Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-04-12
LIeAt On the Mormon Problem.

Light On the Aermon Problem.
A short time ago young Pres
byterian missionary from Utah lectured
in this city on Mormonism, and he was
respectfully listened to by an intelligent
audience and fairly reported in the local
newspapers. His story was interesting
and plausible and was received with that
credulity which an audience unacquaint-
ed with the facts very naturally gives to
a we'll accredited reporter fresh from the
scenes and incidents which he reports.
It is most remarkable it gives the
public increased trouble in arriving at a
fair conclusion on this Mormon ques-
tion-what variance Of report comes
from those who pretend to have viewed
the Mormon system at short range,
though they may have looked at it from
different standpoints. Here upon the
heels of the Rev. Mr.. Mcmillan comes a
pamphlet on Utah and Its People, -
protesting to be written by a Gentle,
"an ex.U. S. Official" and though its
anonymous authorship somewhat dis
credits it, the facts and statistics !" it
gives, so circumstantially, carry weight
with them and certainly present striking
contrast with the aspect of the Mormon
problem depicted by Mr.. Mcmillan and
other social, religious and political OPP
ponents of Mormonism.
We make the least account of the
claim set up for the Mormons that they
have suffered bloody persecution" just
as we pay the slightest attention to such
narratives as the Mountain Meadow
massacre and kindred outrages by the
Mormons, as bearing upon correct So
luton of the present Mormon problem.
There have been wrongs suffered and
wrongs done on both sides, and it is hard
to make an uAimpassioned score or strike
the balance. Morm0ns have murdered
and pillaged, and Mormons have been
murdered and pillaged, just as Catho-
lies and Protestants, Jews and Infidels
have suffered and have been prosecuted
at different times and under different
circumstances.
The important question for present
consideration is tte condition, the ten
denotes, the Influence and the behavior
of the Mormons of to-day. They are rep
resented to us as degraded, supersti-
tious, ignorant, m;sled people pledged
to the blood atonement doctrine that
enemies to Mormonism may be right
eously exterpated by assassination, re-
lentless in the persecution of Gentiles,
opposed to the development of Utah's
material interests, holding their women
in servile degradation and failing to let
those who differ from their faith dwell
among them in peace and liberty.
Hear now the Mormon side, as pre-
sented by this alleged Gentle. He holds
that whatever credibility and respect
attaches to faith by reason of it's in
herent power to promulgate itself must
be conceded to Mormonism, since from
Smith and his six followers in 1880 it has
spread to every quarter of the globe and
has gathered into Utah inhabitants of
every country in Europe, many of those
of South America, and from Hindostan,
Burmah, China, Cape Colony, Natal,
Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and
Sandwich, Society and Navigators
islands, together with negroes and In
dians, all united in one common belief.
With the secret rites and esoteric doc
trines of the Mormon church, of course,
the law of the land and the regulations
of Congress need make no account, not
only because tree is to be judged by its
fruit rather than from the soil out of
which it springs, but because the genius
of our institutions permits religious sect
to cherish such doctrines and practice
such rites as it sees fit, so long rs they do
not violate public order or tend 70 q
breach Of the peace.
The argument for the Mormons which
we have under consideration gains no
force by an attack upon the disintegrat-
ing tendencies at work in Christianity
or its assault upon the social anarchy of
Eastern communities but if, as is
claimed, the practical results of Nor
monism, while they make more for the
average exhaltation of the material vel
fare of those who embrace it, also en-
nance the moral well-being Of it's votaries
above the average of other communities,
the dominant element of Utah's citizen
ship has been sadly belied. Instead of a
theocracy, the communion is said to be a
Democracy, and at its semi annual con-
feren ces every member, male and female,
has vote and every officer in the
church has to be regularly re-
elected. 1t is here said, too, that
Brigham Young never claimed infalla-
bility and never pretended to have a
revelation instead of the church own
ing all the property its monopoly of land
is the ten acre temple lot in Salt Lake
city, and ninety.tive per cent. of the
Mormon population live in their o,rn
houses, on their own land, to which they
hold deeds in their o,cn names. As to
the share of the Mormons and Gentiles
in the administration ofpublic affairs,
although the Gentiles" constitute
only ten per cent. of the population,
" yet from this small minority are taken
the incumbents of nearly every position
of influence and emOlument. They