Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-11-24
MORMON RUMoRs.

At intervals for several years past re-
ports Of the most singular kind have been
made concerning the Mormons. 1t has
been stated that they were laying plans
for the extension of their influence, and
that they were coloniziDg the Territories
about Utah for this purpose. The Gov
ernor of Idaho in his last message officially
Endorsed this report, and in fact talked as
if he really believed the safety of the re-
public to be threatened by Mormon IN
trigues. These old stories are now re-
viyed, and to them are added some new
ones, to tine effect that the Mormon Bishops
are really temporal Judges, that the Nor
mons refused to give the required infor-
nation to the census officers, and SO forth.
1t is certainly curious that the United
States Government should have to derive
any of its information about one of its own
Territories from an independent organi-
zation which assumes the right of with
holding whatever it pleases. 1t is also
curious that after all these years We
should still be talking about the Mcrmons
very much as if they were foreigners
occupying foreign land, and with whom
our intercourse was so slight as to leave US in
comparative ignorance as to their true
condition and purposes. But this is
merely representation of actual fact, and
it is fact which is equally true of other
religious organizations than the Church of
Latter-D Day Saints of Utah. Whenever
priestly government is set up, and is
allowed to proceed without check or
hindrance, it will endeavor to control tenn.
poral affairs SO soon as it has securely
established its spiritual supremacy. The
Church of Rome did this as long as the
world would submit to it. The Mormons
we may be sure will do the same as long as
the United States allows them. And the
condition of things in Utah seems to us to
point the moral that government which
guarantees freedom to its citizens is under
obligations to protect them against that
worst of all despotisms, the despotism of
the intellect which is inseparable from
ecclesiastical education of any kind All
churches look upon education as means
of instilling their particular dogmas All
churches desire to profit by the feebleness
and Elasticity of the infant intelligence.
They all appreciate the fact that if their
beliefs can be forced upon the immature
mind before it is able to reason about them,
it will be very apt to retain those
beliefs subsequently, even in despite Of
reason. The strength of the Mormon
church, as of all Others, lies in its hold
upon the educational machinery. And in
allowing any church to WELD this power it
is questionable whether the United States
Government is not faithless to its high
trust. Experience has shown that there
are no superstitions too absurd, no ;sreeds
too irrational, no theological propositions
too extravagant, to be grated upon the
minds OF children. The central authority,
therefore, which exposes the rising genera
tion to these pernicious and depraving in
fuences, is amenable to very serious i'm
parchment, and at the same time it is pur.
suing policy which must breed difficulties
Of the most formidable kind in the near fu-
ture. The Mormons have had more license
allowed them than any other pseudo
religious community on the face of the
earth but it is evident that halt will
have to be called eventually, and Con-
gress can only increase the difficulties of
the case by representation,