The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-06-11
From Utah.
TooELE CITY, UTAH, May 25, 1885.
Dear Standard:

Your readers doubtless want to
know something fresh and direct from
this new Kentucky Ozark and Bloody
Ground) something more interesting
than the mere telegraph reports
which tn y Gull from their various
newspapers. Just now Utah is the
magnetic pole of attraction to the
people Of Christendom in both hemis-
pheres, on account of the prosecution
the Mormons Willingly spell it
persecutions-of the polygamous
Saints. For many years the United
States, it appears, did not know just
how to reach these offenders, and for
that reason the Mormons appeared to
think that the Government was
'winking at tLeir peculiarly -Polyg-
amy. They therefore choose the
period of the Governments inactivity
to preach and practice the most bar
barous system of living outside of the
dominion of the Musselman,
although think | can safely say its
practice is more herrid than that of
the Mohammedan. since it is done in
the broad daylight of Christian and
intellectual advancement, under the
very folds of that harbinger of free
dom and equality-the Stars and
Stripes; while the Levantine heather
is bound in the superstition, ignorance
and bigotry of the greatest light
Egyptian darkness) that can flow
from the equal alteration of Ormuzd
and Ahriman.
Polygamy and Mormonism are
children of the United States, born in
the Empire State, reared to manhood
in Missouri and Illinois, bearing fruit
and reproducing their kind in the
Strong Box of Uncle Sam.
The state Of affairs here is truly
wonderful, and not to be desired.
The chiefs of the system, those whom
the ignorant masses firmly believed
to be inspired directly from God, are
hiding, while their dupes must go to
the penitpntiary The First Presi-
dency of the Church. John Tay lor.
George O. Cannon. and Joseph F.
Smith, representing respectively the
Father, Son and Holy Ghost ugh
borrid blasphemy) are the ones which
cannot be caught. mean to say:
Have not been caught, for the U. S.
Marshals here can do anything but
impossibilities, and by and by they
will find them
Three or four prominent officials
are now in the Penitentiary. the larg-
est of whom is Angus M. Cannon
brother of George @. ex-delegate to
Congress. Angus M. is the President
of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion. But
whats stake? Zion,-i. e. Nor
mondom, is divided into districts
which in many instances coincide
with county lines. Each is called a
stake, each stake is subdivided into
wards, each Of which is presided over
by bishop. Of stakes, Idaho has
one. Utah twenty, one of which in
cludes the wards in Wyoming, and
another the wards of Nevada, there
being six in that state. Arizona has
two stakes, containing in all seven
teen wards.
Each stake is governed by presi-
dent, and the greatest president is
this same Cannon.
On the 9th inst. he was sent to the
prison for six months, and has fine
of $500 to pay That is the full ex-
tent of the tax for the crime of which
he was convicted-unlawful cohabita-
ton. The Edmunds Law makes
polygamy not crime after the par
ties have been married three years,
but the living with two or more
women as wives is termed unlawful
cohabitation, and punishable as above
stated. Two think are incarcerated
for both crimes, but the most will be
for the one only, they having been
married more than three years.
The Mormons are not all polyga-
mists, but they must believe it, or
they cannot become members. Our
town of Tooele contains 1900 people,
and but Is are known as polygamists,
yet | understand that in the places
more isolated from civilization the
proportion is far greater than here.
We are only 40 miles from Salt Lake
City.
By the way our little town is great
ly blessed just now as it is the resi-
dence of the President of our wonder
full Church. Apostles F. M. Lyman
and John Henry Smith are conformity
the shepherds during the enforced alb
sence of the First Presidency. Ly-
man lives here, has two large houses
we'll fixed and two large families; and
it is only question Of a few days
when Bro. Lyman will be called up
to answer for the deeds done in the
body.
Yours,
JAS. D. GILLIAN.