The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-10-11

fIndianapol Sentinel1
Without an exception, those who il
their far western wanderings take il
Salt Sake City and Utah, express
amaZement as they view on all sides
the astounding strides of material
progress. Industry. laboriouS toll, a
resolute determination to overcome
/ formidable obstacles attract attention.
! The wilderness has been Subdued
! The desert places are fruitful. HUI
man habitationS are on all the noun
| tain slopes and in all the valleys. The
MormonS, like Moses, have seemingly
smote the rocks of the desert and
water flows in thousand streams to
make fruitful the land and beau
| tify the scene. The MOrmons
work. They do and dare. They hew
and plow, plant and reap. So far, all
say good" But over all this
grand land Of Utah, its noun
tains and parks, cities and vii
lagos, les the dark shadow OF
polygamy. So far the eradication of
the beastiy crime has delied law. 1t
flOuriShes in spite Of the command of
congress. Courts cannot reach it.
The MormonS cling to it with I'M
yielding tenacity. Not all of them.
There is respectable minority who
are hostile to the religious tenet.
They stand up boldly for one wife for
one man at time. These anti polyg-
amiStS are in lull accord with the
best civilization of the period, and it
is this civilization that is to solve the
Mormon problem in due time. TO
hear some people talk, or to read their
writings upon the subject of Nor
monism, particularly its polygamy
feature, one would suppose that the
followers OF Joe Smith possessed the
power to arrest the march to truth
and ent lrJne error in everlasting
security. In 1850 there were in the
United States Goa Mormon churches,
1906 Mormon ministers or priests,
and Tic, 1867 members of the Mormon
communion. To SurmiSe that such a
contemplated organization in point of
numbers can Withstand the pressure
of civilization which counts its vot-
aries by tens Of millions is to assume
that colony of Colorado grasshop-
perS could beat back Kansas cyclone
when on the warpath. Mormonism
will have its day-in fact, has had it
all e;Idy. 1t will move on and out Of the
way as population PUSHES Westward.
1t can live Only in isolation, but sepa-
ration, detach nent from the rest OF
mankind is an impOssibility ; hence,
polygamy must go. 1t is doomed. If
the law proclaimed the survival Of the
littest, the best, the strongest, then
there need be no excitement in regard
to the future of polygamy. Let the
people keep cool and put their
trust in the majesty of the
truth. 1t is bound to win in
the end. The conquering weapons of
Christian civilization are not bayonets
and bullets-they are truth, reason,
knowledge, education, science, light.
When these weapons are welded by
men who know their uses and power,
ignorance, superstition and vice give |
way. There need be no doubts in re-
gard to the future of polygamy. 1t |
tiourishes only in darkness. Light |
kills it. 1t can not be compromised. |
Christian civilization can make no
agreement with it. 1t can not be adj
jUsted to our institutions. 1t must |
go. Already it is surrounded. Its |
position may be defiant. The same
was true of the foolish bull on the |
railroad track. Fifty millions of |
people keeping step to the bugle blasts
of American ideas need not be over
solicitous about 100000 Mormons. |
Their virtues will survive. Their |
vices will perish, to be remembered |
only in the future to point a moral or
aQOrn a tale