Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-04-09
rHE SAINTS n TROUBLE.

of trouble over the -cquc-tration OF
their church property. Under an
act of congress the belongings Of an
ecclesiastical establishment are linn
itcd to $50, 900, aud all i'm excess Of
that amount is subject, by a decree
Of the court, to be turned over to the
school fund. In the early days Of
Mormon settlement in Utah, even
before a territorial government was
established. Brigham Young and
biz hierarchy set up provisional
state. the state Of Dcserct, and pro-
ccndrd 10 administer its affairs with
out regard to the general govern
mcnt. Under these assumed pow
cr-. the legislature passed laws par
titioning the rich valleys, the fine
water courses and the timbcred can
you- to the prophet and his coun-
.clor-. In due time Utah was or
gunizcd as territory Of the United
States. and I'm the act of congress
which forms its organic law clause
wa. inserted ycsting in that body
'thc primary disposal Of the soil"
All the act. Of the so-callcd state
legislature were annulled, and "the
landed aristocucy" Of the church
were divestcd Of their possessions.
But, according to Mormon theOlO-
~, ncshly government has no au-
thority over Gods peculiar people.
The prophet Joseph Smith was
called iu fulhllmcut Of this latter
day dispensation, and he resurrected
and re-establishcd the ancient jew
ish hierarchy, which went down be-
fore the battcinR rams Of Titus, the
Roman general. During the inter
vcning ages all means Of commune
cation with the Almighty have been
cut of from the earth. Our prayers
and -upplications have been wasted
In thin air, our solemn sacraments
have been mere mummcry Men
aud women have lived together
without the sanction of marriage,
aud children have been born with
out the seal Of legitimacy. The
Mormons have restored access to the F..
throne of grace, and being invested /.
with the keys and powers and mys-
terics, We can understand how jeal- /
puS they would feel ut the domina-
ton Of any temporal government.
When Brigham Young died his
estate was valued at S3, 100000, which
hc divided up among his score of /
wives aud multitudinous progeny. /
But his successor to the prophetship, /
John Taylor, with Apostle Cannon .
and one or two others, resisted the .
OF the will, and after II
stormy time, wuged In the courts
md the tahcrnaclcs, compromise
was effected, by this arrangement
he broad farm lands, the valuable
'lty property the mills, the water
lights and other possessions, were
rtniucd I'm the hands of the church,
md constituted an element of It's
power. The tithing receipts
,crr figured upHt half million dol |
ar- a year. good portion of which /
vas applied 10 defeating hostile leg
Station hy congress
Hut under the enforcement of the
hove restricting law, the disloyal .
ot Utah Hud themselves .
Invested of their power II resort 10
np'c i~ out uf the question, aud the /.
betty remains deaf tn the appeals
Il Ills servants for Uu intcrpositiou
4 divine puwcr rhy~' prosecuted
aiut, cam ouly grin and bear IL.
'hr ~rguv-tutiou ot their church
.ropyrty viii reduce the followers or
o-rph smith to a level with scon',
4 other religion, sect, which count
few Thousand followers, hut their
Emancipation trm spiritual couuul
vim TAIL tu Amyiauifc them, N-
atJ~v they have sucked iu di~lnNulN