The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-21
THE MOB AND THE MORMONS.
Southern Papers Condemnation of
Religious Persecution.

0O0lAO1h PC1 VI
Religious Persecution.
Charleston News and Courier: The
letter of our correspondent, Mr. Kohn,
which was printed yesterday. tells the
whole story of the persecution of the
Mormons in Fairfield and Kershaw
counties. and tells it so fairly and plain
ly as to put the situation clearly before
the public.
Without reviewing the details. it is
enough to say that IT is shown beyond
question that the outbreak is purely in
the nature of a persecution of the Nor
mon elders and their followers. and is
wholly unjustifiable. The men who are
engaged in the raids and whtDDings.
etc, have not been moieSted in any way
by the objects of their lawless atten-
tiens, and have no excuse for their yio-
lent conduct, except that they do not
approve of the religion" of the mis-
scenarios and do not propose to have
other people 'deIuded" by them. That
they are not themselves overly religious
scarcely needs to be suggested They
are condemned by their own conduct,
and appear at very great disadvantage
when compared With their deluded
neighbors. The reported declaration of
some of the Mormon converts is evil
dence enough on this point. They said
''bhey do not violate any laws of God
or man; they know they could play at
the same game that their prosecutors
are playing at, but they had been
taught as a part of their religion not
to break any of the laws of God or man,
and they would do everything possible
to prevent blood9hed.'' Their elders. "
they added, had told them that If they
were whipped because of their religion
to take it and say nothing about it.
They said that they had never inter
feTed with an one ;that their religion
was not interfering with any one, and
they could not see why people should
NEEDLE with them" They were con-
WINGED that they were right, and no
amount of persecution could make them
lose faith in their church" On the
whole IT is to be very much regretted
that the raiders are not themselves
members OF tale same church They
would be greatly improved, certainly,
by Joining it in good faith and living UP
to Tire simple creed as here set forth
Every raider and regulator and white
capper in the two counties should join
it forthwith, instead of prosecuting its
members.
AT any rate, the state should protect
those who are members. In any view
of the case, they are far better citizens
than thei.' prosecutors. and are eatltled
to protection as against them at least.
One of the raiders boldly said to cur
correspondent for publication that "the
whole thing is that we do not intend
to have them (tne eldersl here" An
other SAID that the state could not
keep these Mormon elders in that vi
cinity. and that if the United States
government sent a regiment of troops
the people were determined to shoot the
last one OF the missionaries. A dis
patch from Columbia, printed yester-
day, states that the assistant attorney
general announced the same day that
''t'ha state is firmly determined to pro-
tects tHnese people m their right to have
any religion they please The issue,
therefore, appears to be plainly made.
1t remains to be seen which side will
prevail
In summing up the situation as the
result OF his Investigations, Mr.. KChn
says very eInplhatically that 'ftle roet
of the whole trouble on both sides is ig-
noiance-ignorance CT what is right as
we'll as what is wrong" and that tine
sooner the state makes these people I'M
dersltand that there are laws fer their
guidance and conduct 'Ihe better it
Will be for South Carolina generally. ="
This IS to the point. Their ignorance,
of course, sufficiently explains the read
mess with which the half hundred
converts have embraced the doctrines
OF the elders Like ignorance largely
exLIains the intolerance of the men VINO
are prosecuting them, the readiness
with which they resort to mob law be-
irr explained of course. by the nu-
nerous examples of such conduct which
I,.,x IitNi,t in in
cent years, without having been pun
ished in any instance. The raider who
so contemDtuously proclairns defiance
to t1e state" ON behalf of himself and
his associates. it must be confessed,
has ample grounds for his assurance
that they have little or nothing TO
fear from its constituted authorities.
The question that is presented is a
very grave one, and the Importance of
having 1T settled right can not be easily
exaggerated. The p7pb has had full
sway in the state 70. many years and
has whipped and beaten and killed at
its discretion the objects OF it's dis
pleasure-Wiho have usually been per
sons who were accused of serious
crimes. 1T has now begun to whip and
threaten TO kill other persons whose
sole offense, as charged, is the preach
ing of religious doctrines that have
never been predCneu mere USlCtS. 14te
time has come, evidently, to draw the
lire of it's Jurisdiction somewhere short
of the poirIt where anarchy begins. The
authorities should draw ii straight and
deep at all costs. If they fail again TO
vfndicase the law, the next develop
nent, as may be seen. will be worse yet.
If they are not wholly incapable. they
VIII perform their duty ON this occasion
ar least. There is no excuse for a fail-
ure to perform 1t.
It is to be added that the church and
the state can work, together for 1he re-
covery cf the ground which they have
together surrendered to the Normens
ard the mcb. The ignorance and vio-
leuce. Of the prosecutors is the fault OF
the state. The ignorance of their VIC
TINS. which has made them SO easy a
prey to the missionaries .ef a strange
faith. rs The fault OF the churches about
them. The educational energies o.
the several churches certainly could
net be better employed than in the bad
" neglected missionary f1eids at theil
doors.
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