The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-26

c51urcn lrgOn, the Desert news a lniIo
son, Frank represented Utah in the Con-
gress of the United States. The Cannons
were all powerful.
When Lorenzo Snow succeeded Wood
ruff as President of the Mormon Church
the fortunes of the Cannon family began
to fail
When Apostle Heber ]. Grant and John
Henry Smith began to plan for the selec-
ton of Roberts as Democratic nominee
for Congress, Cannon opposed il. He was
defeated
TWO of Cannon's sons are dead. John
has lost control of the church organ.
Frank failed of reelection. The family
las lost its power.
George Q. Cannon always kept poly
gamy in the background at least.
81 am lawbreaker. and 1 don't care
who knuows it, said the new dictator,
Apostle Heber ]. Grant, in Salt Lake City
during the Roberts campaign.
And after Roberts was elected and the
cry was raised that his seat should be
forfeited on the ground that he is poly
gamist. the Rev. R. C. McNiece. D. D.,
of Salt Lake City quotes one of the apos-
ties of the church as saying:
WV hOu4N line " hA4ol tic SOlI-
gress of the United States and all the
rest of the people of the United States are
going to do about it? Why, if we wanted
to pass a law right here in our state max
ing poygamy and polygamist marriages
publicly lawful from this day on and for
ever more in the state, neither Congress,
nor the Senate, nor the President, nor all
the committees of clergymen and women
in America could do a thing about it.
The Mormon Church was organized
April 6, 1880, near Palmyra, N Y There
were six members, Joseph Smith Jr. being
the head. The others were Hyrum and
Samuel II. Smith, Josephs brothers; Peter
Whitmer Jr., and Oliver Cowdery.
The book of Mormon is said to be a
translation from certain plates of brass or
gold which Joseph Smith claimed 10 have
discovered in hill "Cumoah," near Pal
i myra, under the guidance of an angel
called Moroni.
In October the church had seventy-five
members. Four elders then started on
Western missionary trip. At Kirkland, O.,
they converted 100 people. In the spring
of the next year the communicates num-
DCICu 1,VOO. mere DIT hlTLldUQ the
Mormon temple was built at a cost of
$4,000 In 1892 Brigham Young. a painter
and glazier from Boston, visited Kirkland
and was converted.
Driven out of Kirkland by the other
citizens of the town. the faithful OF the
church next settled at Independence Jack
/ son County, Mo-, which Joseph Smith
said was the site of the ancient Garden of
Eden. From Independence the Mormons
were driven, only to build city at Nau-
voo III. In 1914 serious trouble arose over
Joseph Smiths so-called spiritual mar
riages." Finally a mob broke open the
jail at Carthage, where Joseph Smith had
been taken for safety, and killed him and
his brother Hyrum.
Brigham Young then became the head
OF the church, and in July, IS47, the Nor
mons emigrated to Salt Lake Utah.
Here for the first time polygamy was
openly announced as one of the doctrines
OF the church. 1t was dated back to 1913
and was ascrbed as a revelation to the
Martyr-Prophet Joseph Smith.
In 1880. the fiftieth anniversary OF the
founding Of the Mormon Church, the Nor
mon Bishop Lunt said:
This is our day of jubilee. Our church
is OF sacred ORGAN and it is distined to
spread through all the world Our church
mas been organized only fifty years, and
yet behold its wealth and power. This
IS our year of jubilee. We look forward
with perfect confidence to the day when
We will hold the reins of the United States
government. That is our present temporal
aim; after that we expect to control the
continent" When told that such a scheme
seemed rather visionary, in view of the
fact that Utah could not gain recognition
as state, Bishop Lunt replied:
do not be deceived; we are looking af-
ter that; we intend to have Utah recognize
ed as state. Today we hold the balance
of political power in Arizona and Wyom-
ing. A few months ago President Snow
of st. George set out with band of priests
for an extensive tour Through Colorado |
New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho |
and Arizona to proseylyte. We also expect |
to send missionaries to some parts of Ne
vada, and We design to plant colonies in !
Washington Territory
I'm the last six months we have sent |
more than 1900 OF our people down |
through the Sewer Valley to settle in |
Arizona, and the movement still progress
es- All this will build up for us apoliti- |
cal power, which viii in time compel |
tn homage Of the demogogues of the coun- |
try. Our vote is solid and yill remain |
so. II will be thrown where the most |
good will be accomplished for the church |
Then, in some political crisis, the two |
present political parties will bid for our |
support. Utah will then be admitted as |
a polygamous state, and the other Terri |
tories we have peacefully subjugated will |
be admitted also We will then hold the |
country. In time our principles, which |
are OF sacred organ, will spread through |
out the United States. You can imagine |
the results which wisdom may bring about |
with the assistance of a church organ |
ization like ours.
The said results do not now have TO |
be imagined" writes the Rev. DR.. Strong !
OF New York. 'eThey have become quite |
visible. The Mormon Church today viz |
tualIy controls Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, |
and Arizona, and holds the balance of |
power in other great empires Of the West. |
Utah has become a sovereign state. as
Bishop Lunt anticipated and, though not /
as a polygamoUs state. II has become such !
in tae sense that polygamy is now prac-
ticed there with entire impun.ty.
when the Mormon Church OF six mem |
beers was organized in 1889. if any one nod !
pIophesed that within three-score years
and ten the membership OF that church |
would virtually control three Of the great |
states of the Union and one territory, |
hold the balance of power in three others,