River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-11-28
pEEENpINo AS onuRcH.
President Woodruff. the Mormon leader.
Makes a Sweeping Denial Of the Charges
A .ainst the Sect.


President Woodruff; the Mormon leader.
Makes sweeping Denial Of the Charges
A ainst the Sect.
CHICAGO, Nov. 25.-In response to a
telegram from the Associated Press in
Chicago, asking for statement concern
ing the investigation now in progress in
Salt Lake City, Wilfred Woodruff, pres
ident of the Mormon church, sends the
following dispatch:
This is tie periodical anti. Mormon sensation
which we arc accustomed 70 expect In Decem-
Der, ami Il Is presumed that the usual efforts
will be male 70 Secure legislation against
the MorInons. OF course this can not be
accomplished unless the public mind
Is prepared for il. IN addition to this
might explain that W. are on the eve
Of an important municipa. election here, in
which the anti MORMON party. By preventing
the naturalization Of Mormons, and In other
improper ways, hope 10 be successful. ! can
truthfully say that there Is absolutely nothing
IN the Mormon religion that is not consistent
with the most patriotic devotion to the Govern.
ruent OF the United States. The revelations
and commandments OF the church require that
the constitution and laws Of the land shall be
held As people the Mormons have the
highest veneration for the Institutions OF the
republic.
chief authorities Of the church as sert or usurp
the right to control the Mormon people in their
temporal, Including political, affairs, would
say that ar the present head OF the church,
and that ! do not make any such claim
IL would be impossible 10 exercise IL
If did The Mormon people would not toler
ate II. The charge OF undue influence Is alb
surd, Elections are conducted under q strictly
secret ballot system, so that no man knows
how his neighbor votes. All the manage
meut Of elections, down 10 the smallest de.
tails, Is in the hands OF the officers OF the
| United States Government and their ap
pointees True the Mormons are 10 a con
siderable degree united In their political
anairs. This is largely due 20 their
being constantly and vindictively as
sailed by small minority in Utah
who have sought 10 wrest the control OF public
affairs from the hands Of the majority. They
have thus been driven together by common
interest and compelled 10 distinguish their
friends from Ii ir esemios.
~ good deul is being made OF form OF
prayer based upon two verses in the sixth
chapter OF the revelations Of ST John 1t
relates 70 praying that God might avenge the
blood Of the prophets An attempt has been
made TO connect this with the death OF Joseph
and Hiram Smith and with this Nation It
can have no such application, as the endow-
ments were given long before the death Of Jo-
seph ana Hiram Smith aud have not been
changed This Nation or Government has never
been charged by the Mormon PEOPLE with the
assassination of Joseph and Hiram Smith, as it
is well known that the murders were the acts Of
local mob disguised"
President Woodruff says that the
statements that the endowment GER.
emonies involve the death penalty upon
those who leave the church and diso-
hey the priesthood are made by two or
three apostates, and there Is no
accounting for the bitterness and
tintrathfulne5s 81 some men who
have been connected with an or
ganization, especially religious
one, and have turned against it.
MormOns on the witness stand decline
to disclose the formula of The endowment
rites for the same reason Mason would
refuse TO reveal ne mysteries of his order,
because secret rites and ceremonies are
the property of the individual citizen
and do not belong to the State. While
Mormons have refused to divulge the
rites, they have uniformly sworn that
there is nothing In the endowment cere-
monies inconsistent with good citizen
ship.
SALT LAKE CRY, q. T.. Nov. g5.-The
Mormon inquiry was continued Satur-
day. Principal Taiu.age, of the Nor
mon college, testified that pupils were
taught that the relation Of plural mar
riage came from God; but that tho con-
constitution, when properly admins
tered, docs not interfere with any reve-
lations OF God. Witness believed the
law against polygamy unconstitutional.
About one Mormon out Of thirty was a
uolygn mist, lie believed a president
OF the church diyinel3 called and would
obey him.