Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-25
TEE SITUATION IN UTAH
Ycumg Brigham HOslng's Speech.
VIOLENTLY DENOCNCING THE CHRISTIAN FREE
SCH00LS-SALT LAKE POLITICS.

ance at the present Mormon conference than
ever before in the history of the territory. The
local railroads reduced fares 80 as to allow those
who had very little scrip in their purse an OPP
portunity to come to Zion. Besides it was ex-
pectcd that the church officials would pay their
respects to the government for the passage of
the EdmundS bill. and to Gov. MURRAY and the
commission for enforcing its provisions All
this came to pass. The first two daily sessions
were held in the new Assembly room. which
holds about 5000 saints. But as the faithful
Hooked in by every train the old tabernacle.
which resembles an inverted soup tOureen was
resOrted to. 1t will seat 10000 and Yesterday
it was crowded to its utmost. Moses Thatcher,
one of the Twelve Apostles who has seven
wives. said that the Edmunds bill originated in
Salt Lake with the MethOdists and that its pas
sage was q triumph of the Gentle church over
the State. Thatcher closed 10y advising all of
the churchmen to patroniZe none but Mormon
stOTekeepeis
| Brigham Young. ir. denounced the Gentle
free school system. He said Il haven't son or
| a daughter that | would not rather see
carried 10 their graves than to have one of them
| listen to Christian teachings. | would rather
| take my child and throw it into hell than send
| 1t to an outside school That's the kind of Lat
| ter Day Saint am. want our children taught
/ by teacher who understands the Word of God
/ as | understand it. They should be taught the
/ Book of Mormon and the revelations of God to
| the prophet Joseph Smith | look upon these
/ people who come out here among Us as robbers,
/ who come to take away our children as wolves
| among the children of Israel. To-day we are
struggling against sc, 000 people: tomorrow
We may be struggling against 100. 900 600 How
are we going to succeed? Not by our own
strength. haven't bit OF faith in my own
strength Ii had should have hurt somebody
long ago. would not nave stood what have
But God is with Us. and in this fight one shall
prevail against thousand and two against ten
thousand"
The registration of the Territory is nearly
1000. About -. coo We're DISTINGUISHED under
the Edmunds act The total population of the
Territory is not over 10000. In states where
there IS no female suffrage the average is vote
to every 5.05 inhabitants. Here it was one to
! every three before the disfranchisement. But
/ there are about three women to one man. The
registration has been closer this year than ever
/ before. Usually both sides were Indifferent
/ The MormOns, having an overwhelming major
ty, became careless. and the Gentiles. in hope
/ less minority. were indifferent. The system
was SO loose that unnaturalized foreigners and
| girls under2l years of age registered. NOtwith-
standing the urgency OF the case there are. per-
haps, LOCO Genties who did not register OF
the $1,000 registered about 5000 are Gentiles
AS peculiarly OF this many-sided Mormon
question. the gamblers are friendly to the Nor
mons and refuse to register and vote saving
that Salt Lake is the best and most tolerant city
in the Union for gamblers.
The commissioners not arriving I'm time to
hold registration for the regular election in
August. the election went by default Gov. Muir
ray declared all the Offices in the territory va
cant, and filed them by appointment The
amendment to the Edmund act empowers him
to I'LL vacancies that may occur by the non-hOd-
/ inc of the August election The Mormon Off
/ cials refuse to surrender their offices holding
/ that as the act did not say that vacancies would
| occur. none did occur. Writs of mandamls have
! been served The case will be tried on the 10th
| instant. and II 1t is decided against them the
officials propose to appeal to the supreme court
OF the territory. and, if necessary to the Uni ed
/ States Supreme Court. In the meantime the
/ commissioners have ordered an election next
! month. Then there Will be three claimants tor
each office. unless the present Mormon officials
/ are reelected. which is not probable for nearly
every one OF them is a pOlygamist, and. there
/ fore. disqualified under the Congressional stat
ute to hold office.
7 DEFENDING POIYGAMY-A REBELLIOUS ELDER
! At the Mormon conference jrIat closed Elder
j PenrOSe. editor of the church organ preached
rebeiiiOus sermon, in which he charged that
/ M0rmOns have been sent away upon missions in
foreign lands from criminal motives and in order
/ to get them out of the way
Apostle George q. Cannon. eX-Deleoate to
/ Congress. said the Mormon leaders exhibited
wonderful spirit of trust. peace and resgna-
] ton during the passage of the proscriptive leg
( islation by Congress. He thought there was
not on earth or in heaven any power that would
arrest the prosperity of the Saints. He said
/ 1T is better to obey the laws of God than
those of man. have been deprived of nv seat
in Congress and forever declared from it. but |
/ have only done what | believed to be right |
know God will sustain me and this people in
pOlygamy. Joseph Smith said that if we did
not obey this law, there would come time
when Zion would cease. We are now in that
condition. | would he damned and 90 to hell
If did not obey God in this regard. Let us
( 90 from this conference and put in practice our
/ dearest principles. My brothers and sisters
1 who are not in polygamy, do not think YOU are
/ to be the sayOrs of the Latter Day Saints If
/ TINS people are TO be saved. il will De through
/ those who have Obeyed the Divine command"
/ Speaking of the Gentiles. he said: I'VE have
/ warmed viper in our bosom. and it has stunr
| US III we had Obeyed the cOunsels of the
prophets of God, we would have kept these
! people from getting fOOthold here
Apostle j. Henry Smith said the Fdmunds
Dill dlsIranchises virtuOus men and women 1t
was not morality the nation sought If it was
Ooth Houses OF Congress would soon be with
out quorum. He said that the Lord recom-
nlZed bOth single and plural marriage Christ
| at no time denounced the practice of polvpamy
for He himself was a descendant of polveamous
lineage. The only passage the speaker ever
heard against pOlygamy was the Apostle Paul's
| instruction to Timothy, wherein he said that a
| Bishop should be the husband of one wife. Rut
he did not intend to limit the Bishop or any,
/ body else, TO only one wife, MonOgamy is not
the natural condition of mankind. 1t was es-
| tablshed in early Rome when its citizens were
1
nations TO obtain wives; hence it was neces-
sary To limit each man to one wife, and, as a
consequence. the Roman empire became the
most corrupt nation on earth. The United
States had changed the rule of all history by
making severe laws against plural marriage.
dlsaffected sister asked why women were
not allowed to have more than one husband.
Because the Prophet has not received it in
revelation" the Apostle replied.
One-half of the $50 officials in the territory are
polygamists, and disqualified under the Edmunds
act, yet they refuse to surrender their offices to
the governors appointees.
There Is a small war cloud arising over school
text books. The Mormons want the legends to
run:
"Q.-Who Is the Lords Prophet 2"
Joseph Smith, who suffered martyrdom
at Nauvoo."
The Gentiles object to having their ehildrer
taught such stuff. But the Mormons have pos
session Of the school fund and the public
! schools, and they were about letting out the
contract for printing the books, when they were
enj0ined.