Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
UNCLE sam GOING TO FALL
Inc MormOns Are Waiting TO See the
Country Become Distracted.
linen They Win Step in and Be the
Controlling Power.
Head of the Mormon Church Freely
Expresses His Sentiments.

CHICAGO. Nov. Pin response To the
telegram from the associated press askip0
for statement concerning the present in,
vestgation IN Salt Lake CITY. President
Woodruff, of the Mormon church. sends
dispatch, In which he SAYS:
This Is periodical and Mormon sen.
satlon which we are accustomed to expect
III November. Congress meets in Deem
Der, and 1t Is presumed that the usual eff
forts Will be made to secure legislation
against the Mormons. In addition. we
are on the eve Of an important municipal
election here which the anti Mormons
hope to carry by preventing the naturah-
cation of Mormons. There is abso-
lutely nothing in the Mormon re
hglon inconsistent with the most pat
rlotlc devotion to the government of the
United States. The revelations and COM
mandments of the church require that the
constitution and laws of the land shall be
upheld. 1t Is also part of our belief that
the time will come when the country will
be distracted and general lawleSSnesS pre-
vail. Then the Mormon people will step
forward and take an active part In rescu-
ing the nation from ruin.
In regard to the claim that the priest
hood or the chief authorities of the church
assert the right to control the Mormon
people In all temporal including political
affairs, | would say, Il am the head of
the church and | do not make any such
claim. 1t would be impossible to exercise
1t if | did. The charge of I'M
due interference in elections is
absurd The balloting is strictly secret.
All management of elections in its smallest
details, Is In the hands of United States
government appointees That the Nor
mons are united politically is largely due
to their being constantly and vindicatively
assalled by the small minority who seek to
control the majority. A good deal is being
made of the form of prayer based upon
two verses In the sixth chapter of the
revelations of st. John in the
new testament. It relates to the prayer
that God might avenge the blood of
the prophets. An attempt has been made
to connect this with avenging the death of
Joseph and Hiram Smith It can have no
such application as the endowment was
given long before the death of Joseph and
Hiram Smith and has not been changed
These men were murdered by local mob
disguised, concerning a cry about blood
atonement there is this; the foundation of
our religious belief in atoning the blood of
Christ. We believe in scripture doctrine
-whosoever Sheddeth mans blood by man
shall his blood be shed-but we also be-
lieve all executions for murder shall be
under the laws of the land and by its Off
GERS only.
Statements of apostate Mormon witness
ses that the endowment ceremonies involve
the death penalty upon those who leave
the church and disobey the priesthood, are
simply untrue The Mormons on hand
have a right to decline TO disclose the in
nocent formula of endowment, just as
Maeons have right to refuse to disclose
Masonic rituals.
SALT LAKE, Nov 23.-In the Mormon
investigation today James Talmadge,
principal of the Mormon college, testified
that pupils were taught revelation in re-
gard to plural marriages was from God;
that the constitution properly administer
ed did not interfere with the revelations of
God. The witness believed polygamy
right and the law against it unconstitu-
tional. notwithstanding the decision of the
United States supreme court.