Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-08-16
HOW THE mORmONs PLAYn.
An Ex-Saint Gives Him the Ae-
erets ofthe POIygamisfs.
with an sx-Mormon in Cleveland
Horaid

How do you account for the large
number Of converts to the Mormon
faith2" asked the reporter.
They are continually sending mis-.
slonsries to every part of the habita-
bic globe. might say right here
that | have seen MormoDs recruited
from the people of England, Scotland
and Wales, but | don think I ever
saw one from Ireland. But to con-
tinue: These missionaries preach to
them the doctrines Of Mormonism,
emitting. of course, all reference to
polygamy. They, of course, visit the
down trodden, low and ignorant
European classes who have been en-
shaved, you might say, all their lives,
promise them property, farms, and
hold out the inducement Of living un>
der their own fig trees, and all that
sort of thing, and these people are so
anxious to lead better lives that they
grasp at most anything, and the result
Is that they emigrate to America, their
fare being paid out of what is known
as the Emigration Fund OF Utah. At
Castle Garden these people are manip-
ulated by man named Stearns, the
agent OF the church, who ships them
to Utah. Upon arrival in the land of
the Saints, they sell them few acres
of land, which originally cost them
about 81 per acre, for about $15 per
acre, and give them number of years
to pay for it. The head of the family
goes to work, tills the soil, digs away
he generally has wife and large
family depending upon him for sup.
pO-t-but he can never get ahead or
succeed in paying for his land"
How do you explain that?"
In the first place, one-tenth of
everything he owns in the way OF
property must 20 to the church, and
is known as tithing money. The
heads Of the church have their eyes
upon him through the Bishops of the
different districts throughout the
State, and the very moment that the
heads Of the church see that he has
succeeded in making a number OF
payments and is going out of debt, the
order comes from Salt Lake City that
brother so>and>so must take another
wife; should he refuse he will be for
ever damned. In that manner they
crowd him with wives and children,
weave the meshes around him TO such
an extent that he will never leave the
church, even if he hates it from the
the bottom of his heart"
Should they become tired of it
are they allowed to leave The Terri
tory?"
mot by any means. Only six years
ago it was worth as much as your life
to escape from their clutches, espe-
eislly if q man has been behind the
curtain; that is, in secret session with
the elders"
I'm what does the Mormon religion
differ from that Of the ordinary Chris
tianP"
"They believe in the Bible all the
way through from beginning to end,
and further affirm that Joseph Smith
was a prophet who appeared in the
world for the purpose OF populating it
in its last day with saints or Gods
chosen people, to prepare it for the
second coming of Christ. When he
was killed Brigham Young took his
place. Since the death of Young,
j ohm TAYLOR has occupied the position
at the head of the church, but he has
not been pronounced prophet as yet.
The Mormous in Utah believe that in
the course of time they will
govern the world. They will
FIRST occupy all of the United
States and dispense law, counsel and
religion from the throne Of Salt Lake.
They are instilled with an undyiug
hatred of the government Of the
United States. They ale educated in
living just inside the laws; they don t
recognize the government in their
hearts or actions, but being in the
territory of the United States they
are Obliged to behave, SO that the
law cannot touch them. This ran.
corOus, bitter feeling is intensified
and transmitted from generation to
generation. They are as busy as lees,
while the United States is actually
sleeping over this important question.
The Indians are all with the Nor.
mons. While | was there | assisted
in baptizing 300 Piute Indians, and |
can say, without fear OF contradiction,
that the Mormon church, is case OF
necessity, can command an army of
100000 armed and drilled men at al
most moments notice. When Brig
ham Young was confined in Jail for
only four hours such a howl was raised
that the United States government
was compelled to liberate him on
short notice. Had they kept him over
night the torches we're all distributed
to convert Salt Lake City into an ash
pile, and | know that the massacre of
between 5000 and 10000 Gentiles
would have followed the confagration.
Ii the government at this day should
send an army fully equipped they
could not enter the city with any force
they might bring against it"
How are the religious services in
the tabernacle conducted?'
THE head OF the church announces
that brother so.and-so will preach to
day, and the preaching generally COM
sists of a mixture of domestic relig-
ious and political matter, and to an
outsider sounds very much like
business session"
Have women any rights thereP'
Women have nothing to say, nor
the men either, for that m after. When
the head of the church opens his
mouth they must obey. He holds
them in submission, under the fear Of
Gods wrath--all, mind you, un Ter
the cloak of religion. The President
and his three counselors are at the
head Of everything below them is the
council of seven, then comes the counN