The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-10-27
New York Sun.
MOrmOnism Driven to the Wall.

The chief sensation of the Mormon
Con- erence that has j1st been held a
Logan proved to be the unexpected an.
pesrance Of John Taylor and G 'orge @
Cannon al a priesthood meeting. The,
had not been present at public churct
gathering for six N )nths, and had stoler
into the Temple during the darkness o.
the night and been bid len there.
This incident must have shown the
Mormons how completely the law has
thrust them on the defensive. Taylor
is he President of their Common wealth
the successor of Brigham Young. Can.
non is the polYgamous delegate to Con.
gress who succeeded Hooper. Mormon
monogamist, and defied public senti.
ment nv mis- presence in Washington un
til The f imubds law frightened him of
and lett his seat to Mr. Caine, monog.
am's' Taylor and Cannon stand at the
head of the Church, and are now tugi-
tives. A great merit of the current
pr, s.cution of polvgamy is that it at
once at,acke leaders; and those of the
indicted who are not alrea " in the pen
itenliary are her awaiting trial or
dodging like Ta, Tor and Cannon.
Several yeals ago the Governor OF
U ah gravely asked the Legislature of
the Territory to punish polygamv. This
body was then almost solidly Mormon,
and Its Judiciary Committee reported
that they had carefully considered the
Governors request, and had found that
"the Divine law in no lnstar ce condemns
the class of marriages wherein two or
more women voluntarily and contempo.
raneously enter into the marital relation
with one man." but, on the CONTRARY y,
'such marriages were sanctioned, appro
batcd. blessed, and even in soma ins,an-
ces commanded by the Great Lawgiver
himself" They also reported that "the
children OF polvgamists were called OF
God, and by His divine appointment
we're made prophets. rulers. and Judges
of Israel" and that they had no author
i,y Ito legislate against The religious be-
lief and practices o. anv ecclesiastical
denomination The Justices OF the
Utah Supreme Court at the same time
Joined in . Luhlic statement that it was IAN
utter impossibility to en- orce the United
States statute against polygamy without
radicsl changes, especially in the Jury
law" U It'll the last twelve months ev.
cry project to undermine polygamy by
the law was defeated, for reasons sug-
gested in s,rmon once delivered by
Brigham Young:
1--WE have the greatest and smoothest
liars in the worl1, the cunningest and
most adroit thieves, and any other sbade
Of character that you can mention. We
can pick out eliers in Isrsel right here
who can beat the world at gambling.
who can handle the cards, cut and sbuf.
q. them with the smartest rogue on the
face OF G IDS foo,stool. We can beat
the world at any game. We can beat
them because we have men here that
live in the light of the Lord, that have
the holy priesthood. and hold the keys
Of the kingdom OF God. We can pray
the best, preach the best, and sing the
best. We are the best looking and finest
set Of people on the face Of the earth,
and they may begin any game they
please and we are on hand"
N, snch boastlng is heard now Brig.
ham Young's successor is in hiding, and
the Logan Conference did not dare Ia
read aloui its usual statistics, for fear
that the Government law off :srs would
use thu in their prosecutions. One
s'a'emeni, however, in the General Epis.
tie hal a statistical form and force. l,
was that only one Mormon in ten is 9
polvgamis' in practice, and that, adding
the Gentiles. 'there are ahont IL 00C
polygamisis in population of 200, ,000.'
How long will this minority be able to
control the great majority CT Mormons
who do not share in the benefits Of po.
lygamv and have no desire to share in
them2 When they ref C. that the over
throw of polygamy will see U,ah le
putable State Of the Union instead Of &
d,sreputable Territory, the Federal Of
fees in Mormon instead Of Gentle
hands, and their property rising in value
becauee of is greater security, they vii
one day assert themselves. The polyg
amist wing, too, must soon weaken un
Ter the alternative OF Imprisonment ant
fines against freedom and the respec
due to law-ahidine cirz ms. especially a.
hey rec ,gnize that The Mormon Church
clsansed of polvgamy, will be tolerated
and protected like others that do no
violate the laws Of the land.