New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-27
AMONG THE MORMONS.
WHAT THE PRESENT SITUATION is IN UTAH.
SOME OF THE PECULIAR TEACHINGS OF THE
CHURCH WHICH RENDER 1T IMPOSSIBLE
TO BE GOOD MORMON AND GooD

CHURCH WHICH RENDER IT IMPOSSIBLE
TO BE GOOD MORMON AND coon
AMERICAN AT THE SAME TIME
(YRoMA STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRiBUSkl
Salt Lake City. Oct. o1.-It IS the usuai eApoIo
for a stranger who visits Utah briefly 10 become I'
impressed with the idea that the MormohS' II ~"
actually moro sinned against than SHINING are, %
least In many ways a worthy lot of fanaical Eeao'S
who are being pushed and punished fully as haiu a.
they deserve II he makes the acquaintance OF le"e
Mormons he perccvcs that their expression j. 'o,'
sanity their demeanor most humble. their voices SUI
dued and their conversation burdencd with decia'
tions that they are rendering full obedience 10 INC
OF the land while suffering fearful prosecutions al w
hands OF the rfbah unbclever for conscience Sane "
finds the Gcntes. the other hand. to be herce a'.
uncompromsing. apparently animated by the mo''
vcnomous hatred Of the Saints. utterly cynicai a. ~
all Mormon professions of honesty and reIehucS "
their determination keep up the fight. even thous
polygamy should be, in fact, abolished. UnconscoS
but almost inevitably, he TO have sneakns SUI
of sympathy with the MormOns.
He reminds himself that II Is their country anyhow >
that they settled IT, thousand miles from the foh'er
of civilization: that they driven from Ne"-ioii
from Ohio from Illinois. from Missouri, ana no" az
being bounded TO death I'm their Rocky Mountain "
treat They look like other people outwaIdN t"''
act like other people They live and dress eau s'e'
a
as those of the veriest Gentle. They pay their uo'
fulfil their obligations. conduct their business ID d
business way and 80 far as he can see nothing ai'
them, or marks them different from other pcop,
except that they cherish religious ideas thai the r "
the world regards false and silly. That ho"N''
he does not fail to observe IS crime in free Aer4
II IS no odds to him whether looks to JOSEF"
smith. Mahomet or Dhudda the particular par
through whom 10 ascertain the Lords VIII. VIVA"
the use being an American II you can't do as !V'
please I'm matters Of that sort Smiths teachings "oi
all moral enough except as 10 this polygaiN pun,
ness and that part of their religion the Morhioi' %
they will renqush why not give them a chaloo
Don't let's enlist the Government in religious po'st
cution Don't let's repeat the mistakes OF Phal 'o',
and IIcrod Catherine de Medlci Archbishop Laud anu
the wich-burncrs Enforce the law-tha's all right
but enforce IT without malice unnecessary cruei'S
TO tho polygamous families. 49,
This IS tho sort of reflection which through inc
minds Of nine ont Of every ten strangers VINO ,I
salt Lake. When they have stayed week the! oi'
become moro Than half persuaded that the Nioi"io
ar, about right in claiming that the Gentle' @' a."
class Of selfish adventurcrs who Kicking up a To"
in the hope of getting hold of Mormon properly lo'
nothing. Those who have come here loohihS loi '
moss opportunities. however. and who resolve 10 S'
in Utah no matter how kindly they may nave ~
vloI;sy felt toward the Mormons, soon come 20 re-
them with an aversion as strong the next man >
They begin 10 sec Things tha' puIU cS' hPNN w. 80.
observation they had given when they came alohE a.
tourists They begin TO understand why the 0ehlIl'
/ nonulation Is so unanimously and bitterly hoe'lo
why harmony between them and the believers IN rev
lations can never be. They see how u i ''
polycamy TO the Utah Gentle Is not the Mormon evil
but only an incident expression OF 1t. Ihey ap
prcciac the causes tina, led to the expulsion oi o
Mormons from every civilized country they nav
tompted TO live in. They perceive what IS inc co'u
,act that nobody can be a good Mormon and good
American at the same time. They are lackSior-