The evening times., 1899-11-01
MoRMoNs m pA1r1MoaE.
Elder Whitaker Talks of His Greed
and the Election of Roberts.


Elder whitaker Talks of His Greed
and the Election of Roberts.
BALTIMORE. Md, Nov 1.-Elder John
NJ. Whitaker, one Of the presidents Of the
Eastern States Mission Of the Mormon
Church, and Elder Charles A. Hardy. pres
ident Of the Maryland Conference, are in
Baltimore In the interest OF their church
They will remain here until Saturday. Ell
der Hardy leaving the city to continue his
duties as president of the Maryland Con-
ference. and Elder Whitaker going to
Charleston, w. Va, to continue his lecture
tour. His lecture is on the causes of the
anti-Mormon agitation. For about year
Mormon elders have been at work in the
counties of northwest Virginia and south
ern and eastern Maryland. Elder Whit
takers tour will include Parkersburg, W.
Va; Wheeling. W. Va; Pittsburg. Pa;
Scranton, Pa; New York State and New
England.
In discussing their work Elder Whit
taker said yesterday that while 1t had not
been as successful as he wished there was
general tendency to give the Mormons
the same rights accorded to other denomi-
nations. He thought it strange, he said.
that SO small a community as the Mormons
should create such a stir in the religious
world.
This agitation" he continued, sis not
due to the cause attributed to 1t by its
enemies. 1t did not have its inception in
the election Of Representative-eiect Rob-
erts. Of Utah. to Congress, nor was the
Church responsible in the least for that
action In Utah the people are divided on
national issues into the two great par
ties. Democratic and Republican. The
Democrats. not the Norman Church. elect
ed Mr. Roberts, with full knowledge of
all his marital relations. He was the
choice Of the Democratic party. and the
Church cannot be made responsible in the
least for his election. nor will his re-
tanning his seat or being rejected affect
polygamy in the least. That is dad
issue, and has been since 1890, when Pres
ident Woodruff issued his manifesto, and
not one plural marriage has been oontI act
ed since, but men who had more than one
wife at that time. as Mr. Roberts did,
were not asked-indeed. it was not ex-
pected-they would tear asunder ties
formed in love and welded together by
lives of purity and devotion. It was a re-
ligious obligation. Those who entered into
1t now feel they are bound by 1t. But no
more plural marriages are possible under
the inhibition of the Church and by State
and national enactment
Women in Utah have the elective fran
chise, have the same right for education.
for the profession, for all the avenues Of
progress and enlightenment as men or
women in the most favored communities
in this land. They are public instructors.
hold State and county positions, and in
the home she reigns as queen.
las rule the homes of the Latter Day
Saints are noted for their purity. love.
kindness, their devotion to religious sane
tity; the people are noted for their intsg-
rity, their frugality, industry, morality,
virtue. their patriotism, their charity to-
ward all, their malice toward none. And
woman among the Latter Day Saints is
quite as free. quite as highly respected and
honored. quite as happy and contented,
and does as much to make home the sa-
cred circle of unity and purity as any
place in this broad land.
ITO be married by the laws of the
Church a person must be exceedingly cir
cumspect in life, must bear an hOnOred
name. or he would not be permitted to en-
ter into unions by the law of the Church.
But there is no force no compulsion; and
it is a remarkable thing that divorces
among the Mormon people are exceedingly
rare.
There are good and bad among the
Mormons. There are some unions that are
not the wisest. as there are in the world;
but the discipline OF the Church requires
the most careful life-one of purity. high
aspirations noble deeds, honor for the
country. devotion to God, love for all man
kind that is making for the Fatherhood of
God the brotherhood of man. They strive
to make their home life simple but perfect,
and are striving to train their boys to be
pure; their girls to be spotless. They are
taught that right living. not profession,
alone is what makes the Christian"
Elder Whitaker said he had but one wife
and that there were perhaps no more than
2 per cent of the Mormons who ever
went into polygamy, and those only be-
cause they believed it a most sacred, a
divine command.
Those who say that the Mormons are
going back to poiygamy," he continued,
''willfully misrepresent US. There is a
well-defined policy being pursued to de-
stroy the liberty of the Mormon people in
their civil and religious rights, and / feel
sure that when the facts are presented,
showing conditions as they really exist.
the people will see the Mormons in their
true light Let US be judged in the light
of all the evidence. Let the principles we
teach stand or fall in proportion to their
,ar,t 1ar, tie