The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1881-11-02
NO. 47B.
A0RAoN DEsPozzsM.


The first colony that wehtto Utah Was eoifal<
posed Of only ! few hundred people now tho
Church claims that Il rules some one hnn<
dred thousand followers ia the Territory
The first corners had large percentage Of
Americans, who were drawn into tbs tolls be-
fore the full enormities Of the institdfion we're
divulged, but Of those who have Connected
themselves with the Mormon Church during
the past thirty yeas, quite ninsStefths have
been from Europe, and from the very lowest
classes of European society. The immigra.
tidn has increased from few hundreds annu-
ally to few thousands. Last year more
than three thousand came, and this year =
heavy increase over that number IL expected.
The children Of school age, as returned BY the
Mormon authorities number forty thousand.
Those too young to attend school, together
with those above school age and still under
the age of twenty-five years, must number
quito thirty thousand more. It is clear that
the Mormon kingdom In Utah Is composed of
foreigners and the children of foreigners. It
is necessarily SO. 1t is an institution so abb
soutely un-American In all It's requirements
that it would die of its own infamies within
twenty years. except for the yearly infusion
Of fresh serf blood from abroad. Few Ameri-
cans could ever be made to bear the undues.
toned and unquestioning obedience which
is exacted from this people. The government
is an absolute despotism. Every ward id the
city, every small precinct In the country, is
under the control of bishop. To him the
manila ha tn suh oil fhotr 49,
poral as well as spiritual. His advice amounts
to command, and command which must
be obsyed. The bishops report to the elders,
the elders to the seventies the seventies to the
high priests, the high priests to the presidents
of states, they to the patriarchs, they to the
twelve apostles, and they to the president ana
his high counsellors. Down the same scale
same as God to the blinded thousands Of Utah.
At the last October conference the burden of
the harangues to che people was to impress
upon them that the chiefs, being daily and
regularly inspired by God, coiid make mo-
mistake, could do no wrong. The discourse
of Elder Orson Pratt s fun of this business,
and he did not fail to warn all who doubted
that they would be damned. at tbe tame
conference another elder explained that the
people must obey their leaders In financial az
well as spiritual affairs, even as the people did
in the days of Moses.
Through such system 1t is easy to see how
an ignorant and fanatical people are held
under absolute control by the heads of ths1
organization. In Brigham Young's time he
was more absolute ruler than was ever the
Gear of Russia. Since bis death the president.
John Tayiots and his first counsellor, Georges
| Q. Cannon, make the controlling power, and
| give direction to the whole system. Both are
| Englishmeu. A favorite expression of Brig
ham Young's used to be, 1--WE follow the
forms of republic, but this is kingdom"
It is kingdom, or rather despotism, so all
embracing that intellingent Americans at a
distance do not believe the truth about IL
when 1t is told.--C. O. Goodssin, in Harper's
Magazine for October. a