Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-09-20
4 BOSS FOR THE HORIZONS.
Latter Day Saints lgitated as TO who
Shall Succeed the Late Prophet of
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
The Mormon church was organized
on the 9th of April 1880, in Fayette,
Seneca county, in this state. Since
that time to the present these sectaries
have honOred that day by holding the
great conference ON the 9th day Of April
of every year, at which all the impor-
tant business of the church is transact
ted. On that occasion . the authorities
Of the church" are all submitted to the
action OF the people for reelection or
rejection. This is their great confer
ence, and while it is in session mission
aries are called to 90 to the nations, and
the years work for the people is detailed
All important changes are, if possible,
arranged for that day Recognizing,
however, that the people are benefited
by coming together, shaking hands with
former acquaintance, who have been
separated from them by going into
different portions of the territory, and
afording them, as it does, an oppor-
tunity Of listening together to the same
inspiration, and becoming imbued with
the same thoughts, singing the same
hymns, and renewing their allegiance
by the same covenant of "uplifted
hands," the Mormon leaders appointed
"a " semi-annual conference" to be held
on every 9th Of October At this con-
ference the same fanfaronade-for it is
nothing better-Of re-electing the
church authorities" is gone through with
The whole work for the conference to
perform is all cut and dried" before
the people get together and act upon it.
The1e is no such thing as an exchange
of sentiment The brightest intellect
and the dullest numskull count alike;
but by the clever way in which it is done
the ignoramuses who vote fiatter them
selves with the idea that the have exer-
cised their franchise and have elected
their man. Of course the men of
brains know better, but, as itwould only
lead to their own injury and do no
possible good to anybody Or anything
for them to oppose it, the ridiculous
nonsense is allowed to pass by in silence,
and is duly represented by the same
legerdemain as unanimous vote. From
the foregoing it will be seen how i'm
portant it is to have at the head of the
Mormon church an honest sensible
man, instead of a shutting trickster and
fanatic.
Looking at Mornonism solely as a
communion of Religions 5 the Mormon
! church is not worth moments con-
sideration by the nation, for it would
matter little from such standpoint
whether they numbered two hundred
thousand, as they are said to number, or
/ two million, and nobody in that case
would care whether John Taylor or John
w. Young was to reign in the place of the
! dead Brigham. But it should not be over
| looked that an element under the name
of NAormonism is growing up on the
/ highway between the Atlantic and Pa
| ci:4c that has hitherto been hostile to
! the United States, and as that element
! Increases it can be controlled into
! right channel by an honorable man for
| good, or by fanatic it may be widened
for evil to the nations digrace. It is
| from such considerations, and these
| only with the American people, that
! the question arises, carrying with it, is
sues of Importance. Who is to be
Brigham Young's successor?
! This paper has already spoken of
| John w. Young, the third son of Brig
ham, very encouragingly, and from the
| known habits, tastes, and life of that
young man we have already expressed
| the hope that he would succeed his
| father, and if he did not undo the mis-
chief done by his sire he could at least
benefit the Mormon people and the
country by not walking in his footsteps,
! and we had the assurance of his friends
| that this hope was well founded; but
just at the moment when everything
seemed to work charmingly for new
and better deal in Utah, the telegram
comes that the quorum Of the twelve
| apostles assumes temporary control of
| the church affairs, and that John Taylor,
its president, is de tacto-up to the 9th
of October, at least president of
! the Mormon church. Will the forth
coming conference confirm that tenn
porary device and make it permanent,
or will it leave the people to choose for
! themselves in the matter, is now the alb
sorbing question.
With John W. Young as successor to
his father there was Il moral certainty
| that all the good in Mormonism, its
grand colonizing scheme and develop
ment Of unproductiye lands, would be
preserved and persevered III, and its
1 offensive part, such as polygamy and
! blood atOnement. would be left out
! With John Taylor at the head there is
no telling what he would do. The
probabilities are that all the fanaticism
of the worst part of Mormonism in the
| past would be continued, and all the
compounded nonsense about Utah Nor
| mOnism, that has made it a . hiss and
| byWord" III the nations, would be per-
petuated and the republic would con-
tinue to be annoyed by its disgraceful
! presence. If the Mormon people can
have anything to say in the matter on
/ this occasion it is we'll that they should
/ see themselves as others see them, and
really try, at this important juncture
of their history to do a sensible thing,
which would command the liberation,
if not the respect, of the rest Of the
world
There is nothing to expect from Tay-
| lOr but bad imitation of Brigham.
He has all the fanaticism of the de-
ceased prophet, his Unsuitable selfish
ness, he outstrips him in bombast, Is as
remorseless in dealing with the Door
| and those dependent on him, and add
to that that he is a fearful bore Of a
! preacher and writer, and the future is
gloomy enough for the unfortunate
wretches in Utah who have to listen to
him. Still all these apprehensions may
be for the best; for the axiom that 4" the
hotter the war the sooner the peace"
has some application here. IF Taylor
pushes things to the extreme, as Brig
ham did, the government must deal
with Mormonism and clean the whole
thing out Before the meeting of the
conference in the first week of October.