Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-22
AMONG THE MORMONs.
Eli Perkins Terminates a Few Fact.
from Personal Observation.

from Personal Observation.
SALT LAKE, Utah, May 1.-THE Nor
mons 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
WIFE Mormon farms. They also occupy
the lands north OF Salt Lake, 40 miles
to Ogden, and on up the Utah
Northern for AT miles to Butte CITY,
In Montana. Seven hundred miles
or railroad are lined with them. There are
about 2l0, coo MOrmons to-day They out
number 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 re-
plenish the earth. 70 have many chill
dren and finally Outnumber the Gentiles
is their religion. That idea seizes even
the women. They try to have children
and vie with each other 10 see who shall
have the greatest number. They are in
creasIng in Utah and Idaho five times as
fast as the Gentiles.
Every Mormon child is born a church
member, and is taught to be polygamist
from birth. | have Travelled among the
MOrmOns for 800 miles. | have been in
their houses and talked with their wives.
There are over 10000 MOrmOns who have
pOiyg8mOus wives from one to twelve.
The recent prosecution of the pOlygamists
(tbere are now sixty p0iygamists in jail
in Salt Lake, bias united all the ignorant
Mormons on the subject of pOlygamy. |
have failed To find a Mormon woman who
does not boast Of the virtues of pOlygamy,
and ghQnNplnGQlV 81 hOnn " y b1t 81
will take as many wives as he wants to-"
Now, what is TO be done?
l spent manv hours with the Mormon
leaders in Salt Lake. | found President
Taylor, Bishop Cannon and John w.
Young, the favOrite son of the Prophet,
hiding in the woods to 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's daughters, | have
been known as friend of the MOrmOns
and they talked plainly with me. In their
hearts / found that Bishop CiawsOn and
Bishop Cannon were much troubled.
they believed that polygamy came in a
divine revelation through Brigham
Young.
1--WE consider polygamy a part of our
religion they said, land the constitu-
ton guarantees religious freedom"
tried hard to get them to say that they
would give up future pOlygamy. They
invariably replied:
''But il is our religion. How can we
give it upw
When / asked Hiram CIawson if he
would be willing % give up future polyg.
amy if the government would let pas
polvgamy take care of itself. he said;
"YOu can say that am willing TO have
future polyeamy punished according tC
the laws, but am not willing to have
families who went into pOlygamv years
ago disturbed. l married two OF Brigham
Young's daughters. ! have twepty-seveu
children by them. ! shall never abandon
either of these wives unless l am in pris-
on. l will suffer my whole life behind
the bars, but / will stand by these wives
and against making any of these children
illegitimate.''
This is the absolute status OF 10000 po
lygamIsts in Arizona, Idaho and Utah to.
day. What can be done with them?
ELI PERKINS.