The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-07
MORMON BEAT HIM
Former Wichita Man Ran
Against Roberts.
NO POLITICS IN UTAH
WarrenFoSter Describes Work
ings of Mormon Church.

Warren Foster, formerly Kansas and
Wichita man, but who became prominent
over the country as the Gentle candi-
date for congress against B. H. Roberts,
the polygamist, is in Wichita at the Man
haitian hotel, where he will be for a week
in company with Jno. s. Harrison, an
other old Wichita man, exhibiting speci-
mems of gold and silver ore from the
Deep Creek country. $50 miles west of
Salt Lake City.
Mr.. Foster says that the Mormons
under Brigham Young purposely thwart-
ed the development of the mineral indus
tries in Utah because to do this meant a
continuance of Mormon rule in the state,
whereas if the real value of the country
became known there would be such a
rush of immigration aa would engulf the
Mormon power.
You see, there is no politics in Utah, .
he said THE Mormon church carries the
elections to whatever course ats them
best The Mormon church is the COM
pletest system on earth. The United
like this Lorenzo Snow is president of
the church. Counselors 10 him are Geo
l.. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith, a
nephew of Joseph Smith, founder of the
church. These three men constitute the
first presidents of the church. After
them are the Twelve Apostles, the next
highest governing body of the church
After this is the Quorum of the Seven
ties. Then there are presidents of the
states in Zion. A state in Zion means
territory about the size Of county. At
ter the president of a state comes the
bishop of the wards. Each bishop has
three counseIors and SO on down to the
block teacher. Every block in Salt Lake
City has a teacher whose business ii is
to furnish information to the church Of
ficers above and hand down instructions
from these same officers. Within twenty
four hours after stranger lands in Salt
Lake City, if he takes up residence, you
can go to any place in the city and in
quire of a Mormon church official and
learn whether the stranger is Gentle
and what political party he belongs to.
When a man or woman joins the Nor
mon church this teacher, acting under in
structions from the bishop of the ward,
tells him whether he shall be a Demo-
crat or a Republican. If John Johnson
gets instructions to be Democrat,
Hans Jensen viii be told that he must
vote the Republican ticket. They keep
the thing evenly divided so that the
president of the church can dictate cleo
tons just as he wants TO. You see 1t is
a piece of machinery as complete as
could be imagined. The president of the
church has only to touch the button and
the current goes all over Utah in twenty
four hours. That's the Mormon church
In 1892 the church had occasion to quit
the Republican party and elect Demo-
Gratis. The president of the church went
to the polls in a carriage, and taking
ballot, he held it up and said dramatic
ally, For the first time in my life vote
the Democratic ticket Mormons all
over Utah knew that in an hour. That
decided the election. That's the way 1t
goes"
rs Roberts a polygamist?"
Certainly. He has just as many wives
as he had when he was Dardoned out OF
the penitentiary Utah was received into
the union on the promise that the peo-
pie should abandon polygamy. but every
man who was polygamist then is
p1lygamist yet. They will be till they
are dead. They claim that the abandon
ment Of polygamy means that they shall
rot marry any more women, not that
they shall abandon any Of those they
have already married. Roberts is
Democrat and a polygamist with three
wives. Elridge, the Republican candidate,
was a member of the order called the
Destroying Angel The Destroying
Angel is a secret organization to save
mems souls. If a man committed an IN
pardonable sin against the tdecrees Of the
church it was held that nothing could
atone for it but the mans own blood,
and so the Destroying Angel fixed him,
not because they hated him, but for love
of his soul. Eldridge did not practice
polvgamy openly. All Mormons gre at
heart polygamists. but they do not all
practice it. Roberts was elected
and have been repeatedly asked why
didn't contest his seat. I was asked to
do so hundred times. I couldn't for
this reason:
The matter of protesting and cor
testing simmered down to this. The