Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-01-23

The tactics adopted by Mormon elders in
the southern States are well fitted to build
up in that region Il strong party friendly
to their teachings, and one which will be
prepossesSed in their favor whenever the
Mormon question is dealt with rs Il politi
cal issue. These saints" are described by
local correspondent of II Charestown
paper as men Of quiet and well ordered de
meanor, affecting great piety, preaching
temperance defending the teachings of the
Old and New Trstaments, yet placing be
side them the Book of Mormon as of equal
authority. OF polygamy they say lutte.
Plural marriages are of course declared to
be the law of the church, but new converts
at the South are cOunselled not to practise
polygamy until they leave Jurisdictions
fOrbdding it and reach the promised land
of Deseret, where the church Is supreme,
and where Congress, though forbiddng
poly gamy, is unable to punish it.
Such men, wolves in Sleeps clothing,
are able to deceive hundreds of the poor
"whlte trash To whom they preach. L.
norant, many of them unable to read, and
poor rs poverty itself, these degraded
whites are battered by the refusal OF the
saints to recognize the possibility OF the
attainment by negroes OF the same rights
in the church as other men gam. The cor
respondent quotes a southern Mormon as
saying: God never makes II revelation to
negroes. one to whom no revelation
comes cannot preach. We baptiZe the ne
gro when he asks il, but that does not en-
title him to membership with the saints. y
The elders 90 from house to house, wan
dering about through the mountains, yet
taking no money for their preaching. If
lodging is given tree, they accept II, but If
Il charge is made they pay without com
plant, in this, again, they appeal to Il
people too poor III money or lOOd TO look
on mendiCant preachers with entire favor.
1t is the aim of these wandering saints
to gather their converts into communities,
and then, when the times will allow il, to
march the entire company of to tab, Ida
no, Arizona or New Mexico. In South
Carolina there are now four permanent ell
ders, in Tennessee about twenty-five, and
in North Carolina perhaps as many more.
Some of the people to whom the elders
preach are outraged at the doctrines and
practices which they advocate. Violence
has not ntrequently resulted from he per
SiStenCe of the saints and the aCcumula-
ted indignation of men alive to the infamy
recommended to their wives and sisters
The Tennessee murders of last year We're
an example; but they not only strength
ened Mormon activity in | tan, but raised
up many and Jealous converts in various
districts of the South. Whatever the evil
of their teachings, these elders died like
martyrs, and the appeal of their blood has
not been unheeded. This result was fore
seen at the time, and years Will not eilace
the influence of the mistaken violence of
which they were the victims. AS often as
the Mountain Meadow massacre is in
stanced against the brutes who founded
Utah, so often will its main facts be de-
MED by their successors, and the Tennes-
see murders be described to show the
methods of their Gentle" accusers.
Another argument used with success by
the missionary saints" in the South, Is
that the United States government is per
scouting the MOrmOns for their faith,
False as is this statement it is one that is
seemingly supported by the clamor in
many quarters for congressional action
against MormOnism as religion. Con
gress as has been said again and again,
should act against polygamy the crime,
and not against the religion, of which it is
an unessential part. There are Mormons
in Boston today. who are quiet law-abid-
ing citizens, having no intention of prac-
tising polygamy, which they declare Is not
a part of their religion. Againgt them