Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-21
the LAND OF SAINTS


H.. nov f3r
Correspondence Of the Omaha Bee.
Salt Lake, April Ill have not troubled
the Bee with much Of Mormon matters Of
late, so probably = few items regarding them
may not be unacceptable By way Of . change.
Yourreaders will recollect that . few months
ago I drew attention to the death Of Orson
Hyde; one of the senior members of the
council of apostles. The vacancy in this
body was yesterday filled at the general con-
ference BY the election Of Elder. Moses
Thatcher, of Logan, to be one of the twelve
apostles. Mr.. Thatcher is a young man Of
great promise, handsome in appearance,
genial in manners, and an excellent business
man. His connection with the Utah North
ern railroad, as well as his position a. pres
dent Of the Zion Cooperative Mercantile
Institution has brought him in association
With many Of the citizens
bly, regarded by the church, who esteem the
introduction of young and vigorous blood
into the presiding council of the church az
very sslutary, whilst the Gentiles, who take
any interest in such matters, regard the &C.
lection as about as good a one as could be
made, as they look upon him as a liberal
minded man, well acquainted with the world
and its ways, and though a thorough Nor.
mon, he is not a fanatic. Mr.. Thatcher
was born in Sangamon county. Illi-
nois, in February, 1912, but has long been a
resident of Utah. Enthusiastically, before
his call to the apostleship, he was the pres
iding elder over all the churches in Cache
valley. He was q member of the upper
house of the territorial legislature at its Last
session, and financially is sound.
The only noticeable feature of the general
conference at present IN session (Which has
been largely devoted. to the reading of finan-
cial, statistical, emigration and other reporta),
has been the discourse of Hon. Geo. @.
Cannon, NJ. c., for Utah, on Sunday after
noon. 1t was a brilliant effort devoted
largely to contrasting the advantages of the
Mormon system of marriages with monoga-
my. Nothing could be gathered from his
remarks as to what were the intentions of
the leaders of the church with regard to
their future course IN the marriage question;
he also seemed to %studiously avoid any re-
ference to the reported effort that is being
made to obtain the admission of Utah in the
union. Many think that the Mormons will
be willing to have certain provisions in.
serted into the enabling act regarding the
marriage question:. Many leading states
men of both parties are Of the opinion that
since the supreme court of the United States
has rendered its decision the matter should
be withdrawn from the arena of national
political questions, and in no way can it
be so easily and a~dyantageously accom-.
plishes as by the admission of Utah ass q
sovereign state but l must confess that the
MormOas themselves appear to be taking
but little interest in the matter. or if they do,
they are laying low to watch developments.
So great has been the drouth and heat of
this spring that residents of some we'll estab.
lished settlements thought OF removing en-.
masse and entirely breaking up their towns:
The thermometer at 100 degrees in the
shade and no water in March, was so I'm.
exampled and threatening that breaking up
seemed to be their only safety. But, thank
Providence, during the last "a hours, co.
pious showers have fallen on the thirsty
land, and the ~husbandman, the herdsmar
and the nicer are all correspondingly hap
py. there's millions in it," as Col. Null
berry Sellers would say.
The removal of Chief Justice Schaefer
though long desired, by the
legal profession, when it did come
came suddenly. We trust the Hon. W
Corbin, whom President HAYES has nom
mated for his successor, will be an i'm.
provement on the late incumbent. To
show how peculiar late chief justice
was, l will mention. that no sooner did the
press dispatches announce his removal than
he at once dismissed both grand and petit
jurors and adjourned his court sine die. II
Mr.. Corbin does not accept, it is possible
that we may be without q court for some
time, and with the very many important
suits pending that would be a calamity to
WINDSOR.