Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-05-28
SENATOR VEST ON MORMONs.

what has passed between herself ana nus
band under the sacred cover of marriage.
The bill pretends to uphold the Christian
marriage of one man to one woman, but
really striking it the most dangerous blow
ever known. Why, a man may be wed to
to Utah and become afflicted with the
polygamous craze. The woman may be op-
posed to it in every form, but she can, under
the Edmunds bill, be forced to come into
court and swear away the liberty of the
partner of her youth. She is still his wife.
Why such thing is simply outrageous.
The only excuse that Edmunds could make
for it was that the husband could not be
convicted without the testimony of the
wife. Bayard and Garland voted for the
bill. I told Bayard that with his views
of the sacred character Of the marriage re-
lation he was doing'wrong. Garland had
local excuse. The people who were muir
dered at Mountain Meadow came from Ar
posed the bill, as would again. They call
ed me a Mormon out in Missouri, but l
went on the stump and defended my action
and was sustained. Yet our people are as
bitterly opposed to Mormon polygamy as
the people of any other State. We drove
Brigham Young and Joseph Smith and
their followers out Of the State. The re-
mains of the walls of the old Temple of
Zion still stand at Gallatin. 1t is beauti-
full spot on high hill, overlooking the coun-
try for miles around. The Mormons GER
tainly had an eye for beauty in choosing it..
If old General John B. Clarke had had his
way he would have wiped out Mormonism
right there. He captured the Mormons and
condemned Young and Smith to be shot.
He was just about to eXecnte them when
Colonel Donaphen came up with a Clay
county regiment. He told Clarke that it
wouldn't do to shoot them without commu-
nicating with the Governor, whose name
was Boggs. A messenger was sent to
Boggs, at the capital, and he came in per-
son to Gallatin. Meanwhile Young and
Smith had agreed to leave the State if re-
leased. When Boggs came he agreed to
those terms, and the Mormons went back
to Nauvoo, ILL.,, where Smith was shot
IA curious commentary on the opera
tions of the human mind came recently to
my attention in connection with this affair.
There is man living at Chillicothe, Ohio,
a well-known merchant, who was with the
Mormons at Gallatin. He told me that
Smith and Young gathered the women on
the inside of the Temple. The men all got
outside or on the walls, and were instructed
to kneel in prayer. The prophets told them
there was no danger whatever, as the angels
of the Lord would come down and sweep
the Missourians off the face of the earth.
Well, General Clarke, not having any fear
of angels, just deployed his troops, sur
rounded the temple and scooped them all
in as captives. 1t was the failure of the
angels to come to the rescue that pursuaded
the Chillicothe man that Smith and Young
were false prophets, and he left the Nor
mons soon after. But no longer ago than
last year he argued with me at some length
the genuineness and authenticity of the
Mormon Bible as revelation from Diety."
CROPS IN THE STATE.
Under date of the 21st instant, the State
Department Of Agriculture publishes the
following summary of 272 township reports,
covering every county in the State, of an
average date of May 1st:
The weather during the month of April
was very favorable for farming operations,
and farm work progressed satisfactorily.
Lands have been better prepared than usual
and growing crops are free of grass and in
proper condition to be fully benefited by
favorable seasons.
The wheat crop is not SO promising as
last year. Owing to the severe winter
weather good stands were not generally OBJ
tanned, and a full average yield will not be
realized.
Fall sown oats were badly winter-killed,
and except in few favored localities short
crops are anticipated. Spring oats have
been injured by dry weather and stands
are defective.
The cotton area has been slightly decreas-
in much better condition than on the first
of May, 1884.
The area in corn has been somewhat in
creased this year, and the stand is reported
as very nearly an average, and the general
condition of the crop better than last year.
Corn lands have been better prepared and
better fertilized, and with good seasons the
prospects for full crop are better than for
several years. Not single township in the
State reported a decrease in the area planted
in corn.
The condition of sugar cane and sorghum
is reported much higher than last year, with
a slightly decreasing area in both crops.
More interest has been manifested in to-
bacco than in many years, and there has
been general increase in the area planted
in this crop throughout the State. In the
upper counties the increase amounts to 80
per cent. over last year.
With few exceptions, the field labor is
reported as ample and more efficient than
usual. In some sections fruit was injured
by frosts in April. Apples were not dam
aged and the crop will be abundant.
The books of the department show that 16
per cent. more commercial fertilizers have
been used this year than last-up to the first
of May the consumption for 1884 amounting
to 81, ,4sS tons, and 1885 to ,476 tons. The
reports of the department indicate slight
decrease in the use of these fertilizers in
cotton, showing that larger quantity than
usual has been used in grain.
OTHER CROP NOTES.
In some parts of Orangeburg county the
crops are very good, while in others they
are suffering badly from want of rain.
The cotton and oats are poor in Claren-
don county, but the other crops are good.
In Marion county all the crops are back
ward, but very promising, though rain is
needed. The fruit crop is said to be superb.
A light rain has done good in Lancaster
county, but very much more is needed to
make the fields look as we'll as they ought at
this season.
From portions of Edgefeld county, come
complaints of cold weather and stinted
crops.
The Crolinu Spartan thus sums up the
state of affairs in Spartanburg county: 'The
reports from the crops are somewhat mixed
oats and wheat are first rate, but as general
thing the oats are low and unpromising and
the wheat has very short heads and is later
than usual. The stand of corn is good and
it is growing off we'll, but in many places
the cotton isa poor stand and it is growing
slowly. Some few persons are planting this
week, and it may do as we'll as the earlier
cotton.''
Good stands of both cotton and corn are
reported in Williamsburg county.
In Abbeville county, says the Press amt
Banner, s'the Oat crop may be set down as