The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-03-29

ISLANDERS, are what are called for.
A third assertion is that the teachers
oppose polygamy. True, they do; and
so does every man and woman, not a
Mormon, together with many a one, in
heart, who is a Mormon, who has any
idea of a God above and of domestic
purity and happiness below. But it is
not true that our schools are agencies
for teaching children to hate it. 1t does
not come within the field of school
work. thing am safe in saying that
no child is influenced, even against
polygamy, by anything taught in the
schools in question. Opposed to polyg-
amy as we are, we yet recognize that
God has put the first and heaviest
responsibility for the future of the child
on the parent and not on the teacher.
AT this point some Latter-day Saint
will perhaps break in,-"Yes, very
likely you don't teach anything bad in
your schools,-we don't suppose you
do,-perhaps you don't teach anything
but what we believe also, and very
likely your schools are better in some
respects than ours; but don't you see
that when child attends your school
he gets an admiration and, perhaps,
affection of his teacher and soon comes
W GIG 10 StUOuJ cNcIy-
thing? Now he knows she abhors po-
lygamy and other parts of the Mormon
system and his intercourse with her
weakens his faith in the church and the
priesthood. F." Yes, friend, I see it
clearly enough; and now, | think we
have reached the spot where the shoe
really pinches. But how is it that you
who have outgrown the old and corrupt
system of Christianity and risen into
the fulness of the Latter-day gospel,
with all its privileges and spiritual en-
dowments? How is it that you can
possibly have less influence over your
own child than poor, benighted disci-
pie of the old exploded system? Do
you really mean to admit that that per-
verted religion which you have out
grown is still able-worn out as it is-to
produce finer and stronger character
than the Latter-day kingdom with all
its advantages? Commonly, the par
entS3 influence over the child is
far greater than the teachers, es-
pecially in matters of reli gion.
One would suppose that with
your religious superiority and your
constant intercourse with your bows
and girls, you could easily counter
balance the slightinfuence which might
be exerted over them, during few
hours of the day, by one whose mental
and spiritual vision was not sufficiently
enlightened to appreciate and embrace
the glories of Mormonism. II certainly
Is most significant fact, one well
worthy of thought, if Mormon parents
dare not let their children come into
contact with a gentle, cultivated
against whom nothing can be
said except that she is not Mormon.
Yes, yes" my Mormon friend says
once more, "but come now; you know
perfectly well. that these schools have
been planted, in this region, to help pull
down the Mormon power in Utah.
Didn't your secretary say awhile ago
that the object of his society, in the
Territory, was to do what the Edmunds
law aimed at and failed to accomplish ?"
No, cannot discover that he did. The
Chicago Times made that remark and
We are not responsible for the utter
ances of that journal But if the words
be taken in their strict meaning, /
think we can accept the phrase. Now
what was the aim of that Edmunds law F.?
It was to establish class in power in
Utah which should pull down poly
amy. AS you know it has not succeeded
in that aim. Do those controlling the
Christian schools think then that they
can accomplish this end? Yes, they
think they can do much toward it
How? By Turing the children in and
them against their parents
religion? Most assuredly not.
The plot, if plot it be, is as follows
We believe that polygamy, yes, Nor
monism itself, cannot stand thorough
education in its votaries. We
believe that if the rising generation are
educated and have their minds
broadened by study, it will be simply
impossible for them to believe many of
the things which the present generation
believe; that if they never hear word
from US against polygamy their own
minds will revolt from it. In fact our
whole scheme depends on the
principle stated by the Lord Jesus,
in John Iii 20, 81, Every one that
doeth evil hateth the light x4
but he that doeth truth cometh to the
light, that his deeds may be made
that they are wrought Mood
We proposeBto come out straight into
the sunshine; in fact to get all the light
on the question we can and let that de-
eide whether our deeds are evil or "are
wrought in God"
Are the Latter-day Saints afraid of
that test? Can they not tolerate tho
rough education which says not word
against their system? Are they afraid
to let the men and women of the next
generation have good broad look
around the world for themselves? | am
sorry for them if they cannot meet tlfe
test, for it is clear that it is to to be ap-
piled with increasing effect year by
year. There is but one way to get
rid of it and that is to adopt it; that is
to say, to crowd out the Gentle schools
the Saints have no choice but 10 raise
the district schools TO an equal orhigher
level and to free them from sectarian
bias. Then, indeed, the Gentle schools
will go. Will this contamination be de-
feat for us? Not at all. We are not so
anxious to take the education of Utah
on our hands. Let the instruction be of
that thorough and impartial character
which civilization and the safety of
our country require, and we shall be
only to glad to have the Mormons fur
nish it; in fact we believe it to be not
only their right but their duty to do so.
Now, Latter-day Saints, you have our
plot. We only ask you to bring your
system out into the MONDAY of Gods
truth. If your church is really from
above it has nothing TO fear and much
to gain. For my own part, when Nor