, 1879-05-19

fanaticism, the tena4ity Of the Mormon pur-
pose to continue this obnoxious practice II
the face of al opposition, and tha1 'n0
foundation stone Of their whole system was
polygau1y. We say it is little singular
that Miss Snow should dwell with such :4ov,
ing, emphasis upon an institution" tna1
she had no personal interest IN e1cepe
as q matter Of anticipation, and indeed
it is still more. strange when "e
consider that the dogma che thos nus
elooueutly defended and praised promises
little or no happiness in the next world 70
those unfortunate females who go through
this in all ttunsealed" " condition,-the best
seatsin the dress-circlo of Heaven, according
. to the Latter-Day programme, being reserved
for practical polygamists and their wives.
But this case, as well as the one OF the
martyred MILES, is cited merely to show how
tenaciously those strange zealots adhere to
the fanaticism that they have espoused, and
to raise the question: When will po'ygamy
be eradicated from Utah, and this twin relic,
of barbarism with chattel slavery be wiped
out from our civilization forever?
Every intelligent person is familiar with
The rise and progress of the Mormon delu-
sion in this. country, and the peculiar clrcum-
stances Of the settlement Of Utah by these
ignorant and deluded people. Polygam,y
was not taught at Kirkland, o., where their
first tents were pitched by SIDNEY R1aDoN,
JosEpH SMITH, LYMAN CowDERx, and others,
nor was it tolerated at Nauvoo, in
this State, while JOSEPH SMITH was
its principal apostle and hw-g1Ver.
But away in the wilds Of the imltless "est'
hemmed in by the arid deserts and mountain
fastnesses Of Utah, after the violent death OF
their first Prophet and the accession OF.
BRIGHAM YouSa to the head Of tho Church,
this new and seductive revelation was in
corporated into their religious system. No
doubt but that YOUNG and his followers
imagined and intended at the time to locate
themselves IN New Mexico, and were sur
prised to find afterwards that the Jurlsd1c-
ton Of the United States still extended over
their settlement, and that the enlightened
civilization and the moral force Of Christian
institutions still protested against their
strange religious infatuaion~
, For long time: we only knew what was
going on in Utah from hearsay, and We were
kind enough to literally discount the stories
of murder and massacre that came to our
willing ears on the weird west wind.
SCHUYLER CoLrAr and HORACE GREELEY had
taken trips *Across tue Continent, stopped
at Salt Lake, and told US what they could
learn Of .Mormonism while eating their
dinners, and taking in 800: %1ect-'
ure and expenses paid. After awhile
Utah was organized as Territory, BRIGHAM
YOUNG appointed Governor, and Delegate
"a Mormon po]ygamist Of course-was
sent to look nfter its interests in Congress.
Still later the Pacific Railroad was built,
which fringed the Territory within thirty
miles OF the Mormon Capital. Federal
Courts were established: and Gentle Judges
appointed who were sworn to execute the
laws; IN anti Mormon was appointed
Governor in place of BINGHAM YOUNG, and
then trouble commenced. There was
serious schism in the Church of the Latter
Day Saints, led by COPY and others, who
opposed polygamy, and who were encour-
aged to take bold stand agai nst the &C.
cursed practice in the face Of BRIGHAM
YouNG by the presence of Governor and
Federal officers, and by the presence Of a
regiment of well drilled soldiers at Camp
Douglas, which overlooks the town, and
whose guns command the Mormon Taber-
nacle in manner that would afford the
gunners fine target practice. Visitors
focked by thousands to California, and
most of them stayed q few days Of Salt
Lake. They boldly said what they pleased
about the Mormon heresy, aud argued
the case with their preachers and prophets
face to face. They carried away reports
that the delusion was rapidly disintegrating
in the bright glare Of our progressive civil
ization, even as bit Of quicklime falls to
pieces under summer shower, Laws were
passed by Congress looking to the eredica~
ton of this corroding evil, and religious and
other conventions Illuminated their severest
anathemas against it. Then BRIGHAM YouSa
died, and we wera assured that crisis had
indeed arisen in the Mormon Church that it
could never survive.
But we are only beginning to learn some
thing of its vitality and wonderful tenacity
Of life. If the Inherent viciousness Of the
system excites our wonder and disgust, SO
does the enthusiasm Of its followers chal-
lenge our admiration, bad as the cause is in
which they are engaged. Ignorance and
superstition are both the necessary ingre-
dents Of delusion like theirs.
We do not look for any rapid extinction of
Mormonisn in Utah either by the supremacy
Of an antagonistic population or by the rigid
execution Of the laws against the practice Of
polygamy, nor yet by the conversion Of the
AIormons to the methods of Christian
thought and practice. Mr.. CANNON, the
Delegate from Utah, goes to Washington
every winter to take his seat in Congress,
and draw his Per diem from the Treasury Of
the nation which is supplied from the pock-
cts OF ta1paying Christian people. True, he
has three wives at home but he only takes
one Of them to the Federal Capital, and the