Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-06-14
NUMBER 81.
For the Free Press and Time
Night in Salt Lake City.

gion BY going to the theatre, or putting all or
half their days esrnings into the treasury of
the great Mogul Brigham goes to zee that the
people attend and to receive full returns from
the door keeper. The Saints are encouraged and
exhorted to go to the theatre instead Of the
prayer meeting asa superior means of grace
They are taught to regard the admission fee Is
= contribution to foreign and domestic missions.
and to look upon the performances, whether
tragedy or farce, in the light Of sanctifying in
fuences, ordained of the prophet to make them
pure and holy; 50 the ~ and the gallery sup
pose they are expressing the fervor of pious emo
tions by rounds Of applause and shouts Of laugh
ter. Tattered garments and hungry faces are
no disgrace IN the theatre, provided they do not
! belong to dead heads on the contrary they are
pointed to as badges of honor, Indicating 8
strong hunger and thirst after spiritual veritst
in low comedy. If there were any poor widows
in Salt Lake City they would have fine chance
to Immortalize themselves by dropping in their
four bits six evenings Of the week. Orphans and
poor women are plenty but widows, alas, are
scarce.
The Mormons are very devout at night-full
/ Of the tpirit Of worship, vending their Way up
]
theatre. Everything Of the house kind, belong
ing to Church or Prussia fsunts this sacred title
Brighsm's htrem and diItilery are under the
gsrb Of Houses Of the Lord. When be opens
| big saloon il will be dubbed '' HOuse Of the
Lord in glaring capitals. The railroad from
| Ogden that he has got possession Of by base
| fraud upon his own poverty-stricken people. be
| calls the Railroad Of the Lord. Everything is
done in the good Lords name-even to robbery
and murder; but Brigham being the managing
/ partner Of the divine concern, the Lord gets
only the glory part Of the dividends snd very
small share of that At night, prophets, bish-
ops, elders and all the tsints, old and young,
male and female, cit together in heavenly places
10 the theatre. when Brigham from hI ryoAl
box. smiles benignsntly upon them, and they turn
up the whites Of their eyes and feel that the blessing
Of the Lord refrethes their s0uls.
After meeting s out they retire to their viz
tuous homes, provoking each other to love and
good works by recounting the gospel Of the
Black Crook or the Merry Wives Of Windsor,
and couclude by reading q chspter Of the mod
ern French drama and singing $ hymn from
Christie's Negro Minstrel at family worship. As
| nuntered along by the residences Of Brigham
Young and the chief digni,Aries Of the Latter
Day Saints, after the play was over, and saw the
dim light through the closely drawn curtains,
on warm summer night. could not help feel
ing that was in one Of the Infamous purlieus
Of New York or Paris.
BRIGHAM YOUNG AND Ma FIRST PRIyY COUNSEL
In company with the editor Of a Western pa
per, cAllel upon the press, the pulpit AMI the
crafts generally Of the whole city. While we
were AT the office Of he Church Historian. ex-
smining the records and relics Of Mormondom,
and eagerly IDquiring for especially the
manuscript CODY Of the Golden Plates, which we
were informed was too sacred for vulgar eyet-s
large portly man, with regal air and lofty besr-
ing entered the Office, who al once ed our
attention and fixed our gsze. Both Of stock it
for granted that be could be none other than the
veritsble Brigham himself, after whom we hsi
been seeking gliinpie ever since We arrived.
An introduction followed, but | was oblivious to
names just then. The face and form was Brig
ham Young 10 my mind and the name was Of
no consequence-it Ess Brigham Young to ny
ear. The illusion va. perfect and continued to
the close Of our interview-fall half an hour.
Here was mIn in person.l appearAncs-in eye.
gesture and expression-in motion snd in re-
pose, that exactly embodied my lifelong idea Of
Brigham Young. He was Of goodly stature,
em5oap0int, blood in his cheek, hearty. strong,
energetic, looked like fellow that weighed
mad. He talked, sc,ed and writhei round in
his chair juEt like my beau ideal Of the Mormon
Prophet.
watched his every movement and scanned
him critically for the rostrum, the council chsm-
Der. the hArem, and he filed the bill completely.
