The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-04-13
MORMONISM.
It's Evils and What Their Nature aud Nun,
Der Are.
Ffonl tie N,oc Yofk D-iJpae.
WASHINGTON, March 2


igan, who has paid much attention to tn
Mormon problem, has received from tn
Rev. ID. j. Mcmillan, superintendent o
the presoyterian missions in Utah, Idah,
and Montana, an interesting letter re
specting affairs in Utah. The create
part of this letter is given below
In reply TO your inquiries respecting af
fairs in Utah, / shall state only what
know to be facts, and Of which | can fur
nish abundant proof. While the schoo
laws Of Utah expressly forbid the use o
public school funds for the support ol
sectarian or denOmipalional schools 0!
any kind, it is well known fact that the
books of Mormon catechism are used as
text books, and children are required 70
use them as such underpenalty Of expul.
sion from school know of cases where
children were expelled accordingly for no
other ofensc than refusal 10 study and
recite lessons from those books. 1t is An
equally we'll known fact that no teachers
can obtain employment in those schools
except they are members Of the Nor
mon church paying 1.-THE regularly. |
know several non Mormon teachers oieX-
periencc and acknowledged qualifications
superior to any Mormon teachers who
applied for employment in he public
schools and were rejected on the sole
ground that they were not Mormons. In
one case non Mormon teacher "a q pri-
vatc school-the only school in the town
where she was teaching received for r
time portion Of the public school fund,
but the fund was anerward withheld be-
cause she would not join the church,
though at the time she held firat-grade
certific.-te OF qualifications from the coun-
ty board Of examiners and was teaching
to the entire satisfaction OF all and in the
only schoohouse in the town. The public
school fund is territorial appropriation
OF about three dollars per annum per
capita Of the actual attendance nj school.
The remainder of the teachers salary is
collected as tuition from patrons. Certifi-
Gates of qualifications are required by
law to be held by all teachers receiving
any part Of the public school fund; it is
n notorious fact that in a least two coun.
ties in Utah the only teachers holding
such certificates were non Mormons who
were teaching common schools and re.
ceiying only such tuition az they could
collect, while Mormon teachers who held
no such certificates but who paid tithes
70 the church, and taught the Book of
Mormon and the catechism. received all
the public school funds, estimated upon
the attendance OF ali the schools, Nor
mon and Gentle. Bishops in the several
towns;in those counties announced pub
li0y from their pulpits that those who
attenGei schools taught by Mormon
teachers would get double benefit of
the public fund q. e., Sc per scholar),
while those who attended the other
schools would get nothing. And, further
more, the bishops compel parents, under
severe penalties, to patronizc the inferior
Mormon teachers. Even they would
gladly pay the entire tuition for the su
pcrior instruction of the non Mormon
teacher. Much more might be said of
abuse in school matters. But this is per-
haps enough. The rest may be inferred
from the fact that John TAYLOR, the
prophet, Seer and Revelator" of the
church, is The superintendent of public
instruction for the territory.
THE RIGHTS OF THE CHURCH.
The Mormon church asserts its right to
control all temporal affairs. All causes,
civil, criminal and ecclesiastical, are TO
be brought alike before the bishops court,
with right of appeal to the high council
OF the church, where all justice termis
mates. These arc not courts of record.
Cases are simply brought up for trial !;
the case is stated, and the presiding priest
pronounces judgment and enforces pen.
nltics arbitrarily. For example, man
attempted to enter piece of land with.
out asking the bishops permission. This
enraged the bishop, who at once appoint.
cd one of his faithful henchmen to build
anu occupy IL mouse upon the same land.
n dispute arose between tho two claim
ants, and the bishop compelled both to
appear before him. He decided the case
at once against the lawful claimant, "cut
him off from the church" and turned
him over to the buffetngs of satan"-
which meant social ostracism and starva-
tion for want of livelihood. In this par.
ticular case, the man SO foully wronged
had the courage to appeal to the land
Office for redress, and obtained it,
Whereupon the bishop on the Sabbath
morning succeeding, publicly said (:
"Rrother - has shown himselfto be an
enemy to this people by ignoring the
priesthood and entering land as the Gen.
tiles do. BY the power of the holy
priesthood which possess, / have cast
him off and turned him over to the buf
te!insss :: satan, and | pronounce the
curse of the Almighty upon him. His
crops shall wither away and his land shall
not yield her increase, and he shall
stnrve to death unless he repeuts, gets
baptized again to wash away the sin of
his rebellion, pays up his tithiug and
comes and begs pardon; and none of
the saints are to show him any counte.
nance or favor until he repents." Then
the water-master OF the community, who
is appointed by the mayor (who is gener.
ally the bishop) was instructed to allow
that man no water to irrigate his land.
And rs nothing can pc raised from the
soil without irrigation, the curse Of
"withered crops" and starvation" ETC.,
was fully experienced. For the sake Of
his suffering and starving family, the
man gave up his land was rebap:ized,
asked pardon Of the priest and bowed his
neck to the yoke in silence. Any mum.
Der of such cases can be easily produced.
The water-master is mere thumbscrew
for the bishop, and tho destiny of every
crop is in his hands.
ANOTHER FRAUD.
Another fraud pcrpetrated upon the
people of Utah Is the manner in which
they have been compelled to hold their
lands. Brigham Young declared that he
had received the right and title TO all
Utah direct from God, and no power on
earth had any right to grant title.
When the towns were located, however,
the sales were regularly entered, but
charters were granted by the Legislature.
20 extravagantly enlarging the boundaries
OF the SO called ''cilies" that they covered
MI the valleys and left no land worth
hpvino hayond IN a;r 4; ;,n;ts Tl,ar 3oE.;,a