The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-08

had more than one wife and was living in
| active polygamy. The assertion that one
of his plural wives had recently borne
him twins formed the basis of cartoons,
| campaign songs and speeches innumerable.
| To all the repetitions of the charge Rob
erts made no public reply, not even an il
fusion, until three days before the cam
| paign closed, when the Governor of the
state himself the son Of a polygamlst, de
clared publicly that Roberts election
would be calamity. Roberts reply to
| this declaration was a signed interview,
which has seldom been equaled in this
| Western country for its classic English
| and savage inVective
The returns on election day showed that
| many Mormon Democrats, affected by The
| Governors suggestion, had voted against
| Roberts. On the other hand, in Salt Lake
| City ana in the mining camps numerous
| non-Mormons voted for Roberts, and many
| Republicans refused TO vote at all be-
| cause of the weakness of their candidate.
1t has been asserted by some of the
| most influential non Mormons in the COM
munity-the Minister'S Association for ex-
| ample-that the election OF Roberts fore
BODIES return 10 the Old system of plural
marriages; that the seating of the con-
| gresham elect would strengthen the Nor
mons in their determination to defy ma
tonal opinion in this regard, and that the
only way to prevent such a gloomy situa-
ton is to either refuse to seat Roberts
! in Congress, or, having allowed him to
take his seat, proceed to eject him ana
| make an example of him.
There are many other non-Mormons of
high standing who believe that plural
marriages are a thing Of the past here,
and that the quickest way to settle the
so-called Mormon question is to leave il
to the Mormons themselves, to the schools
and associations with the outside world.
Undoubtedly the older men have maintain
ed their families and do now as they did
in the earlier days But no one familiar
with the facts believes that any new pO-
lygamous marriages have been contracted
in recent years; and no one who knows
the modern young Mormon, man or wo-
man, can believe seriously that poygamy
is likely to be revived as part of their re
ligious system.
Head of the Mormon Church.
The Latter Day Saint of this generation
and the pioneer who crossed the plains
in the late 4O's both have their types
among the leaders of the church, but the
pioneers are few now, and the spirit of the
church is progressing naturally with the
influx of new population and the influences
of education and travel.
Picture the present head of the church
as l saw him the other day. To one I'M
acquainted with the conditions in Utah,
the power of this man is not easily mag
ined. His Office carries with it the control
of enormous material interests as well as
the command of sffairs spiritual. When
he speaks with authority it is recognized
by half million people. He alone is au-
thorzed to proclaim the divine command
and to him alone are~ all the authorities
of the church subordinate.
In the business affairs of the church. as
wen as in spiritual matters, the president
is ex-officio, the supreme power. As head
of the church he is president of the Zion's
Savings and Trust Company. of the lions
Cooperative Mercantile Institute, one of
the great cooperative stores Of this coun-
try; he is director-in-chef of the church
publishing houses and passes upon all
questions of policy affecting the official or
gan of the church, the Daily, Desert News.
These are only few of the business inter
ests under his supervision. The head
quarters of all this power and responsible
ity is in the unpretentous but famous
Lion House" which tourists in Salt Lake
City always go to see. Entering small
plainly furnished ante-room under the
stucco lion which gives name to the build
ing, the visitor is expected to make him
self known by knocking at the door into
the private office. Probably the pres-
dent himself viii meet his guest and lead
ing more like a comfortable parlor than
an office, except that half dozen roller
top desks and tables covered with papers
show the class of work being done there
The president uses a large desk at the end
of the room farthest from the street close
by big CHEEKY crate. When 1 calfed upon
him and told him ii was intended TO pub
fish something about him and his policy he
was entirely cordial though a little reserv-
ed a first Then he chatted most inter
estingly of his life. Before he told of his
boyhood he asked, with an unconscious
touch of pride How Old do you suppose
l ann" When the guess came, 10 or 75.''
he laughed with a gaiety of boy
'Eighty-five, SOON" he declared and re-
peated with RELISH "S5, soon"
Picture of Patriarch snow.
The wonderful vitality of the man seem
ed remarkable in one of his years. Tall
rather slender, erect, his form had none
of the angularity that usually betokens
cd age, and the shrinking of the mus
cular fiber His brown eyes are as bright
as a youngsters, and he Will read fine
print without glasses, just to show you
what rational living can do to preserve
the eyesight.
How do 1 manage to keep so well?"
he responded TO query. why, by being
thankful for what 1 have and not wor-
rying about what 1 can't get OF course,
too, l take good care'of myself"
He might have added that in obedience
TO the old rules of his church he never
used liquor, tobacco, coffee or tea His
complexion, while swarthy is of the clear
olive that betokens clean living and years
of outdoor life.
Continuing to talk about his age he said
he probably owed as much to the physique
given him by his parents, Massachusetts
people, who went to the Western reserve
of Ohio as pioneers and settled near RAJ
VIENNA, about thirty miles from Cleveland
You see he went on. 'our family has
done good deal of pioneering My par
ents settled in a wilderness and when
grew up l came across the plains in 1913,
one year after our people made their
great journey to Utah Since then my
missionary work has taken me to Eng
land, France, Germany Italy, Austria and
to the Sandwich Islands, so / have been
good deal of traveller"
The conversation suggested query as
TO the missionary system of the church.
Making New Converts.