Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-03-23
nORNONIsu INCaEAsINs.

Notwithstanding the existence Of laws
adopted to suppress the vice Of polyga-
my, MormOnism seems 10 be on the in-
crease. The bulk Of the recent converts
made by Mormon missionaries have
settled In Colorado and q new Utah Is
to be established there. A correspon-
dent Of one of the Philadelphia papers
who has recently visited the centennial
State and witnessed the rapid growth of
the Mormon church there, furnishes his
paper with q statement Of the condition
OF affairs and q number OF interviews
with individual converts to Mormonism.
These immigrants are mostly from
Georgia and Kentucky. They were
attracted by the preaching Of the mis-
sionaries, who said nothing about polyg-
amy or blood atonement, and forgot to
mention the doctrines and covenants"
and various other peculiar features Of
Mormonism. "They kept pretty close
to the old Bible" They represented
that Utah was q land OF promise, where
all would be better of in q worldly way,
and where all was goodwill and broth
erly love. When they reached their
settlement and found that the soil was
capable Of about ore good crop in six
years; that polygamy was practiced;
that they were obliged to buy their sup
plies of the Mormon dealers, who
charged them two or three prices; that
tho "old Bible" vanished into the back
ground and the doctrines and covenants
Of the Mormon church came promi-
nently forward; and that they were ex.
Iected and required to vote according
TO the dictatiOn Of the Mormon leaders.
It was an exercise of this last preroga-
tive of the church that finally goaded
them to the point Of revolt. Many Of
the cOlOnists with true Southern pluck
refused to submit to such arbitrary die
tation, aud trouble speedily arose. The
head of the colony or stake" rs it Is
dubbed IN the Mormon vernacular, is
SIIAs 5. SMITH, who, according to his
own testimony on the trial OF JOHN ID.
LEE, was a participant in the famous
Mountain Meadow massacre. The tactics
30 successfully adopted for Kidding the
world Of persons repugnant to the VI T.
mons are not yet entirely disused. A
few weeks ago one Of the early con-
vert, having become disguised, apos-
tatized. His cattle soon began to die.
His fences were broke down, his crops
destroyed, and the ditch cut when it
came his turn to irrigate. He announced
that he was going back to Georgia s'
soon as he could go: away, and would
spoil the making Of any more converts
In that psrt OF the country. rne mid
die Of last month he was found dead.
He had died away from home and all
the circumstances were suspicious. The
corOner's jury-all good Mormons
said il was a snow slide. 1t strikes US
that 1t will not take great deal more
Of this sort Of thing 10 excite the Color
ado people 10 a state of mind and body
that will be unpleasant for the MOrmons
"in their midst" 4 little violence
judiciously employed against the MR.
mons will 90 further towards suppress
ing the ulcerous vice than dozen
measures like the EpMUNDs law, which
has proven practically useless for the
purpose for which it was intended. II
the curse OF Mormonisnl is to be wiped
out, something more eGectual than sta
tutory laws must be resorted to. Far
seeing men of tn day have already
reached the conclusion that MOrmOnism
must die like slavery through war and
I'm bipOd