Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-04

their portion 20 the pot 81 fnlsehooi OIL
Of which the imcricdu's articles have
been tished and formed. The oditnf
exposes himself IN an unguardcd con
fcsalon that eve did not assert that this
venerable member 81 the Mormon
Church was stlll living In Salt Lake
CITY. What we asserted was that, NJ
a contemporary u Joseph Smith, he
knew tho history of the Mormon
Church from IT, inception" Hut tho
nrst article Published on the subject,
signed "Old Mormon,v asserted that
the writer was In prison with Joseph
smith whom he was Killed. Now, the
iDicyic1n seeing II. biunder, attempts
10 hedge 10y uxcusing IL "Oli
Mormon" myth Ivy saying III
Ia the course OF long narration,
his memory has proved defective here
ami there, hisekcuse" l. 10 be found
in his age. II "Ol1 Mormon" was 70
defective IN memory that he imagined
he had been IN prison With Joseph
smith when the latter was aasn-siuatei,
what reliance eau he placed upon his
statement on other pointsf II he u 10
be excused from the charge Of lying
on that point because % his age, II u
proper 10 set aside his whole statement
a. the glbberish u au old child. II he
Ia not that lie II an old kiiave, suppos-
ing him 10 be a real person. hut does
any sane persol suppose that n thorc
were any such individual In existence
the Mormon people could not name
him ut once? They know who was In
prison with Joseph aud Hyrum smith
when they were killed and they know
st4la "a
Those men arc all dead, every one, and
they nil died IN the Mormon inith.
Hence, the attempt TO condemn the
Mormon- out OF the Hips OF one Of their
own men breaks down on the very
threshold Of IT, career n n hungllng
lie, aud therefore the whole work IL
condemned by the aiimus OF ite pro-
motefs.
There are several Mormons In Utah
over ninety, but there Il no Mormon
In the world "clghtyiivo," or any
other age. who would write the amer
lean articles signed "Old Mormon"
An "apostatc" might 10 write, for a. n
class they are bitter against the church
from which they fell and eau misrepre-
sent rs deity M II they had never left
the evangelical churches from which
they went 10 join the Mormon church.
But the Mormon church knows is
aposiaics and II cold Mormon" were
even an apostate Il cOuli name him.
That II cannot Il proof that no such
person exists. Fort these renEons I aver
that the attack of the Illustrated imer.
lean upon the Mormon people is con.
demned by It's own language. Instead
Of being nctuated by "full detormin.
alton 70 bring the Mormon situation
before the country" It's purpose cvi.
IDENTIFY IL To take Advantage VI the anti.
Mormon prejudice 10 sell Itself and
make money. The paper Il FUR
ther condemned by It's mis-.
representations M TO the recent
report OF the Utah Commission. The
editor shows his lack OF information
upon the subject by saying that when
the report Of the Commlsslon makes H.
appearance at will show a different
state OF thinp.n That N, at will
show" that polygnmy has not been
abandoned by the Mormons. II n only
necessary 10 say that that report has
been out for months; that il, is state
mcnt In reierenee TO polygany was
sent from Salt Lake by the agent OF
the Associated Press and published all
over the country months ago ami the
report Itself does not differ from that
dispatch. Now what were the facts?
The report states that It IA belered
that there have been forty-ono cases
Of polygamy In Utah In the past year.
They did not say there were forty
one cases, or that they had discovered
~ chscs, but II was supposed there
were u cases. When IL Il considered
that such u statement would he used to
the Injury Of tho Mormon people, the
action OF the Utah Commission In
giving II 10 the press becomes malcvo.
lent. As long ago ~ July, 1859, Colo.
mel Godfrey, chairman OF this Utah
Commission, stated Ia u private con.
versation that polygamy was dead in
Utah. He added, ave do not care n
damn for polygamy; we must d9ipn he
Mormon Pc0ple!' II Mr.. Godfrey
wants the proof he can have Il.
The Illustrated imerican further
condemns Itself and It's cause by at.
tempting TO force Chief Justice Zane,
OF Utah, Into the ease on lts own side.
IL intlmntcs that Judge Zane has no
faith, or not much, that polygamy has
been abandoned. The facts are that
Judge Zane EXPRESSED Ma onlnion very
soon after The action M ibe Mo-.
mon Church on pr.si,l,nf vooJ-
uufiSs "Manls..tnv In nc,n,.r Ias,
A foreigner applled 10 JnJy, zan.,.
court for namrnIllation. Hmono other
questions tho Judge asked the applicant
II he was member Of the Mormon
Church, and proceeded TO explain that
he took tho action Of the Mormon
Church upon tho question Of polygam.
10 marriage as having been made In