/ A bold 'front.' flashing brow. free, frank. out
/ spoken, fluent. daring IN statement, born En-
thusisst, rich liver, = rich color, person and
manners attractive to man or woman, glowing
al over with robust health aud emotion-slEsys
sbaze in body and SPIRIT thought there could
be but one such man in Utah, snd that man
supposed must be Brigham Young, in whom
Mormonism lived and bresthed and hsl its be-
ing Yet wss informed al lAst TO my ch.grin
and disappointment, that we had been convers-
ing all the time with G. A. Smith, nephew Of
Joseph snd Ere; Privy Counselor Of Pretileat
| Young. Well, said |, be is the Bisrnsrk Of M0r-
monism, at any rate
Again We sought the redoubtsble hero across
the street At headquarters, where | had been 10
quest Of him = number Of times before. - e en-
tered the open door and found several august
bishops in attendance, and were requested to
take seats Snd await the coming Of the King
Soon side door swung noiselessly back on oiled
hinges, and sleek, dspper little man, Of sixty
Eve summers, padded and stuffed from breast 20
ankle, gided steAlthily in with cat-like tread,
I
good morning WeEere introduced and pressed
his blood stained palm. My companion re-
marked, " You have fine city here - Brig
ham replied sentertiousy, - The foundation Of
one, sir" Just then his carriage drove up to
take him of on pastoral tour 10 some distant
province, and the time Of bis departure having
been previously announced in the papers, We
were reluctantly constrained to leave without
any further conversation.
But my curiosity was satisfied. | had seen
enough, heard enough in that moment to coz
vince me that my conceptions OF MormoniEm
were all wrong d" Like priest, ike people"
had seen the high priest Of Moruonsm. | must
revise my notions
Brigham Young is Jesuit. If the Almighty
did not stamp Jesuit on his brow, he himself
has written it in legble characters there No
such man ever ruled by personal magnetism.
[ Brigham Young never loved nor indeed ever
was loved By anybody or anything. lie can't
/ even simulate love to one not blind. | will
venture TO say be never kissed one OF his wives
nor dandled one of his children on his knee A
" Blue Beard" in the harem, sly devil in
council. an inquisitor in execution, lock at him
once and you will believe al this.
Brigham is altogether different man from
what | expected to see. and so | found Mormon
ism to be different system from shat sup
posed it wn When my crude, faie IDEAS OF
the latter were corrected by sctusl sight sud
hearing and contact, then the two had mutual
I correspondence. Brigham sppe.red all right.
He ju,t looked the apostle OF MOrmonism as it
exsts-fear without reverence-lust without
love. The that go as missionaries from
Utsh-the men that make converts that COM
pass the sea and land to make proselytes to this
" Dead ses liturgy Of Apes''-the men who rep
/ resent MormOnism abroad very different in
| their " get up and mplexion from Brigham.
| let me inform you. They are the perfume1 b4it
to the trap, but Brigham is the steel Jaws 10 hold
whatever chsnces 10 get in. MormOnism tesch-
es that woman's " elevation depends upon her
beins sealed to man. Brigham is the thumb
screw power that pushes the doctrine up to sal
vstion or down to damnstion.
Mormonism teaches unhesitsting and uuuues-
| tioning obedience to the commands Of the church
on pain Of present perditon and future bell.
| That is Brigham all over, IRON the crown Of bis
/ head to his padded calves. Persecution and as
s,s,in.tion for recusAnts il fully provided for
/ that is brigham again. in looks and 10 authentic
history as we'll When hear Of Mormons being
found dead in the outskirts Of Salt Lake City
and settlements round about, with the mark Of .
bullet or bludgeon on their persons. Brigham
| Young seems the true 6gure-hesd Of Mormon
/ ism.
Popular With h. people ? Yes, as any petty
| despot with power TO crush and kill and fend-
ish disposition to exercise thst power against the
least show Of opposition. Brigham has got the
| people far away into wilderness and into the
iron tolls Of his church system. terrible system
| Of terrorism il is too, to the highest well
the lowest. The bishops and elders are involved
in it and must keep step to ia harsh music as
well as the poor lsi;y. Brigham is" Jupiter"
and if one Of inferior rsnk dare disobey, he can
set on squad Of the canaille. Brigham would
not hesitate TO stab man himself should his
tools fail him. He perfectly well knows and has
keen sense Of the moral effect Of dead bodies
rcstiered about his diocese Since | have seen
him can readily believe the reports of his or
dering the murder Of DR.. Robinson and the