Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-14

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A Mormon Fn1S3lDnAEy In " 1'1t&k~
Civ recsusiy boasted that be had made
seveuty-sir converts while thsre, mostly
girls between the ages OF Ii and y
wears. Converts 70 vhatf We answer.
To a professedIy religions organization
which teaches that adultery u com
manded by the Almighty: which fosters
ooncnbinsge and gives ecesssssss'cai
sanction TO bassardy; which destroys
the horas and apbailds on its ruins the
harem; which places last above aHec-
ton, and blind obedisnce 70 priessiy
ediess before adhesion TO and aequies-
ceuoe in the laws Of the land; winch
stops not at murder nor at Assassination
to carry out its DEGREES; which "a In
short, such an spisoms OF ignoranee
and crime and Inssfnl tyranny 40 has
never before existed IN any civilized
nation of the earth. To this pool OF
pollat,on, this rose cancer Of society,
this teredo boring is way into the so-
cial and moral foundations which sup
por. q psofsssedly enlightened govern
msnt, these converts, young gIr'sl are
TO profess adherenoe, 20 be indicted -
nsophytss. and finally TO be degraded BY
beooraing, not honored wives OF honos-
able nsa, not respected mothers Of 10
gitimsss offspring, bo. eoneubines OF
adultsrers, whose progeny will be bss-
tsrds. What work il il in which this
missionary is engaged. Compared With
the crimes of these male procursrs.
those Of the female devils, their coun-
tsrparts in villainy, who allure deluded
victims 70 siIded dens Of infsmy In pop
ulous CITIES, are not more dangerous or
deadly. Yet the law distinguishes be-
tween them. In this land Of religious
tossrstion, protected By the mask OF as
sumsd zeal in furtherinR the progress
and spreading the senets OF q so-calied
church, the Mormon missionary spreads
abroad tbs shameless doctrines born OF
isohssoas prisst-es1fs and breaks up
happy homes, inssiiiing into the minds
Of weak men and women and inexperi-
snesd young girls the doctrines Of the
organized abomination, whose apostle
he ID, and 10 whose capcerous growth he
ministers. The procursss IL punished
Justly and severely. The so-called re-
iigious procurer and pandsrer to .
moral herssy under the benign protec-
ton Of our laws gets on SCOT free. What
q travesty on Law and justice! Our Con
grsss Ia its wisdom enasts laws for the
government of Utah and overthrowinR
Of polygsmy, while all the time the mis-
sionariss Of q bastard faith from the four
corners Of the earth are gathering con-
vsets into lis noxious and lsprous en-
brace. Congress should pass Law max
Ing IL felony not only 10 preach the doc
trinss Of, bat TO belong to the Mormon
Church. IL would abridge no liberty
sajoyed by other citizens, would in
fringe upon no night either Of belief or
worship conceded 10 the citizens Of
the United States. Il would merely de-
clare that - the doctrines taught and
saforced by the Mormon hierarchy and
prsoticed by It's members are in conflict
With morality ~ recognized in these
United States. q membership of the
organization, should until It's polyga-
nous tenets are abandoned be deemed
. felony. and a. sush Punishable. We
vo0ld not wait 10 prove In every sepa-
rate case the overt polygamic act, bat
instead Of singing individual instances
attack tho so-csllsd church. Why not !
II IL NOT competent for Congress TO de-
olsre that membership of societyicom-
binsd 70 rob and murder shall be feion.
isus : Has Il not the power TO say that
Il 10 criminal 10 b q member Of = band
Of eoontsrfsitsn even though no indi-
vidual instance Of crime be proven II
NOT. then let ~ 90 amend the Constitu
sSon - 10 make such Snactments binding
and elective. The time 10 coming soon
vhsn the crimes Of this church of lewd.
mess, the open and Distant violations OF
lsw and the moral sentiment Of this
Nation viii noe b tdassassA. and when
the prissts who tssoh its ssssuous doc
trinss will NOT b tried by juries which
have bssn smpanslsd under fonas. of
lev.
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