The Indianapolis journal., 1899-11-15
THE YOUNGER MORMONs.
Plural Marriages Are Not Favored by
Them-Bright Young Women.
New Orleans Times-Democrat

IF Brigham II. Roberts is barred out or
the next Congress on account or his three
wives" said a resident OF Salt Lake City at
the Grunewald the other day, there will be
more rejoicing than sorrow in Utah. II Is
a great mistake to suppose that the Nor
mors are united in secret Endorsement or
poiygamy. The younger element-that is.
the children of the original emigrants from
Nauvoo, back in fare bitterly opposed 10
out When the United States authorities
began to enforce the general law on the
subject. in 1885. they could never have made
our a single case had IL not been for the
evidence they were 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 tact,
although, of course, ii would be denied. The
fight on polygamy in the church ranks Is
what might be called a sweethearts' war.
The women among the early settlers didn't
know enough TO stick up for their rights.
They were cowed by hardship and persecu-
ton and were under the thumbs OF the men,
but their daughters are of different breed.
The average Mormon giri Oh tne prsssendt
creature, with a good education. deep
chest and a mind of her own. She won't
stand for polygamy not for moment, and
when the sweethearts lay down the law the
young men are pretty. certain TO obey Any
how, that's been the case out in Utah. As
a young business man OF Salt salt Lake
City said to me recently, We have better
wives now and We don't need so many or
them He was son of an early apostle
than he could count on his fingers and toes.
Roberts represents the older element now
rapidly dying out, and the new piood OF
Utah is dead against him.
II am a GENTLE, continued the speaker
you know everybody In Utah who isn't
Mormon is GENTLE even though he be
a Jew but have lived out there since 10
and believe i know the people thoroughly.
They are very much misunderstood by the
outside world. Very few are aware, Ior IN
stauce, that the textbook of their religion
is the Bible. The Book Of Mormon is SIM
ply q supplementary volume, purporting 10
give a history of the lost tribe that settled
tinctive feature of their faith is what they
call continuous revelation. In other words.
the heads of the church claim to be guided
directly by messages from God, but nova
days comparatively little stress Is laid on
that point Old Brigham Young used IL
with tremendous effect among his simple
minded followers and ii undoubtedly lent
unparalleled authority to all his commands,
but at present II is not much more than
respectable tradition. The modern Mormon
church is really a well-managed and highly
successful business organization IL con-
ducts cooperative store, which is the only
concern OF its kind in the world which has
never suffered any reverse The establish
ment Is popularity known as the n. Nj. &. L.
which means Zion Cooperative Mercantile
Institution. and the parent house in Salt
Lake has branches all over the state. IL
deals in everything from powder puns To
plows and supplies the members at whole
sale rates. An orphan Is always considerea
the child of the church and is educated
and cared for out Of the general fund. The
system of 'tithing,' about which good
many mistatements have been made. Is SIM
ply a voluntary contribution of one-tenth OF
the annual increase of personal property or
income for church purposes. II not given II
Is never asked, and the greater part OF II
few isolated facts, which mention at ram
dom. The truth is the Mormons are sin.
lot of people and have no problems that are
not rapidly solving themselves.