Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-12-08
From the New York Sun.


in Second Avenue, yesterday morn
ing, the Rev. Dwight Spencer spoke
of the dearth Of religious influences
in the far West, particularly in Utah
Territory. He had returned from
that country in order to picture to
the Baptists Of the East the condi-
ton of the border land as seen from
the standpoint of a clergyman and
a Baptist. Mr.. Spencer is tall,
straight, finely formed man Of sim
pie manners, who uses plain Ian
guage, speaks as distinctly as an ac-
tor, and exhibits an impressive
earnestness and sincerity.
"In the Wood River country"
said he, "there is not one day school,
there is not one night school, not one
Sunday school, not one church, and
not one minister. preached in the
village of Haley in a tent. The
town Is six months old. The people
sat on the beds to hear me. There
was a faro bank in operation next
door. The rattling of dice and the
shuffiing of cards were plainly heard.
The songs of the ballad singers and
music of the bones went on as l
preached. In the afternoon I held
a meeting in the next town, and
close at hand two faro banks were
open, while two or three others were
doing business not far away
"You would be surprised at the
elegance of these gambling Saloons"
said the minister; "they are fitted
in black walnut, are warmed and
well lighted, and are in all respects
the most comfortable and attractive
places to the young men of these re-
gions at present. They invariably
contain a liquor bar. Very often a
young man brings $500 of earnings
into town Saturday night and loses it
all before Sunday morning in these
haunts of vice. The devil holds
sway SO thoroughly in the country l
speak of that there is no worse state
Of affairs in the heart of Central AT
rica. 1t seems to me, sometimes,
that the effect of the education and
civilization these men have received
in the East enables them to practice
refinement of vice such as is un-
known in Africa.
Between Ogden, in the northern
part of Utah, and Reno, there are
sixty-seven railroad stations, and
among them all there is not minis
ter, missionary or church organ
ization. All that is there, allied TO
these, are two feeble Sunday schools.
Altogether, in the part of the coun-
try | refer to-a tract eleven times
larger than New England and seven
and half times AS large as the Mid
die Sales.--future is but one minister
to every $500 inhabitants, and but
one to every 1900 square miles. II
you want to get correct idea of this
religious desolation, imagine $500
people scattered over the surface OF
Connecticut, and then put one cler.
gyman over them to minister to their
spiritual wants. This is the picture
presented in six Territories and one
State, Nevada.
l asked book vender on one OF
two trains of eight coaches that daily
traverse one section of this country
what book he sold most. He said
that the greatest demand by far was
for Ingersoll's lectures. l asked hin
| who were his best customers, and ht
replied that the cowboys were. These
cowboys are the cattle herders-tht
most depraved and wicked people
that can be conceived of. They ride
into a town, get drunk, and then ride
up and down the village shooting
down men, women and children in
discriminatory, after which they ride
away to be seen or heard of no more
1t is disgrace, shame upon thu
Christianity of America that there i:
no circulation of moral and elevatins
literature to combat Ingersoll's inf
deity. The best books sold on thos'
cars are the trashiest novels.
would send out works attractivel,
printed, SO that they would be KEEP
by these benighted PEOPLE; tract
with passages from our best sermons
or would not care if they contained
the writings of Josh Billings or o
Bob Burdette, of Burlington, Iowa
The stories of John B. Cough woult
be good. Such as these woul'
have scattered by the thousand, aye
by the million, throughout that land
Moreover, we Baptlsts ought to pu
one missionary day in the field du
ring the next two years. Even thel
we would not have enough, Let IL
pray for the men as well as the mon
ey; for the men of purpose and Q
heart to leave these pleasant Easter
homes and battle in the Western will
derness.
Let us look at the cause in Utah
Out of $4,000 inhabitants, 14O, 90
are Mormons. John Taylor is t
the Mormon Church what the Pop
is to the Roman Catholic Churcl
The Mormon Church is a one-ma
concern. If Taylor wants colon
founded in any place, he simpl
names the men who are to go.
they are merchants they sell thti
stores and business if they are fal
mers they part with their farms.
never knew Of an instance in whic
he was disobeyed. The most triflin
order must be carried out or the cor
sequences would be that the disobt
dient one would rest under the ba
of the Church. The Mormons don
recognize the Government of the u
tied States. If they obey its laws
is only as a matter of policy. The
consider themselves the saints I
the earth, and believe the world
theirs. If they don't get it to-ds
they think they will tomorrow, an
they propose to wait and work."
The preacher thus showed the di
ficulty of bringing together and o
ganlzing Christians in Utah. II
Christians are timid, and feel lii
+! strangers under foreign rule. The
know that the Mormon Church b.
many ways of making the displea
ure felt. Worse yet, however, is tt
conduct of some of the Christian
who are organized there. In Ogde
L u