The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-11-03
Mormon lDesnotlam.

Tho nrst colony that went 10 Utah
was composed Of only few hundred
people now the church claims that Il
rules some 100, 900 followers In tho Ter.
ritory. The Arst comers had q larga
percentage Of Americans, who were
drawn into tho tolls before tho full en-.
ormities of tho institution were divulged,
but Of those who have connected them
selves with the Mormon church during
the past thirty years quite nine.tcnths
have been from Europe, and from the
very lowest Glasses Of European society.
The immigration has increased from .
few hundred annually 10 a few thousand.
Last year more than 5000 came, and
this year ! heavy increase over thst
number ID expected. Tho children Of
school age, ~ returned by the Mormon
authorities, number 10000. Those too
young to attend school, together with
those above school ago and still under
the age Of 25 years, must number quito
1000 more. It 10 clear that tho Nor
mon kingdom In Utah Ii composed Of
foreigners and che children Of foreigners.
II il necessarily SO. II Is IN institution
30 absolutely un-American in oil its re-
qtlirements That 1t would die of its own
infamics within twenty years, except for
the yearly infusion u fresh serf
blood from abroad. Few Americans
could ever be made 70 bear
the unquestioned and unquestioning
obedience which Ii exacted from this
people. Tho Government il m absolute
despotism. Every ward in the city,
every small precinct In the country, y
under the control Of Bishop To him
the people have to submit all their af-
fairs, temporal as well ~ spiritual. His
advic0 amounts 10 : command, and >
command which must be obeyed. The
Bishops report 10 the elders, the elders
20 the seventies, the seventies 10 tho
high priests, the high priests 10 the
Presidents Of stakes, they 70 the patri-
archs, they to the twelve apostles, and
they to the President and his high coun-
sellors. 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 harangues TO the peo-
pie was 10 impress upon them that tho
chiefs, being daily and regularly in
spired by God, could make no mistake,
could do no wrong. The discourse of
Elder Orson Pratt il full Of this busi-
ness, 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 -
spiritual affairs, even As the people did
in tho days Of Moses.
Through such system il is easy tc
see how an ignorant and fanatical pcoplc
are held under absolute control by the
heads Of the organization. In Brigham
Young's time he WAS . more absolute
ruler than was ever tho Czar of Russia.
Since his death the President, John
Taylor, and his first counsellor, George
q. Cannon, make the controlling power,
and give direction to the whole system.
Both are Englishmen. A favorite cx-
preston Of Brigham Young's used to be,
I've follow the forms Of republic, but
this is kingdom" II is kingdom, or
rather = despotism, SO all-embracing
that intelligent Americans at distance
do not believe the truth about il when
it il told.-C. G. Good,0i,s, in Harpcr's
Magazine.