The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-12
"A STUDY IN MORMONDOM.
Religious and Social Characteristics
of the Latter-Day Saints.
Divergent Opinions as to the Efficacy of the
Edmunds Law-The Railway as a
CiVilizng Agent.
corre,popdence of the Indianapolis Journal.

Venturers pranced into the plains of New
Mexico, and equally SO when the saints
pushed their sanctifed hand-carts into the
valley of the great Salt Lake. Mormonism
expected to find here domain absolute and
an authority complete, but civilization,
slightly winded by the chase, is to-day up
with the disciples of Smith. Although the
Gentiles here carry rowels in their spurs, yet
the ''galled jade" seems not to wince-what-
ever may be the fact. 1t cannot be doubted,
however that Fort Douglas is dividing
public attention with the tabernacle. The
formeri is understood TO be peculiarly Gentle
institution, and the Saints acknowledge that
some very effective though heretical sermons
have been delivered through PORTFOLIOS. The
Mormon idea of a theocracy requires that
even local color shall contribute to its effect.
Thus they live in Zion, which, of course
islands with hills surrounded" above it
dead sea- and winding through the plain
Jordan. The knights of the tomahawk were
called Lamanites, and as a means of concili-
ating them, Zion found it necessary to have
''bulwarks" At an early period of her his
tory she had six miles of the commodities;
they were, however, torn down by Titus
some time with the last generation. The
reader has frequently been struck by pellets
of information from this salt city of the
Saints, so that he need not be told of its
wide Streets it's running water and its ample
shade. He need not be led past the Zion
house, the Amelia palace, the tithing and
endowment houses and the temple finally,
to submit to the ordeal of breathless mono
logue from the tabernacle usher. His titbits
of churchly love have worn such groove in
his memory that they glide on like the I'M
broken shadow of soliloquy, and when you
leave him he is still mumbling, Largest
roof in America with out central supports.
Pass down that AISLE gentlemen, to the other
end of the gallery. We are now 900 feet
apart I will drop this pin in my hat. Do
you hear?' Yes"
The cleaner, however, who comes here for
surface indications of wide social differences
mistakes 1t is moreover true that most I'M
BIASED persons who come to study the Nor
mon people, aside from the question of
polygamy are favorably impressed. Touch
ing thus purely secular qualities they give
every evidence of honesty and thrift. A
recent Gentle writer acknowledges that the
crime record of Salt Lake City shows that
three-fourths of it is committed by the Gen
tiles with population of only one-fifth that
of the Mormons. This however might not
be true if Gentle and Mormon justice were
the same
There is very little litigation among the
Mormons their disputes being settled by
church tribunals, the president and his coun-
Gil of two being the court of final appeal.
The organization of the church, not only for
sustenance but for extension, is admirable.
Subordination to church authority is COM
plete, and every member is educated to sac
rifce private interest to it. 1t is idle to sup
pose that with such organization polygamy
can be lightly tossed over by the plow-share
Of popular reform. 1t will require grubbing
An interview with the commissioners APP
pointed to administer the law of Congress
touching polygamy in Utah develops the
fact that there is a difference of opinion be-
tween the Mormons, the Gentles and the
commissioners as to the. efficacy of the bill
and also as to the efficiency of its admins
tration. The Gentle population as may be
supposed, is strongly partisan. No con-
sentative statement in the discussion
of the Mormon question is likely to meet
their favor, and they frequently express the
opinion, which is probably unfounded, that
the commissioners have not been faithful to
their trust, and that there has been too much
consultation between Taylor, Cannon and
the commission. Particularly are they
blamed for not resigning their offices after
the nefficiency of the bill, as the Genties
claim, has been clearly demonstrated. They
also state that if it had not been for favor
able report of the working of the bill by the
commissioners to Congress, the present
act would have been substituted by some
thing effective. The law provides that a
board shall be appointed to canvass the re-
turns of the Territorial elections and the
commission is also invested with similar
powers, leaving the point undetermined
whether the board has a final supervisory
authority.
lxY lDxy1. Oh,
could render disfranchisement for polygamy
effective was by SUI Emitting every voter to a
test oath that he or she sustained no polyga-
nous relations. The commission claims
that by this means it has disfranchsed about
1900 Mormon votes or about one-twelfth of
the population. The Territorial law pro-
vides the same conditions of legal residence
before voting as in Indiana, with the further
proviso that if nonresident has, in the Ter
ritory, possessing the rights of citizenship,
brother, sister, or other kinsman. by virtue
of this fact he has the immediate right to
vote. Thus if a family comes into the Ter
ritory having no blood or marital relations
all that is necessary to qualify the
family for voting is to procure the
marriage of an adult member OF the family.
This fact may be one reason for the more
than ordinary activity of Mormon mission
aries during the last two years. especially in
foreign fields. The headquarters for the Brit
ism ISLANDS is at Liverpool, and there have
been many accessions from that source
The Mormons do not seem disturbed by the
action of the commission or the workings of
the polygamy act They talk freely about
their religion and about polygomy, Mr.
Taylor is of opinion that the practice of
polygamy is not dying out that the church
firmly believes that it is divine ordinance,
and that therefore it will probably increase
with the wealth and ability of society The
possibility of rapid advances in wealth
among the mass of the Mormons, has hardly
been possible because of the policy enforced
upon the people by Brigham of requiring
them to engage in the pursuit of agriculture
President Taylor however, believes that the
market of the farmer would be increased and
made more profitable by the encouragement
of mining, and consequently lends his nfu-