McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-02-05
THE APOSTLES OF POLYGAMY.
What the Latter Day Saints Are Doing
IN the South.
Interesting Facts About What They Teach
and How They Teach II.

anu HOW Iuey Icdcu ~.
An Interview With Brand-New Saint.
1t is wonderful how this question of
Mormonism is beginning to agitate our
whole country, writes a Spartanburg,
S. c., correspondent to The Charleston
Is. CO. Nevs- Courier It is giving our
Lawmakers at Washington some
trouble, and the preachers are talking
about it from their pulpits, and the ed
itors have their suggestions as to the
best methods of dealing with the evil.
The southern people have considered
the matter only in the abstract until
lately, when in certain sections, they
are forced to meet 1t in more prac-
teal way. Near Chattanooga two of
the elders were shot down, but that
did not end their work. Chattanooga
is still their stronghold in the south,
and that is where the president for the
southern states has his headquarters.
In the summer of 1882, believe it was,
a Mormon elder or two visited the
northeastern part of our county. Some
little notice of this was taken by the
local press, and the people were dis
posed to consider it a joke. During
the summer of last year their visits
were more frequent, and they are now
becoming more aggressive. They
have the true missionary spirit, and
are willing to preach wherever per-
mission is given.
Some of the citizens about Paris
ford, on the Pacolet, twelve miles
north of town, have, flom time to
time, mentioned the fact that these
elders were coming among them, and
they feared that they would do harm.
Their suspicious were increased, no
doubt, by reading Joaquin Miller's
Mormon story, published in country
paper last year, and some of our citi-
zens would not have been surprised to
see one of these elders travelling
around with coffin after him, as did
the leading character in Millcr's story.
A few of them talked about driving
the elders from the county by force
and causing their converts to follow
unless they behaved themselves. This
being the feeling of the people, your
correspondent thought the subject
worth looking into. The ''gentiies''
could give no information, except that
the elders put up with one James S.
Russell, and made frequent visits to
the neighborhood. They said that
Russell had increased the Mormon
population by moving about twenty
five Indians from Rock Hill and giving
them houses on his land. This is
about all the information they could
give. A note was addressed to Mr..
Russell asking for an interview. This
he cheerfully granted.
James S. Russell, the first convert
to Mormonism in this county, l think,
was born near Rock Hill, in York
county. He had only a common
school education, and his reading is
limited. He is about 40 years old, and
married Miss Burnett, of this county
When he was young man he travel
ed around and took pictures. The
people of Union county may remem-
Der hin, for he was about Wilkinsville
some time. In this county he was in
dicted for illicit traffic in whisky
about the time of the Kuklux excite
ment. Of late years he has been a
qniet, law-abiding citizen, the owner
of a farm, and he is doing about as
well as the average man of his neigh
borhood.
Mr.. Russell was disposed to talk
very freely about Mormonism, and
seemed to have no sort of malice
against those who opposed this new
relation. He says the church at Salt
Lake has sent out missionaries to all
the southern states. In South Caro-
lima there are only four, with head
quarters at Whitaker's station, in
York county. To that county and one
corner of Spartanburg they have con-
fined their operations up to this time.
They have twenty to twenty-five con-
verts in York and four in this
county. The elders travel on foot,
and are not allowed to receive col
lections from their congregations.
They bear their own expenses, staying
where night overtakes them, if per-
mission is given. If a charge is made
for lodging they always pay for it.
The president of the southern work
resides at Chattanooga. He visits all
the state conferences, which are COM
posed of the elders and all the men,
bership. 1t was not such a conference
as this that was broken up at Rock
Hill some time ago by indignant cit
liens. There is a family of Cor
dons about Whitaker that has
united with these Latter-Day
Saints. In this county. James S.
Russell and his wife and Hamp Robin
son and wife are the only converts up
to this time. Russell says he moved
two Indian families from Rock Hill to
cultivate his lands. He has known
them since he was a child, and says
they are quiet, industrious people
They are Mormons.
The elders will preach in any place
where permission is given. They
would even come to Spartanburg and
let the new light shine in the court
house or any other place. They are
anxious for controversy, and, as Rus
sell says: "They glory in arguing
about their church and doctrines.
They teach that plurality of wives is
authorized by the Old and New Testa-
ments as well as by the book of Nor
mon. They receive the Protestant
bible as the word of God, but they