The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-06-28
A MORMON SCARE.

we nOIlce d repoTI SollS liz io"'i" "
eastern press that a Mormon speaker recently
stated that nearly one-third of the territory
of the United States is virtually under the
control of Mormons, and tllal he said, "Over
Utah as a centre they hold absolute sway.
They are masters in Arizona, Idaho and
Wyoming. They are swiftly and surely NOV
ing on Montana and Washington territories,
and politically IN Nevada and Colorado they
hold the balance of power" Agsin it is
stated that Bishop Lunt declared to a news
paper correspondent that the 'present tenn
poral aim of the church is to obtain control
of the United States government, and that
they looked forward with perfect confidence
to the attainment of that object" The Bish-
OPP explained how the solid Mormon vote
"would be thrown where the most good will
be accomplished for the church, He said
that ain some great political crisis
the two present parties would bid
for our support, Utah will. then
be admitted as a polygamist state and the
other territories we have peacefully subjuga-
ted be admitted also. We will then hold the
balance of powerll will dictate to the
country That Mormon bishop and some
other braggarts have been practicing upon
gulliblc, gentle newspaper correspondents
who have seized upon their utterances as pre-
cious sensational items to parade before the
public with no other effect than that of posi-
bly, frightening a few hysterical, tea-drink-
ing old maids into the belief that they will
ultimately be dragged into The haren of
some Mormon monster to form a part of his
household.
1t cannot be supposed that people living
in. terrltories outside of Utah which are men
toned as the objects of prey to the Mormon>
hierarchy will be much disturbed by the
bold declarations of these Mormon orators.
While they entertain no sympathy for the
''peculiar institution" of the Latter-day
Saints, they can see no cause for the alarm
nhich appears to be felt in more distant quar-.
tiers from the 'head. cen.er'' Of the faithful.
As far as Montana is concerned there is no
settlement of polygam"us Molmons in it.
There may he a few scattered families that
hold to the tenetsSs of the departed Brigham,
but no churches have been built or societies
organized by his followers. There are several
settlements of ~Josephites in the territory, but
they are peaceable, quiet, industrious citizens,
who abhor the teachings Of the Brighamites
with more intensity of feeling than Is mani
Tested by the average Gentle. There can be
10 fear Of their attempting ii subversion Of
the government, and the polvgamlsls expect
W., sin Tr,,,, ,l,,, -, tI, ,,y,,1iCh,,n tf
such a visionary scheme, if they really seri-
o,sly entertain such a one.
The assertion of the Mormon bishop that
political parties will bid for Mormon support
aud that in yielding it the successful party
will admit Utah as a p%olyganlist state, is the
shallowest of nonsense. Neither of the eX-
listing political parties are disposed to commit
political suicide by giving such a price for the
Mormon vote. Utah does not now, nor can
it, cut any figure in national politics until it
becomes a state, and that it will ever enter
the union only as an anti-polygamous one, is
beyond the range of probabilities. No party
dare incur the Indignation of the whole peo-
pie by concentrating the act, and he who
would stand in the ouncil chamber Ct the
nation and advocate the admission of a
polygamist state into the union would forever
afterwars be tabooed by every honest man.
The boast of the Mormon bishop should be
takeh at its true value, and that value when
properly measured will be represented by the
simple word Mill.
There are hundreds, probably thousands OF
,,1.l, - xhn o,e ,,ID ~ l,oGtnn tn the
northwest Tor their future homes. They are
anxious to escape from the crowded cities
and o~verpopulated towns and move TO the
west for more elbow room. Parents will
their families, young men with their brides
and others who propose to fight their way
~single-handed, contemplate a change of resi-
dence and occupation in the near future
These people, who are the most Intelligent
and consequently the most desirable class o.
immigrants for the west, are generally
readers of newspapers, and when they
find them filed with such trasl
as we have quoted above, followed by edito
rial which in the main vouch fo
their correctness, the would-be Immigrant
will be apt to hesitate and finally fOrego thu
advantages which he may enjoy in a new
home, rather than transfer himself and fami.
ly to a community where thei
social pleasures are in danger Of be
ing cu,tailed if not totally destroyed
by the presence of polygamous and therefor
detested %neighbors. We believe that we ute
the sentiments of the people of this t~erIitor!
when we enter a protest against Montana be
ing classed as a land in which the principle
a and practices of Mormonism as Taught in on
sister territory will ever obtain a foothold
I In fact We are cOntid ent that, though our tel
rtory has an area of nearly 10000 squar