Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-04
"a noND ron PUTTY"

The following editorial appeared In
the Atlanta. Georgia. Constitution u
Feb. 20. under the heading ~ Nor
mons In Georgia.
Mr. J. a. Maddox. Of whltcsvllie. ga.
writes;
"Thc Mormon mianionnrioa are get.
ting pretty thick over this country. and
now We are nt u loss what 20 do with
them"
The answer 10 Mr. Maddox IL one
which iH at tho same time "nay and
difficult In this country there cun be
no attempt made 60 Interfere with free
dom Of religious worship Every idea
which N possible Co enter Into the
mind ~ man may BE- exploited without
molesinilon, ro long aH they dc not
trench unnn tho rights ~ others, There
ar" w this country many schools N
thought which are conducted by men
who arr DANGEROUS Ia their teachings,
and yet they are covered by the mantle
81 the Constitution, and We can only
expect relief and safety from the strong
common sense NJ the people 10 resist
visionary or Immoral appeals,
In the ease uf the Mormon mission
aries, there are many difficulties We
are sure that our friend would not have
any attempt made tn impede the free
men, ana set there " vcNniinua temp
tntion 10 Ind some means ~ stopping
their entertainments The fact tina
they believe IN plural MARRIAGE Is not
relieved by the declaration that they
have ceased their celebration. Al other
church people In this country give "A
bond Tor the purity NJ the female sex
by their belief that tho marrying NJ
more than one wife h sinful This
bond no Mormon gives because he
does not believe the relation Ia b. sln-
ful one but on the contrary. o. o. ONO
acceptable To God. When mon holding
such beliefs go forth over the country
spreading their literature and lguorlnF
the very point ~ difference between
themselves and those "a whom thry ar.
peal, there n n suggestion ~ dishonesty
which challenges the recruitment ~
those who come acrnss IL
There II but one relief which the con-
sutution can suggest and that relief Do
one which calls fur renewed NE and
Hplrltuallty among The people them.
selves. N the other uhurrhrH viii Put
In much ~ the time which N now rlvrn
10 recflmlnqtiOn. tu 81 fuuHinr up ~
their own people. they viii not then
have ~ much tu fear from Mormon
aggrfssions, II ia notable that the mis-
Hiunhrles from l'tah court remote re-
Hluns, where people are Ignorant, ana
whore there II a feeling OF qualification
upon being called upon at All 10 "a
right here where the other churches
have possibly stopped short ~ their du-
~ IN not pushing into the bywuys and
alleys iu arouse their own people and
fortlfy them against appeals from such
sources,
The ilberality OF spirit that In
breqtl.ed In the foregoing article COM
mends itself 20 an advocates of ~
llglous freedom. II contains some Ideas.
however, that are open to discussion.
II appears 10 us that the fact " the
cessation Of those marriages which the
Constitution regards M sinful, should
and does relieve" the situation There
ere many people yet, In ihe South. who
believe In the rightfulness Of slavery.
but the fact that lts practice has consed
has entirely "relieyrd" the situation
caused by their belief.
In the United States people may be.
iieye anything that seems right IN their |
own minds. but that belief must not be ]
exhibited In overt acts against peace /
and good order, against law and good |
government. Belief IN the Bible in Its