The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-10
Large Mass Meeting
Scores the Utah
Congressman.
RESOLUTIONS PASSED.
Grandson of Brigham Young
Makes Principal
Address.

Boston, Nov. "a largely attended
mass meeting for the purpose of pro-
testing against the admission of B. H.
Roberts of Utah as member of the
56th congress. was held at fremont
Temple, tonight. The principal speak
ers were Eugene Young of New York,
the grandson of Brigham Young, the
Mormon elder, and DIR. Josiah Strong.
! The meeting was under the auspices
Of Methodist and Congregational clubs,
several branches of the w. C. T. u,
and Kings Daughters, eleven societies
being represented. Mr.. Clark of the
| Christian Endeavor society of Boston
presided, and Rev. DR.. Withrow Of
fered prayer. Mr. Young was the first
speaker and was well received. The
audience, while not enthusiastic, ex-
pressed its approval of Mr.. Young's
| speech.
Mr.. Strong was the next speaker. He
appealed to the people of the country
not to allow the acknowledgement of
polygamy in the seating of Mr.. Rob-
erts. A letter of regret was read from
Miss Helen Gould. At the close of the
speech making. resolutions were adopt-
ed to the effect that the election of Mr..
Roberts, under the circumstances was
a declaration that polygamy is ap-
proved among the Mormon people, and
| was equivalent to a challenge to the
people and congress of the United
States demanding the recognition of
polygamy.
Mr.. Young, in beginning, stated the
position of those who are making the
campaign against Mr.. Roberts.
We do not ask you to join with us
in an attack upon the liberty of con-
| science" he said. I'VE are willing to
| let him place the Book of Mormon on a
! par with the Bible, just as we are will
| ing to let the Mohammedans consider
! the Koran the book Of life. We are
willing to let him believe that Adam is
| the God of this world and that Joseph
smith and Brigham Young will take
| their place among the defsies He has
as much a right to such worship as the
| Chinese have to bow before idols We
| do not even assail his private 4charac-
| ter and search his morals to learn if he
| should sit in the halls of legislation
! The time has not come when we can
make personal morality test for pub
| lie officials
We are making the campaign on
broader and higher grounds. We hold
| that the issue rises above mere per-
sonality or religious differences. We
| are opposing Mr.. Roberts, not as the
| man, but as the embodiment of militant
| Mormonism, the opponent of that in
dtvidual liberty which has been the
glory of our nation, and the foe of the
homogeneous home, which is the found
| alton of our civilization.
''Polygamy is regarded by those who
| cannot see it through Mormon eyes as a
great monstrosity, part of the social
evil. But it runs deeper than that in
this latter-day sect. 1t is not the low
and degraded among the Mormons who
have been enchanted in the slavery of
celestial marriage. Men who have
drawn their ideals from the historic old
Green mountains have shared it with
women in whose veins flowed the best
blood of England Around it has been
woven all the traditions of Christianity,
it has come the members of the Nor
mon church as a test of faith, and those
whose souls have been deepest have
beer it's strongest champions 1t was
conceived to shield the base passions
of man; it is being revived to aid the
ambitions of other men, but it is being
taught as a means of salvation: as a
verse; as divine principle in which
Jesus Christ himself shared by a mar
riage to Mary, Martha and Mary Mag.
dalene.
we must meet each defiance of
Mormondom as it comes to u.s." said the
speaker AS the church has sent Rob-
erts to test our sentiments on polyga-
my and church and state. we must eject
him from congress on the ground that
he represents the violation of the two
pledges on which statehood for Utah
was granted. There may be no prece-
dent for such action. but we have never
sought for presidents before in dealing
with the Mormon problem, for there are
no precedents for Mormonism. After we
have dealt with Roberts we must
change the constitution so that the fed
eral government may deal with polyga-
my. After that if the Mormon church
has not learned to respect the wishes
of the nation and the institutions of the
republic, we will be compelled to over
step the lines of a sovereign state and
deal with the question of church con-
troll in politics"