Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-08
MORM0Nlsm IN UTAH
Extract From a Letter Of Resi-.
dent Of That State.
polygamy Pushed Since Statehood Was
Granted The Power of tho Church in
other States.

The following excerpt from a letter
received from resident of Utah, I'M
der date of February 81. 1900:
You ask about B. H Roberts. He Is
one of the high officials of the Nor
mon Church, q three-ply polygamist.
Seeing the country immersed in war
problems. the Mormon hierarchy prob
ably considered it Il good time to crowd
him to Congress. He had been cast
aside by the Democrats, and punished
by the church once for entering poll
tics without their sanction, but he re-
canted and was supposed to be devot-
Ing his days to churchly requirements.
Since Statehood has been granted,
polygamy has been pushed, on the
quiet, more than ever; marriages are
secret, SO there is no proof OF that; but
the crying fruit of such marriages can
not be entirely concealed, and the State
is being filled with illegitimate chill
dren. 1t is next to impossible to con-
Wet man when public sentiment con-
dones and court officials and jury may
be in the same boat However, the
Presbytery at Manti two years ago
sounded the alarm with unmistakab Bile
distinctness. The Church denied in to-
to. BY means of their own they Sc
cured the nomination OF B. H. Roberts
for Congress, In spite of the protests
OF many Gentle Democrats, and defied
the country. Democrats elected him..
He had large majority of votes.
THE Mormons hold absolute control
of their votes. male and female. The
Republican, whom they set UP was
said to be DANTE, or blood avenger
an official of their organization. There
were Democrats and some Republican
Gentiles who voted for Roberts. so as
to bring the matter to Washington for
settlement-out of the question TO do
anything effectual here.
We'll, the country has partially set
tied it; there had not been SO effective
blow given to Mormonism las 1t dis
eliminated between Church and State
Polygamy is one OF the fundamental
limits in their parody of religion.
Nov. what is further needed is a
Federal law on the matter n constltu-
tlonal amendment prohibiting polyg-
amy. Polygamlsts are not only of
Utah, but Idaho. Montana, Wyoming,
Colorado and the Territories are now
In a condition where polygamst Nor
mons have about the balance of power.
and 1t is through these States that
they intend to dominate the nation.
"Peaceable living in Utah would be
out Of the question had Roberts been
seated; they had grown so insolent that
It was easier to detect their schemes.
OF all the travesties on religion, Nor
moniSm Is the most intricate. Every
good Mormon is a. believer in polyg-
amy. whether practicing 1t or not
They are perfectly organized; they are
as one man in the obedience demand
ed, from apostle to each 16-year-old
boy, to obey COUNSEL Woman is thus
far slave to minister to mans desire,
more or less gilded and roseate as may
be the claims. They claim to believe
that unless a woman has given birth to
q child. or can lay claim to a fractional
part of n husband, to advocate her eX-
altation, no future bliss for her. Every
man Is as God to his wives: he is their
god. The president Of the church re-
ceives commands from the Almighty
direct by spoken words. Really they
claim god of their own. using the
name of the Gentle God where it can
further their schemes
"That when you have been here a
short time you think you can solve the
Mormon problem, but after years OF
residence YOU are each day farther
from its solution is fact apparent
to any one who has had any real
knowledge of the Mormons.
I'VE smile or shudder at the pub
lished statements of some who have
been 'wined and dined' by church Off
Gals. who have received every cour-
tesy' from them. If they stay long
enough they find out. Lying or evasion
becomes a. fine art; that was Brigham
Young's hoast-untruth to a Gentle is
not considered in relation to fact
would hesitate to believe Mormon on
oath where church matters are in
volved.' If he is instructed. he may
say anything. the responsibility lies
with his instructor-he has simply
'obeyed counsel
This refusal to admit Roberts to
Congress Is the first effectual halt
they have heard, and it was made pos
sible by the heroic work and continual
utterances of the Salt Lake Tribune
and other Gentle press: by the work
OF the Industrial Home. and by the
learning of Gentle sentiment. There
should follow a constitutional amend
ment DISTINGUISHING polygamis This
can avert inevitable conclusions that
must be tried at no distant day.
This does not imply the 'Josephites,'
a branch of the Mormon Church who
repudiate polygamy. or those younger
Mormons imbued with American Ideas
--the seven thousand who have not
bowed tho knee to Baal"