The times., 1899-12-27
HEARD ABOUT TOWN.


is excluded from Congress because OF
plural marriages. there will be more re-
joicing than sorrow in Utah
The younger element that is the chill
dren OF the original emigrants from Nau-
voO, back in fare bitterly opposed to
! the practice and have practically stamped
| 1t cut When the United States author
! tiles began to enforce the general law on
the subject, in 1885, they could never have
| made out single case had it not been Cor
the evidence they We're privately furnished
| by the younger Mormons and on the
! strength Of that information they sent
! dozens of the most prominent men Of the
! Territory to the penitentiary. That is a
/ well-known fact. although, of course, it
/ would be denied. The fight on pOlygamy
| in the Church ranks in what might be
| called a sweethearts' war The women
! among the early settlers didn't know
| enough to demand their rights. They were
| cowed by haTdships and persecution and
| were under the thumbs of the men. but
! their daughters are OF a different breed.
| The average Mormon girl OF the present
| day is a beautiful, healthy high-sprited
| creature with a good education. a deep
! chest, and mind of her own She won {
| stand for polygamy, not for moment, ard
when the sweethearts lay down the law
! the young men are pretty certain to obey.
] Anyhow, that's been the case out in Utah.
| As young business man OF Salt lake City
! said to me recently. We nave better wives
! now and we don't need so many of them.
| He was son OF an early apostle Of the
| Church. and he has more stepmOthers than
he could count on his fingers esd toes.
Roberts represents the older element row
rapidly dying out, and the new blood of
Utah is against him.
Senator Mason of Illinois, who was for
a long time credited with preserving the
pen which President Harrison used in af-
fixing his signature to the Mckinley tariff
bill. has parted with the relic Mr.. Mason
was at the time of the passage of the bill
member Of the House Of Representatives.
When President Harrison signed the meas
ure, Mr.. Mason asked for and procured the
pen used, saying that he hoped to keep IL
forever, and hand it down to his children
as a memento of the most glorious legisla-
tion in the history of the country For
this declaration he was denounced by the
anti-protection newspapers all over the
country When asked about the pen re-
Gently, he said: -Humph, / haven't got it.
I Wanamaker borrowed it of me and never
gave it beck. I got all the roasts and
Wanamaker got the pen
The following story was told at the Capt.
tol one day last week at the expense OF a
| certain Western Representative who is
known to have frequent spells of absent
mindedness: While waiting for car at
| the intersection OF Fourteenth Street and
New York Avenue one morning the mar
rator of the story saw the Western Repre-
sentative hurry up to the parcel mail box
on the corner and carefully deposit therein
a scrap OF paper which he carried in one
hand. In the other was a bundle Of papers
ready for mailing. and these he hastily
threw into a garbage barrel which hap
peued TO be standing on the curb near the
parcel box. When his attention was called.
moment later, to the mistake he had
made. he declared that he had intended
throwing the papers away, but an ex-
animation of the garbage barrel revealed
the truth and a dinner was promised as the
/ price of secrecy. The joke. however, was
/ too good 20 keep.
| \ few days ago a weIl-known Senator
/ from one of the New England States was
/ speaking of the demands that have recently
/ been made upon Mr.. Putnam, the Librarian
/ Of Congress. in connection with various
/ bills. In reference to a resolution that was
recently introduced in the Senate to direct
J
( regard to the Nicaragua Canal, the Senator
said:
T "In some way the opinion seems to have
become prevalent that it is part of the du-
/ ties Of the Librarian of Congress 10 furnish
( Information on almost any subject knCwi-
/ edge of which is requisite 10 the discussion
I Of a certain subject in Congress. Now. the
fact is that the Librarian Is the custodian,
not of documents and communications re-
Ia IN al rf.F, Os ka
nent, bat of an immense number of books
. on an immense number of subjects and
he is neither supposed TO study up certain
/ subjects and submit to Congress "a the
sis thereon, nor to transmit every
book from which a citation can be
made throwing light upon the subject
The truth of the matter is" concluded
the Senator such subjects should be
referred to the Committee on the Lii
brary for a decision as to whether the task
is not too great TO impose on the Librarian
and il they decide it to be too great other
sources OF information could a once be re-
ferred to-"
The solemn air of judicial gravity and
dignity of the Supreme Court is some lines
disturbed by a fash of humor On one oc-
casion there was an argument going On and
the attorneys were using a map 10 illus
trate the case. One attorney in the course
Of his presentation OF the case pointed tC
the map in question and was proceeding tC
dilate upon the same, when Justice Gray
asked him what the map was.
Why, your honor it is just a birds eye
view OF the land in controversy answered
the counselor.
"Weu." said Justice Gray. IT wish YOU
would bring the map 4 ljttle nearer;
haven't got birds eye"
citizen OF Utah who came to Washinz
ton as witness in Roberts case said yes
terday that the Mormon Churcn is We
much misunds rstCod in the East
II am a Gentle" continued the speaker
you know everybody in Utah who ism
a Mormon is a Gentle, even though he J.,
a Jew, but / have lived out the ne
Y, and | believe 1 know the people tlof
oughly Very few are aware, for ins ance
that the textbook of their religion is t.,
Bible. The book CT Mormon is simply
supplementary volume. purporting to 81
a history of the lost tribe that settled l.
the Western world The principal distinr
tive feature Of their faith is what they cal
continuous revelation. In other words
the heads OF the Church claim to be gu .Ce-
directly by messages from God, but now
adays comparatively little stress is laid CI
Jhat point. Brigham Young used il Will
tremendous effect among his followers. an,
il undoubtedly lent unparalleled authority
to all his commands, but at present il il
not much more than a respectable tradi
ton The modern Mormon Church is really
a we'll managed and highly successful b 81
ness organization. II conducts a cO-cpera
tive store. which is the only concern of it,
kind in the world which has never suffere
any reverse. The establishment is popu
larly known as the u. c. NJ. L. wfi,l
D. rg H. a.sss.
tuition, and the parent house in Sat LAX
has branches all nyer the STATE. II dealt