The Portland daily press., 1871-11-27

PORTLAND.
MONDAY MORNING. NOV. 81, 1871.
The Mormon Question.

oalt Lake City prominent Gentlle, In an llD
town hotel in New York city the other day
and interviewed him on the subject of recent
occurrences in Brigham Young's dominions
The dialogue between them. which will bo
found to contain some interesting facts ond
statements, was as follows:
40 what cause do you attribute the
present prosecution of the Mormon leaders
A.-Malnly to the influence of the Metho
dists. Judge Mexican and Gov Wood are
both Methodists, and some of the CentiIos of
Utah are just as fanatical as the Mormons.
Q.-What is the common feeling of the
Gentlles concerning these prosecutions
A.-Ihe Gentle merchants and capitalists
are not exactly in favor of the way in which
things are being done. They don't see how
society is going to be improved in any way. as
Mormon who has six wives can neither be
induced or forced to abandon five and take TO
one.
Q.-What nationality are the Mormons.
and how are they educated?
A.-The majority of the Mormons are Eng
lis, ilsh, Welsh, Swedes, Firms, and Norwegians.
mere are people among them from every
State In the Union, as many from Massacbn
sets as any other State. The masses are TO-
norant, but among the polygamous wives are
to be found ladies of good training, graduates
of eastern seminaries.
Q.-ls pOlygamy common among the Nor
mons?
A.-There is very mistaken notion about
that Not one married man in twenty-five
has more than one wife. At the same time
polygamy is not confined to the wealthy class
es. l know wretchedly poor man named
Bates, residing in the Ophr District, who has
seven wives and torty-two children. He keeps
his wives at work herding stock. 1t is onere-
deeming feature about Mormons that they all
work both men and women.
-Q.-Did you think Brigham had run away?
Al have thought lately that Brigham was
gone for good. But last fall, about this time,
he took just such trip, having with him five
or six wives, and 100 or 200 Of the Nauyoo
Legion.
Q.-What kind of men are the United
States officials in Utah?
A-They send broken-down politicians to
run the territory, men who could not get a
show at anything else. Governor Wood used to
be personal friend of Grant before the latter
was General or President. Brigham Young
has got more brains in his boots than Wood
has In his skull. Prosecuting Attorney Rus
kins, believe, had to leave Ohio for some
thing. Judge Mexican is interested in some
mining claims, and is scarcely fit man to sit
in Judgment on cases involving such claims.
Q.-What is the feeling of the Mormons to-
ward the federal government?
A.-They really do not acknowledge the
authority of the government. They fly the
United States flag, but their elders are preach
ing against the Union every Sunday. They
acknowledge no authority, civil or religious,
but that of their prophet.
Q.-Is the example of the Gentiles having
good effect upon the Mormons?
A.-The Gentlles who crowd to the mines
are not the best class in the world.
m 4hn Il. CuIL II Il q
A.-The Mormon cooperative institution
crusehs out nearly all opposition, but there is
one Gentle firm at Salt Lake City which does
a good business.
Q.-Are the women as a rule satisfied with
their lot?
A.-The only case of dissatisfaction / ev-
er knew was that of Mrs. Hawkins, and she
had good reason. Hawkins married her in
Birmingham, England, and she had four
or five children by him. After he came to
Mormondom he married Elizabeth Mears,
and put the first wife in the back part of the
house, giving the best rooms to the new wife.
Two or three years afterward he married
another wife and turned the first wife out of
doors and made her live in an out house.
She testified at the trial that she was always
opposed to polygamy.
Q.-Do the wives ever conduct business in
dependent of the husband?
A.-Quite commonly. 1 know one man
who is plasterer, and three of his wives
keep stores.
Q.-Is Brigham Young very wealthy?
Ale is worth millions to my knowledge.
1t has been said that he was one of the larg-
est stockholders in the Bank of England; !;
but he said my presence that it was not true !;
that what he had was invested in the Unit
ed States, q better place for investment than
London. The title to property in Mormon
dom iS pOnSi1praI aa,io fba
mons emigrated to Utah in 1S47, before the
United States took possession of the country.
Q.-Has Brigham as large a family as is
generally reported?
Ale has a family of children that any
man might be proud of. OF his fifty children
he sends twenty-five to the theater at time,
well dressed, and the girls as good looking as
ever saw Brigham is about seventy years
Old himself He has two or three wives of
about his own age, and his youngest wife is
not under forty. He takes good care of them,
and keeps them at work, making blankets
and quilts, etc. As l said before, the one re-
deeming thing about the Mormons is that
they all work. The peddlers of the towns
are all cripples, and there are 10 beggars
there.
Q.-Do you think that Brigham Young was
concerned in the murder of Yates?
Al believe the whole Mormon Church to
be concerned in numberless murders. / be-
leve Brigham Young instgated the Noun
| tain Meadow massacre, in which 1877 Gentiles,
men, women, and children were slaughtered.
The Mormons believe that they are author
| lied by Heaven to adjudge persons to death
without the sanction of earthly law Bill
Hickman, on whose testimony Young has
been arrested, killed Spaniard at Stockton
last fall, and l guess he wants to save his
neck.
| Q.-But you say that many Gentiles do
not approve the present prosecutions?
A.-Men like Buell. and Bateman, two of
| the greatest mine owners in Utah, think that
the Mormons have rights as well as the Cen
| tiles; that Congress should make a law abol-
ishing polygamy for the future, by-gones to
be by-gones the Mormons to care for their
present wives and children. Utah Territory
does not owe dollar, and without polygamy
and the reasonable tendencies of the Nor
mon faith, it would be model to the rest O
the Union.
Q.-What is the population of the territory,
and the proportionate number of Mormons
and Gentiles?
A.-The population of Salt Lake City is
not more than 10000, and the population Of
the territory about 100000. There are 5000
or 10000 Gentiles Emigrants to the num-
Der of 5000 or 5000 came over from Wales
and Norway the past summer to join the
| MorInons.