Morning journal and courier., 1882-02-02
Thursday Morning, Feb. ?, 1882.
THE TALK OF TWO HORIZONS.

THE TALK OF TWO MORmONS.
 Two representative and influential Mor- mons have recently talked interestingly about the present agitation against their sect. One of them is Elder George o. Cannon, the dele gate to Congress. Mir. Cannon professes to believe that the real object of ''all this fuss and noise" is to create a prejudice against the Mormons, to arouse the religious senti- ment of the country and thereby to influence Congress to do an unjust thing. The effect among the Mormons of the agitation he says is to intensity their attachment to their rei- zion. tIt furnishes them an evidence of its divinity. They have always been taught to believe most implicitly that they might ex- pect, if they were true followers of Jesus Christ, to be hated and persecuted by the world. In the language of Jesus, If ye were of the world the world would love you Hence, while they shrink from these attacks they glory in them, because they firmly be- ieye that they furnish undoubted evidence that they in the right" Being asked "What will your people do if any of the pro- posed measures for the suppI of poly gamy are put in practice ?'' he replied: "They will quietly submit, as far as any ac- teal organized resistance is concerned. Of course they will protest and remonstrate, but as to their making any armed resistance. the idea is absurd. They are not in position to make such resistance successful and they would not attempt it. They realize that in the end they would be broken up and de- stroyed, and therefore they would submit without a struggle. They abandoned their homes five times before they went to Utah rather than fight" Mir. Cannon very nat urally thinks th there is no occasion for any movement against Mormonism. He says everything is quiet in Utah the Territory is out of debt life is secure; the rights of property are respected and the people are contented, prosperous and happy. They are also, he declares, loyal to the government. On this point he says: ''The Mormons be- lieve the Constitution of the United States to have been inspired by God and venerate it as 8 sacred instrument, but the conduct of the administrators of the law frequently causes us not to respect them, and in common with all the Territories we have several times had men of such character sent among us. When we first went to Salt Lake City it was in the Mexican territory, and one of our first acts was to raise the American flag That does not look much like disloyalty. And, what is more, we have always upheld and respected that flag and always shall"
 Elder Sterritt says: "The Edmunds bill won't amount to a row of pins. A plurality of wives here would not be consistent with morality, but with us it is religious belief and it is different. Gentiles can't understand it. Your minds are not purified. The ma- jority of Latter Day Saints do not believe in polygamy, but they do not oppose it as an offense against good morals I have but one wife and she is an expensive luxury. don't know what would do if had three or four. Everyone in the East thinks Mormon isnot a Mormon If he hasn't a grist of wives. Why, at the Metropolitan Hotel at Washington last week, overheard one lady tell another as they passed me ifnt tdining loom that had eleven wives. Think of that for a reputation to give man who is 55 years old. The Mormons are confident that the government will treat them with fairness, and all the talk you hear in the East about armed resistance is nonsense"
 It will be noticed that both the Elders agree in thinking that there would be no armed resistance to any measures which the United States might put in force against the Mormons. The rest of their talk is adroit and soothing There will doubtless be much more such talk, but happily the indications are that smooth words will not save polyga- my. The feeling that the Mormons must change their habits or go is growing stronger and spreading every day.