Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-04-16
Why the Semi-Annual Confer
ence is Not to BE Held at
Salt Lake City.
4 Panic Among the POlygamous
Leaders---The Brighter
Lights in Eclipse.
Another "ReYeIatiOn" Prob
able

SALT LAKE CITY, March 26.-The
other morning one of the local papers
published a rumor to the effect that
at a council of Mormon church of
ficials it had been decided to hold
the semi conference of the
church at Logan, near the northern
boundary OF the territory. AS the
newspaper is not regarded as enjoy
ing the confidence of the church
leaders, the item was looked upon as
more sensational than true, very few
people deemed it possible or probable
that the immemorial custom of hold
ing these half year gatherings of the
Saints IN this city, the recognized
headquarters, the Mecca of the faith
full, would or could be departed from.
But the enterprising reporter was
right, for within a week of the publi-
cation of the rumor came the official
announcement of the fact, under the
signature of John Taylor and Geo.
o. Cannon, the other apostle of the
trio comprising the ''first presidency"
not signing for the reason that he is
aoW sojOurning at the Sandwich
islands, where the climate seems to
agree with his constitution much bet
ter than does the atmosphere of this
latitude just at present. When the
notice appeared in the official organ
Of the church the people seemed daz-
ed; they were unable to understand
the full meaning of the change, and
have not yet been enlightened. The
movement is decidedly a puzzle, and
in the absence of authorized explana-
ton greatly intensifies the doubt and
fear of the already dubious and alarm
ed people. | have conversed with
many men heretofore familiar
with the why's and wherefore of
orders and actions outside the regular.
but none seem to understand the mo-
tiyes actuating Taylor and Cannon in
dcreeing this departure from a rule
that is as old as the settlement of the
church IN this territory. interpret
II to mean that the leaders are ''rattl-
ed"-in the expressive slang of The
day. They don't know what to do,
when to do, or how to do; they are
BEYOND THEIR DEPTH,
and, being unable to swim, or striking
out wildly, and, of course, are more
liable to strike foolishly than with in
tellgence, and wise direction. In
times past the Mormons have been
guilty of many unwise, if not downs
right foolish, movements, but there
has ever been a semblance Of method
IN their madness. It was a highly
foolish proceeding when In 1857 Brig
ham Young declared Utah free of the
United States, and proclaimed the in
dependence of the Republic of Deseret;
yet that proclamation bound the
people more firmly together, and IN
fused into the weak and faltering a
feeling that they would be lacking in
patriotism If they failed to show their
allegiance to the prophet president by
making any sacrifice or displaying
any. degree of bravery that he re-
quested at their hands. It was the
foolish act of the troubled and corner
ed demagogue, and yet there was
craftsmanship in it. So all down the
history of Mormons, they have never
before been in a position where no
opening for escape could be seen ex-
cept through the door of elf-stultif,
cation.
The changing of the place for the
meeting of the conference Is a public
and unmistakeable confession OF des-
peratlon and distress.