The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-06-08
THE SPREAD OF MoRMoNIsM IN NORTH
CAROLINA

tcient to 40 any hufL TO our lnstllu
tions. to read the following dis
patches.
"The progress of Mormohism il
North Carolina is causing mucl
alarm. Tn rural districts remote from
Towns, missionaries are at work Sc
lucing the ignorant. In CASTOR and
Rutherford counties especially is tGi:
work being carried on. There is 6
band of seventeen Mormon mission
aries scattered around this section
who keep up no public intercourse
but meet quietly and compare notes
of progress. They appoint meet
ing in the neighborhood, inviting
only those whom they think will be
easy subjects Of conversion. Once
in the meetings, morbid feelings and
cariosity lead the people on until the
work is done. Before being admit
ted they are baptized by eaersion.
and this fact firds success with the
votaries Of Baptist tendencies. The
baptisms are always in the night
time, and the dupes are required to
be in state of nudity. The half
dozen counties adjoining Rutherford
are the special fields of these men.
Among the most prominent of these
preachers are William Dorton and
Jabez Brentwell. They have con
verted thirty-seven, fifteen Of whom
they have already sent to Utah. Not
long since two apostles were passing
a field, in which two white women
were plowing. They hailed them,
had a conversation with them, and
within half an hour took them to the
ford near by and baptized them,
when they returned to their plowing
and next day were on their way to
Utah. This shows how easily these
Ignorant creatures are duped, and
as the field of operations is being
continually enlarged, great portion
of the people being of the poor class,
the question is becoming one of great
interest, which the Legislature will
be called upon to settle. Emigration
to Utah does not represent the full
extent of the evil done. Whole COM
munities give up other church rela-
tons and become what may be called
semi-Mormons, laying the ground
work for more pronounced Mormon
ism hereafter. It is this demorallzed
element which remains at home, from
which the trouble will come. The
Journal Observer, leading paper,
states on this subject this morning
that it is a shame to onr civilization
that such things are permitted in our
midst. Missionaries are needed, but
the sort of missionary power, and
the one TO suit the case best, is in
the household of nearly every man,
or it can be procured at any hard
ware store. 1t is the shot gun. IN
troduce few of these priests to these
missionaries, and our country will
soon be effectuallv rid of them"
s'The Star recommends eastern
and educational societies to
the new western educational
commission in Utah, as the most
efectual mode OF breaking the power
of the Mormon church.. It SAYS:
Thus far the Edmund's law has been
a dead letter. 1t has not
sent as much as one polygamist to
Jail. and even if force were used could
only intensity the misdirected enthu-
siasm in which the system is an
The new western educa-
tional society was founded for the
purpose. Of establishing free christian
schools in territories where they
were most palpably- needed. Gen
erous subscriptions have been furnish
ed by individuals and churches in
many places. As a means of accom-
plishing it's end, nothing yet tried
has surpassed the christian schools"