The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-07-14
Waits From Washington.
Washington, D. G., July $40.
MORMONIsM,

Waits From Washington.
Washington, D. G., July $40.
MoRMoN1sM. =.
The auditorium of the lecture
room of tho Metropolitan Methodist
Episcopal Church was crowded last
evening, by an intelligent audiencc,
to listen to lecture, by Edward
Tunidge. who was formerly Nor
mon Elder at Salt Lake City. He
scarcely alluded TO polygamy, but
took tho question Of Mormon Theoc:
racy which he denounced as no bet.
tor than treason to tho United States
Government. He proceeded to show
that tho Mormon strength is recrui-
ted, in o great measure, from the
Methodist Church, and stated that
in early years ho had boon an -advo-i
cate of that belieflss Ho believed
Congress could not frame and pass
bill, which would definitely and
permanently settle this vexed ques-
ton until the Mormon people were
better understood. Their people
should be placed under christian
influence, &c.
The speaker thought that Nor
monism had been left to itself too
long, that it was the most potent Or
ganization that ever existed except
tho Roman Catholic Church, aud
was now in condition to work the
country much evil lift were SO dis
posed. He considered all theocracies
as reasonable, and thought that
they should be crushed out. The
M6f4Dr Kingdom of God," had it
been established in England, would,
long years ago have come in conflict
with the Government authorities,
because one of the principal dogmas
of the Mormon belief Is that all gov
erments, not of the Mormon King
dom, are usurpations. 1t was time,
he said, that the Mormons of Amer
lea were taught that governments
came up from the people, and not
down from God. 1t was the bless
ings only that came from God. This
no believed to be the doctrine of re-
publicanism. ~ a3a,1
The Mormon mission was one OF
grand ambition to begin schemes Of
empire in this country. Empire was
what Joseph Smith aimed, at when
he first instituted the sect on this
continent, and to carry out that pol
icy he imported converts to estab-
lish his kingdom, knowing he could
not trust the American converts to
support any scheme that tended to
subvert their liberties. In 1851
| there were 10000 Mormons In Eng
land, and frequent conferences held
in every village in the country. He
was of the opinion that Mormon ge-
MUS and designs were akin TO Mo-
hammedanism. They were not at
all Christian. Mormon theocracy,
he said, was political and not re-
ligious scheme. The leadera Of tho
Mormons had always looked forward
to being the President of the United
States, in fact Brigham Young to-day
called himself the Viceregent Of God,
and had annouced himself as Presi-
dent and U. S. Grant as an usurper.
The speaker said that already he
| had forfeited his life by talking as ne
had, and that he dared not return to
Utah. ss. as.
CONTESTED ELECTION CASE.
Ono of the most important con-
tested election cases ever decided by
the House of Representatives, was
that of Barnes against Adams, from
the eighth district of Kentucky.
The case was decided last Tuesday.
The report was made by Hoa. Geo.
w. McCrary, member of the COM
| mittce on elections. Tho debate on
the case was an animated and able
Iona, and commanded a great deal of
interest in tho house. Colonel
Barnes, the party contesting, is a
prominent republican, but when Mr..
McCrary assumed the position of a
Judge in q case which involved i'm
portant rights, he laid aside every YES
tige of partisan feeling, and, after q
rigid examination of the case, made
to tho house an elaborate and able
report, in which he holds that Adams,
the sitting member, and democrat,
was duly elected and entitled to the
seat. It appears that for long
series of wears an exceedingly tech
nical rule has prevailed in the house,
by which whole precincts have been
thrown out, on the basis of
some irregularity of proceeding
Or disqualification of election
of oficers-such as a want of
proper age, or a failure Ito be
sworn, &c. This rule, deleterious in
its effects, has resulted in increasing
tho number of contests, and has often
resulted in defeating, rather than
protecting, and insuring the will of
the majority. But in the courts of
the country, an entirely different
rule has prevailed. Mr.. McCrary, in
his report, proves beyond doubt that
all the authorities are to the effect
that the want OF qualifications in the
officer Of election, will not in the
ABSENCE of fraud vitiate the election.
and result in Acknowledgement of
honest voters. 1t WAS regarded q
bold thing in o new member to at
tack a long line of presidents in the
house, and render o decision against
political friend, and in favor of a
political opponent, for the sake Of
principle. McCrary was just the
man to do what he conceived his
duty, in spite of all opposing forces.
Colonel Barnes is popular man in
the house, and it has been for some
time known, that himselfand friends
were organizing for big fight
against McCrary's report, and having
the public sympathy of a majorlty:of
the house, they hoped to carry every
thing before them. And when it
was found that, such men as General
Banks, of Massachusetts,, Horace
Maynard, Of Tennessee, J John Cobdrn,
of Indiana, and William Lawrence,
Of Ohio, were pledged to speak and
vote against the report, its fate scem-
cd doubtful. Having rendered the
report, Mr.. McCrary made tho open