St. Paul daily globe., 1884-10-22

ance; but the average is such tnat the whole
would pass off amid the plying SMILES OF the
great world, did not the saints SO tenAciously
cling to the unsaintly practice of polygamy.
During the early occupation of this terri
tory by the Mormons, the practice of poyg-
amy was almost universal. The number OF
female converts was greatly in excess of the
male converts, and the poygamous practices
provided for thousands OF women in a way
which seemed, to them, rational and re-
ligious. Within the last score of years, cir
cumstances have changed Law and public
sentiment condemn the practice; there is
no great surplus of women, and experience
shows that the one wife system to be better
for human happiness and prosperity. None
but ignorant zealots now enter into polyg-
amy. The old leaders of the church are dis
franchised, are not profoundly respected,
and their exhortations to ''live up
to your privileges fall upon in
different ears. Several of those elect
ed to the highest offices of the church.
chosen because of their conspicuous ability
persistently refuse to take more than one
wife in the face of threats and annoyance.
The old fellows whine great deal about 1t,
but they might as well try to raise the dead
as to try to attempt to make the practice of
polygamy popular again. These unlawful
sham marriages are still contracted, but not
nearly enough of them to continue tile prac-
tical polygamist in a numerical ascendency.
1t will take fifteen years yet to reduce them
to an Insignificant minority, and thirty years
to practically extinguish the system, but this
revival of the darkest ages is beaten already
before the world.
The annual priesthood meeting takes place
to-day, and they will undertake to enforce
the polygamy resolution OF last spring against
the still reluctant chiefs, but l predict they
will utterly fail and substantially back down.
l am thoroughly convinced that the Ed
munds law has had sanitary effect Nothing
is needed On the part of the government but
to steadily pursue the policy begun, on lines
of strict justice and moderation. On the
part of non-Mormon citizens something else
is needed-less of denunciation and more of
charity; less of malice and more of concilia-
ton. Mormonism can be overthrown by the
same means which in time will conquer
every other evil-the illustration of better
way in the purer and happier lives of those
who hold the truth.
The humble masses Of the Mormon church
heartily believe the doctrines they profess.
No very high standard of morality is re-
quired OF them; they can attend the theatre
and the dance, drink moderate quantity of
whisky, and still remain saints. The hun
dred men set apart as mission aries are in no
way related in spirit to Adoniram Judson,
but are smart fellows who can preach and
talk business at the same time. They say a
good deal in public about Zion and holiness,
but in private they dilate on the cheapness
| of land in Utah, and the unequaled mildness
of its climate. Their religion has a business
flavor and their business has a religious
leaning. At the least they send three
thousand recruits year to the mountains,
and every industry fourishes in eonse-
quence. We are less afflicted by the prevail
ing ''hard times' than any other part of the
United States. Our Zion is solidly peaceful
and prosperous. We have not only Mormon
conferences but Methodist conferences as
well; and there are Presbyterian synods and
Congregational and Baptist association S.
There is room for solid level-headed men
who want to make money, and can endure,
without embracing. the Mormon popularity