Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-18
THE SPREAD OF MoRMoN1sM.

The message of the Governor of Idaho
emphasizes and points the message of Presi-
dent Hayes, in regard to the Mormon
question, and shows that it is becoming
necessary to consider this question with
all the seriousness due to subject which
from perplexity is gradually expanding
into danger. The Governor of Idaho as
serts that Mormon propagandism in that
and the neighboring Territories is SO active
and successful that the area of polygany
is being rapidly extended beyond Utah,
and that the allegiance of numbers of the
people to the United States is being sapped.
So long as Mormonism was confined to
Utah, and so long as Utah was practically
isolated, the solution of this problem did
not press, and could well enough be,
postponed. Even the energy of Mormon
proselytism in all parts of the world did
not seem to justify any apprehension while
the only results OF this work were to popu-
late the wilderness. But now it appears
that Mormon policy has been changed;
that the church has grown holder and
more enterprising, and that it is using
Utah as headquarters from which to attack
and subjugate all the surrounding terri
tory. 1t may be said that even if this be
! so, there is yet no cause for uneasiness, for
what can this feeble church, with its gro-
tesque and gross superstitions, and its
clumsy, barbarous mummeries, effect in in
fuencing the destinies of so great nation
as this? No doubt this confidence in our
own native supremacy over all assaults is
perfectly natural. Precisely the same con-
tempt for new and obscure faith charac-
terized the Romans at the inception of
Christianity. They in fact paid, so far as
their literature is concerned, even less at
tention to Christianity than we have paid
to Mormonism. The results in that case,
however, may suggest the prudence of not
Understanding the possibilities of develop
ment possessed by new creeds. 1t is true
that what we call civilization has increased
greatly in the past eighteen hundred years,
but 1t is not less true that there remains a
vast mass of ignorance and credulity capa-
bic of being nodded into any shape, and OF
being influenced by any fantasy. The fact
that the rise and growth of Mormonism to
its present condition has been possible, is
clear proof of the survival of this credulity
and simplicity. For the so-called Mormon
religion is certainly as crude and awkward
and barbarous compound of imposture
and coarse plagiarism as ever exposed the
folly of man. 1t is in fact religion the
acceptance of which in q spirit of earnest
ness necessarily marks the acceptor as of
inferior intelligence and mental capacity.
1t is evident enough that only
savage could be brought to believe in
the superstitions of Obeah and cognate in
ventions Mormonism is in no way superior
to Obeah in intellectual scope, however,
and consequently it must be assumed that
the masses of the Mormons are very ignor-
ant and obtuse people. They are, in fact,
largely drawn from the lower peasantry of
Europe. In their own countries they have
led the life of vegetables, and they are
fitted to receive any silly superstition,
even such gross fables as those regarding the
origin of the Mormon Bible and the
revelations" of Joseph Smith and Brigham
Young. The doctrine of polygamy appeals
alike to the animal passions and the sor-
did selfshness of these Goldfish boors,
and they readily put themselves into the
hands of the Church. Thus the Mormon
immigrants are brought to America, not
only in ignorance Of the great republic
under which they are to live, but in the
belief that they will owe no allegiance save
to the Church they have joined, They are
not in any true sense additions to the
American people. They are additions to
community which is doing its best to
isolate itself from the American people,
and at the same time is endeavoring to
cireumvent that law of marriage which
has been regarded as one of the frmest
supports both of civilization and progress.