Weekly Phoenix herald. [volume] (Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz. Territory [Ariz.]) 1882-1896, 1883-01-26
THE MORMON QUESTION.

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lows of the Mormon question and
with more truth than poetry:
Many methods have been suggest
ed and recommended as proper and
expedient for dealing with the po-
lygamy of Utah. But while perse-
cutions and injustices have been pro-
posed without end, it seems to have
occurred to no one to suggest or ap-
ply a Christian remedy for that
practice which SO harnesses and
worries our Immediately vlrtuous
congressman, politicians, and jour
: Eaiists.
It has been said with apparent
reason that if it could be conclusive
~ proved to the world by the Pro-
testants, Catholics or any other sect
that their.rellgious faith and practice
make its people more honest, truth
full, virtuous, religious, better and
happier than any other religion can
do with Its votaries, the chances
would be strongly in favor of its
ultimate universal adoption. 1t
would certainly seem the best, if not
the only possible way, to supplant
the Mormon faith and practice, to
present to them picture of a people
ahead of them in virtue and that
material prosperity which inevitably
rewards virtuous, honest people.
1t is Doubt ess true that some ex-
cellent Christian ministers, gentiles
so-calied, have gone there and estab-
lished churches, Sunday schools, etc.,
and have endeavored by Christian
counsels and Christian walk to lead,
not drive, the Mormons to abandon
their objectionable doctrines and
practices; doubtless some few other
Christians have set worthy Christ
ian example to the Mormons and
made kindly impression upon them.
But with these few exceptions, ev-
errthing that has been done by the
representatives of our Government
and those who have claim ed to rep
resent our people, with a pretense of
putting down polygamy, has tended
to confirm and extend it by making
the Mormons hate our people and
institutions, with good reason, and
consequently to love and trust their
own. The anti-Mormons have come
unbidden among them and estab-
lished, against their will and pro-
test, institutions of vice infinitely
more wicked and nasty than any
thlg ever tolerated by the Nor
mons.
A gentle paper in Utah for at
least ten years has, on every publ
cation day, poured upon the heads
of the Mermons a TRADE of billings
gate and nasty, malignant abuse
such as no other people on the con-
tinent would have endured for six
months without blowing up the con-
Germ or hanging the publisher to
lamp post. 1t is perfectly natural
for every Mormon that has read that
paper and seen the conduct of the
gentle settlers in Utah, especially
of the Federal politicians sent there,
70 believe that American Protestant
Christianity bears about the most
malignant fruit that is possible;
perfectly natural that every Mormon
should hate and despise it and ad-
miro the superiority of their own,
which, so far as they have had an
opportunity of judging, has pro-
du ed infinitely better results.
Zen or twelve years ago we used
TO hear that many of the young Nor
mons, especially the girls, were hos
tile to poIygamy. They had the
acquaintance of friendly Americans
and leaned toward our monogram
nc ideas. There seemed a proba-
lity then that friendly intercourse
tn the rest of the world would
on wear out practice so much at
rance with the worlds approved
s'oms.
But the prosecutions and hates and
kongs that have become a system
II our national treatment of the Nor
mons, have put an end to that or any
ether kind of praselytism. If the
design of the American people had
been TO plant the Mormon system so
firmly that nothing but entire extir-
patton by the sword could ever
shake it, they could not have better
carried out their design.
The first step that would warrant
our people to legislate against polyg-
amy would be to abolish our seven
times worse system of a worse kind |
of polygamy in Washington and |
New York and all our cities, for |
which every Republican and Demo-
cratic voter is directly responsible as
well as directly interested in main
tanning it. 1t is utterly impossible
for any Mormon to believe in the
sincerity OF one Of those who opposes
or reviles pOlygamy; not one OF
them deserves credit for sincerity
The latest infamy proposed for Utah
by our politician hipocrites, is to dis
franchize the women voters of that
territory, a crime which they have
no more right to commit than they
have to cut their heads off. 1t n
time this game of black pot and
black kettle should cease and hipo-
critics be unmasked. The first thing
to do TO arrest polygamy is to treat
the Mormons justly and honestly and
drIze out the thieves and scoundreIs
we have sent there to keep dens of
drunkenness and vice and to deb ,ucb
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