Arizona republican., 1890-10-07
MORMON SLAVERY,

MORMON SLAVERY.
 Only few days ago President Wood ruff, of the Mormon church, issued manifesto in answer to the report of the Utah Commission, in which he advised the Saints not to commit any acts in violation of the United States laws, hav- ing direct reference to the practice of polygamy. Every person who knows anything about Mormonism was firmly convinced that the entire manifesto was nothing but sham and fraud, meant to mislead the outside world. The prac- tice of polygamy was claimed to be an order direct from God to his Apostle, Brigham Young. Leaders in the Mor- mon church have ever claimed that their leaders received revelations direct from the Almighty and these the people were bound to obey. Plural marriage was ordered through a revelation and only a revelation could revoke the prac- tice, as every Mormon, and every per son acquainted with Mormonism knows, no matter how many manifestos Presi- dent Woodruff might issue.
 But if his manifesto might have been believed to be fraud and the work of a hypocrite, we have only to take the action of the Mormon Conference now in session in Salt Lake City to prove that it was fraud. When the Confer ence convened last Saturday, as detailed in TIE REPUBLICANS special dispatches from Salt Lake, President Woodruff de- clared that he had recently talked with Joseph Smith and Brigham Young and that revelation from God was soon to come. Did he say that he had had any manifestation from the spirit that polyg- amy should be set aside? Not bit of it. Plural marriage stands today one of | the corner stones of the Mormon faith, and the apostles and leaders of the church uphold and encourage it. Apos- tie Thatcher showed himself either a fanatic or fool by declaring, What we need is persecution, and plenty of it."
 Polygamy is not practiced so openly as formerly for fear of the law, but that it is still upheld there is no question. Only Thursday a ship arrived in New York containing over 200 Mormon converts, most of whom were young women. Miss Inez Coulter who has been a school teacher in Salt Lake City for two years and who has made con- siderable of study of the work of the Mormon elders gave graphic descrip' tion in New York of these lecherous and lustful brutes. They go among the poor of Europe and after declaring that the Messiah is soon to come and all must flee to Zion to be saved, exhibit gold freely and tell of the life of ease, prosperity and plenty among the saints Young girls in poor families art especially susceptible to such wiles and are led captive. The most comedy and best looking ones are selected by the Elders for their personal use, and il they do not fall willing victims are turned out to drift for themselve; amongst strangers and in a strange lanC until at last in shear desperation they consent to become sealed" to these human monsters"
 This curse is becoming even greater stain upon the nation than was slavery In fact it is system of slavery itself Many poor girl is bound in thral dom under Mormonism more terrible than were the blacks a half century ago. As one reads of the work of these people it is enough to make him wan. tC take up arms to wipe them off the face of the earth. Let one of the leaders O the Mormon Church but set his lustiu eyes upon a comedy young woman anC he stops not at any means to bring hel a victim to the wholesale prostitution O Mormonlsm. Let her but be "sealed' to him and she is his slave for life. Es cape is forbidden, and death awaits tho woman who attempts it. She is a firmly bound as is the Circassian gir sold into a Turkish harem.
 And yet it is such people as these who have held the balance of power in Ari zona. We appeal to the intelligence, tC the manhood of the voters of the Terri tory and ask them if it is not time tt throw off the Mormon yoke and cleo men to office who will help to enac laws to break up this slave-holding anC criminal organization. Is it not higl time to call halt in the prostitution O women and girls by these people? Is i not time to teach them that the highes allegiance of citizen is to his country not to any church? Is it not time t show to them that treason is odious and that so long as they remain her they must be citizens of one country under one flag, and with but one wife Let the voters of Arizona weigh wei | Al.