The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-23
AMONG TIE MoRMoNs.
Eli Perkins Formuiates Few Facts from
Personal Observation.

Personal Observation.
Salt Lake Letter in New York World,
The Mormons now people all the fertile valleys
from Arizona on the south up through Utah and
Idaho to the northern boundary of Montana.
They are increasing very fast. The railroad line,
running $50 miles south Of Salt Lake through
Provo Nephi and Deseret to Frisco. is lined
with Mormon farms. They also occupy the
lands north of Salt Lake. forty miles to Ogden,
and up the Utah Northern for AIT miles to Butte
City, in Montana Seven hundred miles of rail
road are lined with them There are about 210,
900 Mormons to-day. They outnumber all voters
in Utah three to one. and in Idaho they have the
balance of power They are all actuated with
the one idea-to increase. multiply and replenish
the earth. To have many children and finally
outnumber the gentiles Is their religion. That
idea seizes even the women. They try to have
children and vie with each other to who shall
have the greater number. They are increasing
in Utah and Idaho five times as fast as the
gentiles
Every Mormon child is born church mem
Der and is taught to be polygamist from birth.
have travelled among the Mormons for five
hundred miles. have been in their homes and
talked with their wives. There oven ten
thousand Mormons who have poiygamous wives
from one to twelve. The recent prosecution of
the polygamiss there are now sixty polygamlsts
in Jail in Salt Lake, has united all the ignorant
Mormons on the subject OF polygamy | have
failed to find Mormon woman who does not
lessiy say II hope my husband will take as
many wives as he wants to-"
Now what is to be dones
/ spent many hours with the Mormon leaders
in Salt Lake. l found President Taylor Bishop
Cannon and John W. Young, the fayorite son of
the Prophet. hiding in the woods avoid
sentence. Hiram Clawson, contemporary with
Joseph Smith and Brigham, from Nauvoo to
Salt Lake. had just served a six months sentence
for living with two of Brigham Young daugh-
tiers. have been known as friend of the Nor
mons, and they talked plainly with me. In
their hearts | found that Bishop Cawson and
Bishop Cannon were much troubled They be-
lieved that polygamy came in divine revela
ton through Brigham Young.
1--WE consider polygamy part of our religion, ),
they said, land the Constitution guarantees re-
ligious freedom
give up future poygamy. They invariably re-
piled:
But it is our religion. How can we give it upl'
When l asked Hiram Clawson if he would be
willing to give up future polygamy if the govern
ment would let past polygamy take care of itself,
he said:
You can say that am willing to have future
polygamy punished according to the laws, but
am not willing to have families who went into
polygamy years ago disturbed / married two OF
Brigham Youngs daughters. / have twenty
seven children by them. | shall never abandon
either of these wives unless | am in prison.
will suffer my whole life behind the bars, but
will stand by these wives and against making
any of these children illegitmate."
This Is the absolute status of ten thousand
polygamists in Arizona, Idaho and Utah to-day.
What can be done with tnem9