The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-06-06
POLYGAMY- IN UTAH.
The Clear Views of a News
paper Correspondent.
POLYGAMY Is NOT THE ISSUE.
The Struggle Of a Small Minority to
Gain Control of the Affairs
OF the Territory.

J Provo. Utah. May 1l.-[Special. -
stranger who desires to make an im
partial study of the Utah question i
beset y many difficulties. The mo
ment It is known that he is profes
sional observer, he is seized upon By
persons who have axes to grind and ar
determined he shall help turn The
crank. Some OF these volunteer mold
ers Of sentiment are Federal officials
others are anti-Mormons in speculative
business, q few are members Of the
chui Oh. and OF what they are pleased
to call liberal views. Every species Of
radical opinion is crammed down the
throat of the investigator. He Is
treated TO little genuine Mormon senti-
ment. The leaders of the church, while
not holding back free expression OF
their views and being courteously at
tentive to the professional inquirer. do
not invite discussion and do not seek
TO influence his mind. They seem to
think their works speak for themselves,
and are content to let them tell the
story of what the church is and NAV
become If left to follow out its destiny
unhampered by stringent laws and un-
molested by the enemies who abhor its
doctrines and condemn some of its
pracuces. The Gentiles, on the other
hand, are
POSITIVELY ISDIscREET
in their efforts to impress visitors with
the iniquities of the church system.
They begin by the assertion that it will
take long season of experience to ar
rive at correct estimate of Mormon
wickedness. When the stranger alludes
to the orderly aspect of the towns and
settlements, TO the absence of.police-
men on the streets, TO the evident thrift
and industry of he citizens, the COM
mon observance of customs which are
esteemed virtues in other sections, he is
met with the remark that these are
only surface qualities, and that under
meath are currents of deYiltry and fiend- /
Ssh cunning which strikes horror to the |
hearts OF right-thinking men. They |
talk glibly about murder and assassin |
alton; they tell terrible stories OF |
abominable crimes committed in the /
name of religion; the corruption of the
ithing system is laid out in startling
ietail. and anyone unacQualnted with
he affairs of life as witnessed in yari-
'us parts of the world becomes first
amazed and then partially terrified at
he pictured enormities of these pecu-
lar people. ~
One has to get away from Salt Lake
Ity. with its many sources of misin-
to obtain fair view of this
Utah question. Outin the
ettlements, several of which / have
listed during the past few weeks, there
; nothing on the surface" which in
licates discomfort or
GRINDING OPPRESSION OF THE PEOPLE, i
dormons or Gentiles.s The town from
Thich write occupies almost as fine
ite as Salt Lake City. 1t is surround
d by mountains, whose peaks are
all the year round. At
his moment the peaks north and east
re covered with q white mantle, glist-
ming merrily in the rays of the south /
m snow. Tiny riyulets, entrapped in
he mountains and utilized by those ;
illainous Mormons, course either side !;
zach broad street, and BY means Of :
de bitches, irrigate the lovely orchards ,
Y which the numerous cheerful resi- h
ences are surrounded. There is no Z
UNI of industry. A 1ourishing wooden !
actory gives employment 10 hundred 4
ands, but the main population, which !
umbers about FIVE Thousand, Is de- :
Oted to agricultural pursuits. Life :
,ems TO pass quietly and pleasantly :
it'll the inhabitants. The place Is not !
GIFTED as yet, but no rumor of out y
Iges or crime is heard. AShearty spirit
honesty and hospitality prevails. |
he old word "neighbor" has its origin
significance. Young folks. meet
ghtly at different houses, dapce old c
me dances, sing homely songs, and a
ay on old-fashioned Instruments. t.
be guitar and Elewsharp and month
gan are in vogue at present, and to 2
stem TO score Of those - r. ..
MORMON LADS AND LAssEs, s. So n
I'm, most o1them, of polygsmous par !
It's. and nurtured in that Ubiquitous I,
stem, playing those instruments in .
ncert on a calm spring evening is b. !;
means disagreeable diversion in a =
Wn where the pleasures are homelike =
ID The desires apparently simple and +
othing. 80 !
[ came to this secluded spot ostudy j
e peculiar features of Mormonism. :.
lich one is told, he loses sight of in :.
e capital. l may have been unfortun- n
z in the selection OF a temporary :,
iding place-at any rate, 1 have found i
evidence Of that deep-seated wicked Z
SIS which was told could be unearth- IA
by diligent observation. The people ~
thrifty and contented. Almost h
cry man OF ordinary activity and Z
pacity owns his little homestead. with ~
patch of land attached. Strangers =
greeted kindly and talked with free ~
The FIRST man met in Utah was 4 - y
tive OF Paisley. Scotland. He was ~
inqulsitive as to my business, and -
s"ered all my questions courteously
d, | believe, honestly. Said he: Il .
dna gang back to the ould country n
quires and uuires o. greenbacks. Itfs in