Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-09-08
Rev. Critchlow Defends Himself.
EnITOR CITTzEy:

EDITOR CITIZEN:
During nv travels N Pennsylvania, Ohio,
and West Virginia, proselytiEg and work
ing on a genealogical record OF my an
cestors, / have made the acquaintance oil a
great many people in all spheres OF lie,
from the learned congressman down TO the
humber collier; and many of them hold
as nv deare ST friends; but l had to break
down the barriers OF prejudice before
could approach them on any subject per
tanning to Utah and the Aormons, and with
that obstacle out OF the way, l had no
trouble in convincing them that the
| s'Mormons" as they are called are not
what their enemies have represented them
| to be but Just 10 the contrary.
II has been traditioned in a great many
neople TO dislike the Mormon people and
the old adage applies to them very nicely,
which is: I'VE hate some people because
we don't know them and we won't know
| them because we hate them" and there
are thousands of people who can give no
better reason for disliking the Mormon
other tha they dislike them because they
| don't know them. 1t has been the custom
| of their huemies to lay every mean, con-
temptable thing that has been done any
where arol 4 a Mormon settlement to this
people. ana | find that the same eVll
spirit prevails to a certain extent in But
Ter county where have labored for several
m onths, but I must confess that the people
Of that county have, as rule treated me
with due respect, but to show. yoQ tnat
| there are exceptions TO all rules nave
only TO relate the following scandal which
| actually took place soon after L LETT tnat
country.
Many of your readers will remember the
time l delivered several lectures IN the
Huselton's Hall, Butter, on Utah and the
Mormons" well shortly after that time q
Mr.. Critchlow, of Butler, eloped with q
young girl but was subsequently captured
and repremanded, / was in West Virginia
at the time and remember reading an ac-
count of the elopment in the Plttsburg
papers, and in letter | received from a
friend in Butler county few days later l
was surprised to learn that some dlsreput-
| able person or persons had reported tnat l
was the Critchlow that did the crime, and
to make it worse they reported that took
the girl to Utah, to make her my wife or
one of nv wives, | forget which; and
many who were unfor tunate enough not 10
know anything about the case readily pc
lieyed was the person and my fr1ends
who knew where | was had hard time IN
convincing some of my innocence, but
when / made my appearance the SECOND
| time the originators OF the scandal Wnlch
was not only libel on me but the whole
Mormon people looked, to use an old ex-
preston very sheepish.
The MormOns have been accused OF
everything that occurs on the caiander oi
crime but "by their fruits ye shall know
them" if any person will take pe1ns TO
study up the character OF these people
they will find that their record for morality
| ia far better than the majority OF the world
and their industry and frugality has been
an ensign unto the industrial world for
forty years and as to their education
have only to refer yo1 to the statistics OF
the Uuited States which places tnem
| among the foremost states in the . mon IN
education Notwithstanding the age of the
Territory, and for their religion, WITH
polygamy abandoned, they are as iDeraI
minded as any sect or denomination shouiu
be, and TO prove the assertion VIII t@eIei @
Won TO eleventh article of their faith which
Is eve claim the privilege of worshipinR
J Almighty God according to the dictates 0l
our own concience and allow all men the
same privilege, let them worship how,
where or what they may" and in short
they believe in f1iving and let live" and
| I would to God that all people, both re-
ligions and secular. believed the same
thing. then there would be less suffering
to-day throughout country.
Hoping that these people who are not
wise for Judging matter before they have
heard il will bear in mind the injunction
of the Savior "Judge not that ye be mol
Judged, for with what Judgment ye Judge
We shall be judged and with what measnr
We mete it shall be measured to you again.
remain very respectfully
| ELDRR JOHN l.. CHRITCHLOw