shoulder the
crimes of the twin relic of barbarism, has
declared polygamy is a part of the Mors
mon religion. This, Notwithstanding,
and we challenge the denial, that it is in
direct violation of the injunction of the
Book of Mormon, which they assume as
Divine Revelation.
By the way, this humbug Mormon BIZ
bic has a: leas: one merritt is unique"
In 1912, a certain Solomon Spalding, a
shiftless ex-preacher with a greater pen
chant for scribbling yarns than preach
ing Orthodox sermons, wrote up a stu
pid novel, attempting to weave into it a
theory, then believed by some, that the
North American Indians were the Lost
Tribes OF Israel. Getting frightened up
in money matters, he took it to the old
Gazette office in Pittsburgh, Pa, for pub
lication. While it was there, a vagrant
typo named Sidney Rigdon, with about
conscientiousness enough for a good
Saint. copied the manuscript surrepti-
tiously and starting out on a tramp
turned il to account by preaching from
il, and was the first Latter Day Saint
Happening To fall in with Joe Smith,
the illiterate Vermont renegade, togeth-
er, they interpolated it with passages
from the Scriptures and SOME of their
own twaddle. which Smith read from
behind a blanket 20 Oliver Cowdery, an
amanuensis, and it was given to the
world as the Book of Mormon. This
Rigdon became u full partner o. Smith
and was one of the big guns, until en-
deavoring a little bigamy at Nauvoo, he
was "cut off" and given over to the
devil by Brigham. shortly after he
threshed the little boy in Cincinnati for
calling him polygamist.
However, this is the history of the
Book of Mormon, and so long as they
accept it as the Divine law, we hold
them to it, though it were absurd as
Gullivers Travels or obscene as Bishop
Wooley's sermons.
1t emphatically and repeatedly forbids
polygamy. Upon that, we asserted
polygamy was not part of the Mormon
religion. The Netos avows it Is, and
charges US with "mutilating Scrip
ture" % because we did not publish ems
tire sleepy Indian story with Bible ex-
tracts sandwiched in it, like boiled ham
between two pieces of sole leather. We
are obliged to the NetoS for the avowal
although it gives its Bible the lie direct.
We believe this is the first time such a
declaration has appeared in a Church
paper since the law making bigamy in
| Utah a CRIME punishable with fine and
J Imprisonment. Brigham has been mar
| RED many times since, but it has been
carefully kept out of the papers. Now
| that the Church organ has defiantly
avowed that bigamy is a part OF the
| Church doctrine, there is but one just
\ course and alternative for the Govern~
ment, to wipe out MOrmonism. root and
\ branch, or repeal all laws against biga-
my throughout the land. If Brigham
Young has right 10 defy the United
| States Government, so has any and
every other citizen. We have never
| favored extreme measures toward the
Mormons, believing polygamy not q
part of their religion and that they
would yield to the laws, but If il is, as
they assert, the sooner the Government
crushes it, the better for all. No other
Christian Government on earth would
permit it's practices; this Government
cannot long, and should not NJ all.
The Nelcs thinks we should rebuke
the San Francisco Times, Chronicle and
Bulletin for the articles which il ''Inu
tilates" into its columns. Having more
strongly opposed AsEley's bill thar
either of those papers, we therefore have
no fault to find with the objective point
of the articles. The Bulletin is mista,
ken, vastly, if it thinks polygamy tn,
only non-American feature in the Nor
mon Church and we fully agree will
the Times and with the Chronicle, tha
mo covert or indirect measures shoulC
be taken against the Mormons." Th'
blow square on the head. drives hom,
the nail, and we are much mistaken, !
the indiscreet declaration of Mr.. Can
non does not precipitate the blow tha
} is descending upon the painted hariot o
, Utah.