Daily globe., 1883-06-11
THE MORMONCRTlIE.

OOIn0GHlIlS llh0 d COupIo VI years ago.
the Republican Administration, in which
John Sherman and other patriots express
profound confidence, pledged itself to ex-
terminate Mormonism. Some good reo-
pie believed these heroic professions and
thought that since the war was over and
the national debt was being regularly paid
and extinguished. the administration
could and would take hold of the Mormon
question and put an end to the monstrous
deformity. Since the days and success of
the electoral commission, by means of
which great Fraud lived in the White
House four years, and saved $16O,0OO of
his salary for that period, it has been the
administration policy to do,
or pretend to do, a
number of things, by means of the com
mission system, and so there have been
commissions regarding various subjects
like the tariff commission, etc. It was de-
cided to deal with the Mormon question
through a commission, because the people
would expect something to be done, and 1t
was believed that the public desire could
best be stifed in this way. So a commits
sion was selected, and among those chosen
is the Hon. A. Ramsey. of this state, who
with the others, is now passing his second
summer IN elegant ease in the delightful
climate and charming society of the
Mormon capital. The country knows that
something is being done because there is
a commission that is drawing pay and ra-
tions regularly from the government.
The expense attending this proceeding is
not On quite so liberal e scale as the gov
eminent provision for its lawyers in the
star rouiu trial, and it is not understood
the members of the commission are paid
$3.50 day and expenses, but still the al
lowance is ample ($5,00O year and ex-
penses) to afford the gentlemen luxurious
summer outing, and it will probably re-
quire a couple of years more for the able
commission to make q preliminary survey
of the situation and offer some recon-
incubation to the executive and to congress
as to the treatment of the polygamous dis
ease.
While the Sir Feeble For cibles of the
COIulllSSlOA are IiIN5 SLSdSC lHG NUT
mons are not inactive. They are not only
intrenching themselves more firmly in
their own dominion, but they are culti-
waiting new fields, and gathering prose
lytes or converts, which is evidence that
the amiable commission have inspired
them with neither fear or respect.
Some years ago Mormon missionaries
visited the section eff North Carolina be-
tween the Blue Ridge mountains and the
Tennessee line, and applied them
selves to the work of con
verting ignorant women to their
infamous faith. Their scheme becoming
known to some of the residents the mis-
sionaries were warned to depart, but they
did not take heed, and as a consequence
they were whipped nearly to death and
driven out. Last fall two missionaries
again appeared in the same locality and
with much secresy and mystery proceeded
to the work of securing converts to the
Mormon faith. Having met with some
success, about the middle of May last
some fifteen more Mormon missionaries
joined the two who had been sent to spy out
the land. The augmented Nor
mon band prosecuted their work
openly preaching the Mormon
doctrine without reserve. Thus Baptist
congregation was quite broken up, nearly
all the members proselyting. The prac
tices of the missionaries are shockingly
barbarous and indecent. All the women
who become converts have first to be bap-
| tised. and this rite is administered at night
in streams or ponds, the women being in a
state of absolute nudity. On the night of
the 31st of May one of the baptisms took
place in Duncan's creek, near Rutherford
ton, when nine women were stripped by
the missionaries and immersed, and even
more repulsive performances are said to
have transpired. The Mormons meet the
women alone, in the fields and houses, and
when they succeed in gaining a convert
the hideous method of baptism follows in
the way stated and the converts are at
once started for Salt Lake city. In four
days 106 women passed over the Tennes-
see line bound for Utah. The wives of