The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-09-29
Mormon Dasnotism.

The first colony that went to Utah
was composed of only a few hundred /;
now the church claims that 1t rules
some one hundred thousand followers
In the territory. The first comers had 3
large per centage of Americans, who
were drawn into the tolls before the
tun enormities of the institution were
divulged, but of those who have con-
nected themselves with the Mormon
church during the past thirty years
quite nine-tenths have been from Eu-
rope and from the very lowest classes
of European society. The immigration
has increased from few hundreds an
nually to few thousands. Last year
more than three thousand came, and
this year a heavy increase over that
number is expected. The children OF
school age, as returned by the Mormon
authorities, number forty thousand.
Those too young to attend school, to-
gether with those above school age and
still under the age of twenty-five years,
must number quite thirty thousand
more. 1t Is clear that the Mormon
kingdom in Utah is composed of for
eigners and the children Of foreigners.
1t is necessarily so. It ia an institution
so unsAmeriGan in all its requirements
that it would die of Its own intamies
within twenty years, except for the
yearly infusion of fresh serf blood from
abroad. Few Americans could ever be
made to bear the unquestioned and un-
questioning obedience which is exacted
from this people. The government is
an absolute despotism. Every ward in
the city, every small precinct in the
country, is under the control of a
bishop. To him the people have to
submit all their affairs, temporal as
well as spiritual. His advice amounts
to command, and command which
must be oheyed. The bishops report to
the elders, the elders to the seventies,
the seventies to the high priests, the
high priests to the presidents of stakes,
they to the patriarchs, they to the
twelve apostles, and they to the presi-
dent and his high counsellors. Down
the same scale the orders are sent,
These leaders are the same as God to
the blinded thousands of Utah. At the
last October conference the burden of
the hsrangues to the people was to i'm
press upon them that the ohiefs, being
daily and regularly inspired by God,
could make no mistake, could do no
wrong. The discourse OF Elder Orson
Pratt is full of this business, and he did
not fail to warn all who doubted, that
they would be damned. At the same
conference another elder explained that
the people must obey their leaders in
financial as well as spiritual affairs,
even as the people did in the days of
Moses.
Through such a system 1t is easy to
see how an ignorant and fanatical peo=
pie are held under absolute control by
the head of the organization. In Brig
ham XOung's time he was a more absO-
lutte ruler than was ever the Gar of
Russia. Since his death the president,
John Taylor, and his first counsellor,
George Q. Cannon, make the control-
ing power, and give direction to the
whole system. Both are Englishmen.
A favOrite expression OF Brigham
Young's used to be, eve follow the
forms of republic, but this is a king
DOM" 1t is kingdom, or rather des-
potism, so all-embracing that intelli-
gent Americans at a distance do not be.
lieve the truth about it when 1t is told.
&c. G. Goodwin, in Harper's Magazine
for October.