The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-11-18
Polygamy in the Piedmont.

Wright, of Utah, called on your cores
pondent yesterday and spoke freely of the
Mormon mission to the States. He says
they have about 1,1O0 missionaries in
this country and other parts of the world.
Wher al elder feels ut he is called to
20 ont to the Gentiles, II able, be furnish.
es his own travelling expenses. The
church gives nothing If he is poor he
cannot 90, unless friends give him assis-
tsnce. They 60 without purse and scrip,
expecting people to feed them. In q new
place they visit from house to house,
explaining their doctrines and the Book
of Mormon. They preach only when
they are invited. They do not thrust
their preaching 90 the public. They
receive members into their church On a
profession of the Mormon faith, after it
has been fully explained to them. It
does not seem to be their plan to build
up Mormon societies in the States, but
to induce those thoroughly converted to
their faith to migrate to the Territories.
He has about fifty members in his church,
near Thickety Mountain, about fifteen
miles from Spartanburg. There are now
seven elders in this part of the State,
scattered from Rock Hill to Walhalla.
Elder Wright is heavy.set, good.
looking man, about thirty years old, with
q fair common school education. He
seems to be very honest and frank in
appearance and expression. He defends
the Mormon doctrine at all points, and
thinks polygamy better, from q moral
standpoint, than that one.twentieth of
the adult women of our towns and cities
should be leading licentious lives, often
supported in their crimes by Christian
church members. He says until the
Gentiles went 10 their Territory their
was no such thing known as woman of
i'll fame. Neither do their people engage
in the sale of whiskey. While it is not
forbidden by their church laws, yet very
few enter into the work. The most Of
the whiskey in Utah is sold by Christians,
and not by Mormons. They contribute
largely to churches and schools. In his
town they have recently finished stone
church at cost of 100000 that has seat
Jug capacity for three thousand people.
They are also erecting temple that will
cost two million dollars. The reason
that the missionaries do not go into
towns and cities to do their missionary
work is that they are not received there.
They have tried this and failed. Conse-
quently they go to the country, where
they not only have access to the people,
but where their doctrines are listened to.
They do not advise or teach ploygamy in
the States, nor do they in Utah since the
passage. of the law forbidding it. The
Territorial government is very one sided
affair, regular carpet bag concern, and
a Mormon has precious little chance in
it, no matter what the accusation against
him is.
These are some of the opinions Of Elder
Wright. He certainly believes the doc.
Zines he is teaching to the uulearned
people about Thickety Mountain. He
has as much faith in the Book of Mormon
as he has in the Bible, or his own exis.
tence. He has left home and family, moi
families, for he states that be has only
one wife and three children, and may be
absent two to FIVE years. He is fail
representative of the 10000 Mormons in
the Territories. They are decided in
their religious convictions. They compare
their morality with that of the Gentiles
who have invaded their Territory, ahd
they feel that both their men and wo
men lead purer lives than their Christian
neighbors. They look on Federal inter
ference as o persecution. They expect
their missionaries to be shot down as they
were at Chattanooga. They leave home
with their lives in their own hands
They have the courage TO die for theil
faith.
Now, the question with our Govern
ment is how to deal with the Nor
mons? Up to this time i: is an unsolvee
problem. The question comes closely
home to US. What shall we do witt
them in our own State? They have
| perhaps, three hundred or more member:
in the upper counties, and they are
gradually increasing Of course, thei
followers come from the humble anc
uneducated classes, but the faith of such
people is stronger on this account anc
they are harder to convince with argu
ment
Some of the people of our county have
been considerably disturbed by thei1
presence, and a meeting or two has beer
held to consider the question. at leas
that is reported. Should the Mormon!
abandon pologamy and rigidly enforce
the law against it, it would not be many
years until they would be let severely
alone by the Government. Persecution
as they call enforcement of law, woule
cease. The question still remains unan
swered "What shall the Federal Gov
ernment do with the Mormons "-'Spar
tanbwq Correspondence Ne'cs and Courier
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