The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1900-01-19
PoLYGAMY NOT IN FAVOR.
Plural. Marriages Are Opposed by the
Younger Generation of
MRrnn0nS.


children of the original emigrants
from Nauvoo, back in 1S47-is bitterly
opposed to the practice and has prac-
tically stamped it out. When the Unit
ed States authorities began to enforce
the general law on the subject in 1885
they could never have made out single
case, had it not been for the evidence
they were privately furnished by the
younger Mormons, and on the strength
of that information they sent dozens of
the most prominent men of the terri
tory to the penitentiary. That is a
well-known fact, although, of course.
1t would be denied. The fight on polyg-
amy in the church ranks is what might
be called a sweethearts' war.
The women among the early settlers
didn't know enough to stick up for their
rights. They were cowed by hardship
and persecution and were under the
thumbs of the men. but their daughters
are of different breed. The average
Mormon girl of the present day is
beautiful, healthy, high-spirited crea-
ture, with good education, a deep
chest and mind of her own. She won't
stand for polygamy not for a moment,
and when the sweethearts lay down the
law the young men are pretty certain
to obey. Anyhow, that's been the case
out in Utah. AS young business man
OF Salt Lake City said to me recently:
We have better wives now and we don't
need so many of them He was a son
of an early apostle of the church and
he has more stepmothers than he could
count on his fingers and toes. Roberts
represents the older element, now rap
idly dying out, and the new blood of
Utah is dead against him.
Il am Gentle" continued the speak
er-"you know everybody in Utah who
isn't a Mormon is a Gentle, even
though he be Jew, but have lived out
there since '72 and believe know the
people thoroughly. They are very much
misunderstood by the outside world.
Very few are aware, for instance, that
the textbook of their religion is the
Bible. The Book of Mormon is simply
supplementary volume, purporting to
give a history of the lost tribe that set
tied in the western world. The princi-
pal distinctive feature of their faith is
what they call continuous revelation
In other words, the heads of the church
claim to be guided directly by messages
from God, but nowadays comparatively
little stress is laid on that point. Old
Brigham Young used it with tremen-
dous effect among his supplemented
followers and it undoubtedly lent I'M
paralleled authority to all his COM
mands, but at present it is not much
m ho HI Ia
"The modern Mormon church is real
ly well-mannered and highly success
full business organization. It conducts
cooperative store, which is the only
concern of its kind in the world which
has never suffered any reverse. The es-
tablishment is popularity known as the
~. C. M. t. which means Zion Cooper
ative Mercantile institution, and the
parent house in Salt Lake City has
branches all over the state. 1t deals in
everything from powder puffs to plows
and supplies the members at wholesale
rates. An orphan is always considered
the child of the church and is educated
and cared for out of the general fund.
The system of 'tithing,' about which
good many misstatements have been
made, is simply a voluntary contribu-
ton of one-tenth of the annual increase
of personal property or income for
church purposes. If not given it is
never asked, and the greater part of it
is spent in charity. These are merely
a few isolated facts, which I mention
at random. The truth is the Mormons
are singularly happy, prosperous and
well-behaved lot of people, and have no
problems that are not rapidly solving
themselves."-N. o. Times-Democrat.