The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-05-29
aoUaH ON The TWIN RELIC.
Tho Temperance Orator Speaks His
Mind on the Mormon Question and
I.asea an EsnRaRemant

Tho Temperance Orator Speaks his
Mind On the Mormon Question and
Loses an Engagements.
SALT LAKE, Utah, May 24-John b.
Cough, the temperance orator, spoke
here last night to a good house, but the
temperance people did not make t-pay,
being 500 out of pocket. An inter
view with Cough was published this
morning, in which Cough said that while
he was not thoroughly acquainted with
the Mormon question and had not gwen
1t the attention its gravity required, he
was opposed most bitterly to the poly
gamic practices of its people, and
thought the government ought to use
strenuous measures 10 root it out.
would you visit poIygamist home
were you invited to do 500" asked the
reporter
mo, sir, would not. l would not
visit bigamist or a polygamist in my
Massachusetts home, nor would l have
tact of locality makes any difference in
these matters. detest polygamy, and
think it ought to be rooted out. As
said in my lecture on 'BlundeTS,'
it Is cancer on the BODY
polite that needs cutting
ont. If that lecture had been chosen
as that was to deliver here l should
have spoken my sentiments very freely,
no matter If it had cost me my life L
cannot understand how sensible women
can degrade themselves by going into
this practice. / can see no difference
between polygamy and open prostitution.
In polygamy you go through form
of marriage, or whatever you may term
ii, and practice licentiousness, while with
prostitution you go through no form. Ii
q man can marry two wives he can mar
~ fifty or a hundred, and the only dill
ference between Mormon polygamlst
and a man who practices prostitution is
that the one has gone through little
formula of marriage while the other has
not"
"What is the feeling in the east on
this Subject?"
THE people are becoming aroused,
and there is but one outcome to this
matter, and that is that you have got
to crush it out or 1t will crush you out
1t appears to me that congress Is acting
very coWardly IN this matter, and not
moving along as fast as they ought.
People come here on a visit and write
back to eastern journals about the fer
tile valleys, the growing town
and the prosperity that pre-
walls, and forget to mention the
real grievances that exist here L tell you
l would rather see this Territory cover
ed with sage brush from one end of II to
the other than to see it imbedded IN
Mormonism as it is. When l think of
it it makes my blood boil, and can hard
ly talk coolly on the subject"
will you visit the tabernacle on Sun
day?"
mo, sir. I'd as lief go to a variety
show as to go there. I would think 1t
a sacriIege and desecration of the Sab
bath to go there and listen to their slush
and baIderdash. / want nothing to do
with them. wouldn't live IN their midst
if you gave me one of the finest man.
sions that could be built. l could not
stand it."
"What do you think of Beecher's atti
tuGe toward the Mormons?'
"Well, Beecher Is kind of puzzle to
me. I used to admire him, but my opln-
ion of the man has changed Just as he
has changed. People in the east said
before Beecher came west that he would
be treated well here, and that he would
come away bearing good reports OF the
people So he did, but tell you his
position on this abominable fraud has
hurt him great deal, and he has not
gained anything by his attempt to up
hold it. Beecher is very queer man"
This interview made cOmmotion.
Cough was billed to speak next Monday
evening at Ogden under the auspices OF
both Mormons and Gentle temperance
people. The former were so mad that
they refused to have anything to do with
the lecture. They communicated with
Cough, and he replied that these were
his sentiments and he stood by them. a
committee from Ogden is to visit him
tonight on the subject.