The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-15
THE MORMON POLYGAMOUS IN.
VASION

There is very great activity in the
south, and North Carolina is insluded,
among the Mormon missionaries. They
are of course very unacceptable to the
people, with the exception Of some
~credulous, ignorant people who accept
the smooth talk n slick Crossings of
the PROSECUTING "elders," as they call
themselves. The hostility is growing
bitter and expresses itself now in out
breaks. Only some week or afortnight
ago several Mormon elders were mob
bed in north Georgia; a Mormon church
was destroyed at Beechwood, KY: in
Louder county, Tennessee, only
sixty miles from Knoxville, two
Mormon elders were invited to- Leave
a church n warned that they
would enjoy better health in some other
locality. At Knoxville, Tenn, only last
Thursday night, Ralph T.. Mitchell, one
Of the MOrmOns at work in that section,
was arrested by the police, at the re-
quest of several citizens, because Of
violent language he used in a street SER
mon. At Sneedville, the citizens held
a mass-meeting last Sunday night, and,
after delivering a number Of
tory speeches, adopted resolutions re-
questing the elders to leave and avoid
further trouble. On the night before
a mob in Webster county, Kentucky,
after whipping two elders, told them
they could either leave or have their
necks stretched" On Monday evening
of this week the Louisiana Conference
of -Mormons, at Victoria, was broken up
and the elders, -four in number were
dashed with hickory switches. The sit
uation is growing in intensity and blood
is in the eye. A Mormon named Rich
is trying to break the force of the OBJ
loquy by saying they are misunder-
stood, etc. He is a very prominent man
among them in Utah and would have
honp Corf ~ tho TYpitnI Cfofn-
but for the reason he was ordered to
take charge Of the work in the south.
A writer in The New York Evening
Post from Knoxville says that elder
Hammond, in a recent interview, said
that it is admitted that many Nor
mons nave three or four living wives,
but he denied that plural marriage is
longer practiced in Utah. Hundreds of
men who had several wives when the
rule against plural marriage was pro-
mulgated, have continued to support
and live with them, n he could not
see what else they could do" It is
plainly admitted that polygamy is open
~ practiced by hundreds of men, in
complete defiance of law. 1t is upon the
principle that if a man is arrested and
tried N the court on the charge of Big
| amy. he must keep it up, as there is
nothing else for him to do" He can
go to Jail and stay there, and that is
| Nudl SucuI0 Uc NlSllC0 upon every Do
| lygamist who violates the Jaw against
| such practice. Can the Mormons really
| find shelter and safety under the wise
old plea of religious federation? Is Nor
monism, based on lechery and with
! practice violative Of express law, TO De
regarded Is genuinely a religion" Of
any kind? The Baltimore Herald says
| ~pertinently and forcefully:
THE Mormons, however, cannot well
| claim immunity from m~olestation on
the ground that the Constitution of the
| United States guarantees to every citi-
; ben liberty of conscience. They are en-
| gagged in the dissemination of doc
trines which offend against the laws
Of the land. Not long ago a shining
| light in the Mormon church was fined
, for violating a solemn covenant en-
! tered into with the federal govern
i ment as a condition of Utah's admis-
| sion TO statehood. while the legality Of
a congressional election is questioned
because the successful candidate is
known to practice his faith. Apostles
| of the Mormon church say that poIyg-
! amy has been abandoned by b mem
: bers, but the formal declarations of
prominent disciples are on record to