The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-18
BRIGHAM YoUNe'S GRANDSON.
WHAT HE SAYS OF Is. II. ROBERTS
AND POLYGAMX.

HOW Tie AAtnE 10 h1nAGE AhN
Anti-ROberts Movement.
washington. Dec. 15.-No one ia all the
United States has taken more sincere in
terest in the campaign against the seat
ing Of Brigham II. Roberts as a represen-
tative in Congress from Utah than Eu-
gene Young, Brigham YOunss andson'
a young man of ., now connected with
one Of the New York newspapers. Eu-
gene Young's father was the great Nor
mon leaders first born, Joseph A. Young.
He married an English girl named stem
house daughter of T. b. II. Stenhouse.
He established in Utah the first newspaper
devoted 10 Mormon doctrines ever publish
ed and for years was thoroughly in har-
mony with the church.
But about 1870, in spite Of his close rela-
tons with the Mormon leaders, Mr.. Sen
house became dissatisfied with the Latter
Day Church, and when the famous revolt
Of the liberal Mormons, known as the
Godbeite movement, took form, he jo.ne
the GOdbeites heart and soul, becoming,
in fact, their chief leader.
The importance of that movement can
hardly be over estimated. Though not
recognized as marking an epoch in the an
mails of Mormonism.
In 1875 Joseph A. Young died, and soon
efterward his wife withdrew altogether
from the Mormon Church though contn-
ufng to reside in Utah Eugene was
brought up among the MormOus, however,
and having spent most of his life in Titan,
probably understands the current situation
as thoroughly as any man living not &C
tually a member of the Latter Day
Church-better indeed, than many Nor
mon.
As a boy he attended the public schools
of the territory and the school maintained
by the Congregational Mission at Rich-
field, after which he spent a year in the
Utah University at Salt Lake city. After
that he entered the Office of the internal
revenue collector, which he left TO join
a railroad surveying party. Sull later he
rode for some months in the employ Of
a pony express company. Then, for
while, he was a cowboy in Arizona. None
of these occupations suitng him he stud
led law The legal profession also failed
10 satisfy, and then he Joined the stan OF
the Salt Lake Herald
Helped Bring About UtRh's Statehood
Notwithstanding his antecedents, Eu-
gene Young was not specially interested in
Alormonism, pro or con, until he took up
newspaper work His first regular assign
ment was the reporting of the Sunday az
teTnoon sermons in the tabernacle. La er
he was detailed TO report the legislative
proceedings, ard served his paper in that
way Just when the present poducai lines
in Utah were forming.
The Mormon, as well as the non-Aior-
mon, voters in Utah are now dVided be-
tween the Democratic and the publican
parties, at least nomlnaly, but until 1S9l,
the two great parties Of the country mad
I1sf, 10.
that time the Mormons formed what was
known as the peoples party their candi-
dates and the ms asures they advocated
being ali in favor of the church, VIII lie the
Gentiles formed the liberal party, its can
didales being opposed TO Mormonism.
II was while he was rspCrtng the Legis-
lature that territorial laws were passed
prohibiting polygamy. Their passage and
the general apparent tone of the leg sla-
tive proceedings at that time convinced
Mr.. Young of the sincerity of the
movement TO do away with plural mar
riage.
His conviction upon this point was so
pronounced, in fact, that when, in 1894,
he was offered and accepted the place of
secretary to Joseph l.. Rawlins, territorial
delegate to Congress, he did not hesitate,
whenever called upon to give personal as
surances that sta t5hood ought 10 be con-
ferred upon the territory. His present anti
fact that he expressed 10 congressman and
other his sincere belief that polygamy
would be given up for good and all
Such assurances from so young a man
might not be considered of much impor-
lance in ordinary circumstances, but COM
ing from a grandson OF Brigham Young,
who had never been a Mormon, and whose
mother had renowned the Latter Day
Church. they had weight. AT any rate, as
every one knows, the statehood bill be-
came law while Rawlins was a delegate
on the sole condition that plural marriage
should be done away with, but with the
implied condition that there should be nc
more union of church and state.
Prior 20 all this, in 1891, just before
the dedication of the new Mormon Tenn
pie, Mr.. Young was one of a party invited
10 inspect its mysteries, generally KEEP
hidden from the eyes of all save Nor
mons, and with the consent of the Mormon
authorities, he described its furnishings
its symbolical paintings and the somewha
theatrical ceremonies of the Mormon
Church in articles contributed 10 two OF
three Eastern periodicals. In these an(
other articles, as in his Washington work
he gave personal assurances that tbs
Mormons were perfectly sincere in the
professions. These articles, by the way
were his first contributions to the OUTSIDE
press upon the subject of Mormonism anS
the Mormon Church
Few Words About Roberts.
Eugene Young's personal knowledge o
brigham II. Roberts began soon after tn
comforting of statehood upon Utah Mr.
Roberts was a delegate TO the constitu
tional convention, which was to frame tn,
new states organic law, one clause o
which prohibits polygamy. Roberts was
big figure in the conven lion, and his op
position 10 the clause granting suffrag,
10 women was noteworthy. Young return
ed from Washington and reported the pro
ceedings.
Before the convention adjourned Robe t
and Young had become -ose n ends, ant
Immediately thereafter the latter pressed
hard in print and otherwise fer the nomi
nation Of Robel Is o Cong ess on he i EN-
ocratic ticket Those most familiar Il
the situation say that without Young
hep as a political wr er for the Demo
cratic p ess, Roberts m ght not have beef
nominated; with it he secured the nomi
naJiOn easily.