The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-12
MORMON


Apostle Cannon it was, we believe
who declared in the Tabernacle that thu
Mormon god was a business god. Thu
uninitiated Gentle, who has had no OK
perience in the manufacture and retail
Of revelations and other quasl-religiou:
quackery, is not in any position to con
tradict the sacerdotal statement. So, i
the apostle who got in on the grounC
floor, says SO, his declaration goes. Bu'
even in our profund depths of ignorance
we have a shrewd suspicion that, il
there is to be a continuance OF some Of
the business methods at present adopt.
ed by the followers of the apostles mer
camille creation, things will become
awkward for some OF the pillars Of the
Mormon church. We have never had
reason to believe that we were endowed
with any prophetical gifts, but it re-
quires no more than common horse
sense to predict that nothing short of a
complete reformation will prevent the
the saints.
1t would seem that the agent OF the
Central Pacific Railroad company is in
the habit Of holding sittings in the vari-
Gus counties of Utah for the purpose Of
receiving applications for railroad land.
On a recent occasion. the property OF
the company was in great demand, but
the prices asked were not forthcom-
ing. Man after man declared that he
was we'll acquainted with the holdings
he desired to possess, that he was will
ing to pay a fair price for it, but that the
sum hat was asked per acre was out of
all reason. Challenged to produce o n
tirmation Of his statement, he brought
forward the bishop of his precinct who
solemnly corroborated his declaration.
The word Of the holy man of Official
Mormonism was sufficient, and the rail
road yielded to the church. But it is
beginning to leak out that the Mormon
teachers exacted compensation from
their benefciaries for their complacen-
cy. 1t matters very little whether the
sums they demanded were for the Bone
fit Of mother church, or whether they
looked upon them as solatium for CON
tingencies in the world to come. The
fact remains that the bishops insisted
upon q division of the spoils. The men,
who had by their effort obtained land
below it's market value, we're forced, on
pain Of the terrors of the Mormon
church spooks, to pay to the sanity
fathers half the difference between the
price they had paid and the value fixed
by the railroad authorities.
1t is bad enough in all conscience that
the guides and leaders Of any professcd-
iy religious community should set the
example Of receiving brides for shame
less lying, but worse remains behind.
Open and straightforward dealing in
such matters is not only to be dis
countenanced by the example Of the
bishops, but the man who has the au-
dacity to tell the truth is to be terror
lied into skulking cowardice. A mem
Der Of the last Utah legislature, a bright
and shining light in the church of the
Latter Day Saints has a grievance
against an erring brother. The bright
and shining light bought land in Box
Elder county, of which he was wiling to
relieve a gentle railroad at the sum OF
five dollars an acre. But the child Of
wrath who represented the railroad au-
thorities refused to sell at less than the
unholy sum OF twelve dollars. Such ex-
action and tyranny was unheard Of. but
the member bought. 1t is true that the
head of the Mormon mercantile concern
has exceedingly blessed the increase of
the members acres, so that they are
now worth not less than forty dollars
each. But the heart Of the member is
bowed down within him. Verify he
hath a firm conviction that a brother in
Israel had betrayed him unto the ger
tile Insurers. He has cast his eve upon
the erring one, and he has cited him to
appear before the courts of holy church
to answer for bis misdeeds. There he is
to be invited to recognize the error Of
his ways and to pay to the brother
whose heart he has wrung the differ.
ence OF seven dollars per acre, brought
into being by his notions of mistaken
honesty. Recommendation is TO be the
penalty for failure to comply with the
request. And the worst feature of tbe
whole business is that the errino
brother, while protesting entire limo.
cence OF the open and manly conduct
that is laid to his charge, declares that
ne is hungering and thirsting 10 pay the
difference Of seven hundred doIlars and
save himself from being cast into the
outer darkness Of common gentle hon.
esty.
THE Ella NE Is ALL pourGn.n