Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-27
MORMON ARGUMENTS.
Missionary Work Among the Dis
cOntented Poor of the East
The Story of Ono Young Woman Who Was
Induced to Go to the Saints-Deceptive
Words Well Calculated to Capture
Poor and FriendIess Women.

It has become reasonably clear of late
that the Mormon missionaries are making
considerable progress among the wretched
and disconnected poor of the East, writes
Salt Lake correspondent of the New Y DIRK
Sun. Their labor is not among the degraded
far from it. 1t is among people who fear
the degradation of abject poverty, the men
who have failed at every thing and who
know not where to look, and the women
who for one reason or another have not
succeeded in reaching or in holding salts
factory place in the world.
AS may be supposed, the great cities
afford most inviting fields for tins class OF
work on the part of Mormon proselytes.
For many years it has been strong con-
tention of the saints that the civilization OF
the Gentiles was leading them to destruc-
ton. They have publicly held that the
greed of riches and the mad race for power,
place and distinction, to say nothing OF the
unjust and unequal social conditions which
they have pointed out would eventually
bring about such a state of affairs as would
cause the vast majority of the American
people to turn to the Mormons for salvation.
They have taught also the inherent rotten
ness Of Christian society, and by magnify
ing the evils of incontlnence, divorce and
lntemperance, they have made their own
people believe that the country which
wishes to impose its own morality upon
them is one of the most immoral that the
world has ever seen This belief has led
naturally TO systematic work among the
discouraged, the disheartened and the des-
perate OF the East, and the results have
fully justified the forethought which led to it,
One case which the correspondent has in
mind is particularly interesting. A young
woman who had been well reared by
wealthy people in the East, but who had
been left by them without means OF her own,
made an unhappy marriage. Her husband
proved worthless, and for the purpose of
freeing herself from his prosecutions she
was induced to apply for divorce. This
was secured but the sudden change in her
circumstances left her practically without
friends, and, being thrown on her own re-
sources, she made a rather Intellectual at
tempt to support herself. After few
months service In a store at beggarly
wages, during which time she was unable
to replenish her wardrobe, she was taken
i'll. and a few weeks later she found herself
dependent upon the charity OF such friends
as she was able to approach While
in search Of employment, and almost de-
spairing of success, she encountered the
man whose influence brought her here.
Like most Of the people engaged IN this
work, he was clever talker, and it did not
take him great while 70 onvlnce her that
Utah was the place for her.
The process of his reasoning was in this
line: 'sI-here is no place for you in the so
ciai system which holds you prisoner and
a slave. You must walk circumspectiy or
it viii crush you. II you guard your con-
duct with all the discretion possible 1t VIII
grant you a bare livelihood during good
health, with 10 tame for recreation or i'm
provement, and no opportunity to guard
against sickness, adversely or old age.
Now that you are young and attractive you
will be suspected of immortality, and you
will be subject TO insult by your SO called
superiors, By your associates and by your
interiors The influence tending 70 drag
you down VIII be prodig,ous, while that
which is calculated to elevate you or TO for
tify you ri the paths Of virtue will be SO
slight and so far away as 70 be scarcely per-
ceptibse. You have had taste OF the bly,
terness Of this life already ca know now,
as you have tod me, how closely women
such as you walk On the orln <, even wnen
YOU feel that you have place where you
may earn your living You Know that tbs
prerar.ous existence can not last Present
Is you viii lose your comelness, and PAGES
which you find II difficult TO secure now yo1
VII not then be able TO hope tor st IL
What are you going 10 dol fou have a oare
chance Of marrying somebody who VIII
make you a home AID who VII care fer you
Falling II that there is nothing lea for you
but penurv.
The unhappy and misguided girl fen COM
PEELED TO admit tne force OF the n az rea-
.ooing, and she was quite prepared 20 &C
ccpt the remedy which he proposed In
Utah he said. @this aocnrsed social strife
tbs tife-and death struggle fer money, has
no place. Industry is esJosred upon AL bot
there Is a jus, division Of the rewards, and
no one suffers Ehaie another aEnssses more
,han he needs 1t Is land Of orotherly
1--we. where women are hooo-ed- where cali
dren are welcome. where virtue Is matter
Of course. and where poverty - unkrown-
have 10 he.its1sea whatever ~ sasl1e tnas
a youug woman Ike you WGlfa naa
place in Utah which would be oongcnsa,,
and from which you could Net Dc removes
bv any temporary disaster Life there Is
As placsd as q summer sky. There Is no
turmoil. no in justice no sorr0w. save that
wsSch Is eeuuR 70 - OsoEnA Axea