Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-01-16
P0LYGAMY OPPOSED.
Younger Generation of Mormons
Against It.
Evidence Secretly Furnished Unit
ed states Authorities In Legal
Proceedings by Mormon
Children.

ut is II great mistake to suppose that
the Mormons are united in secret in
dorsement of polygamy," said a resi-
dent of Salt Lake City the other day.
THE younger element-that is, the
children of the original emigrants
from Nauvoo, back in 1S47-is bitterly
opposed 10 the practice and has prac-
tically stamped 1t out. When the Unit
cd States authorities begun to enforce
the general Law on the subject in 1885
they could never have made out a single
case had il not been for the evidence
they were privately furnished by the
younger MormGns. and on the strength
of THAI information they Sent dozens OF
the most prominent men of the terri
tory to the ~pcnitcntiary. That is n
w~cll-kHown fact. although, OF course,
it would be denied. The fight on polyg-
amy in the church ranks is what might
be called a s%wcethearts' war.
The women among the early settlers
didn't know enough 10 stick up for their
rights. They were cowed bi hardship
and persecution and were under the
thumbs of the men. but their daughters
are of a different breed. The average
Mormon girl of the present day is a
beautiful. healthy, h~igh-spiriied crea-
tllre. with n good education, a deep
chest and a mind Of her OWL. She won't
stand for pulygamy not for a moment.
and when The swecthcarts lay down the
law the young men are pretty certain
10 obey. Anyhow, that's been the case
out in Utah. As 4 young business man
OF salt Lake City said to me recently:
We have better wives row and we don't
need so many of them He was a son
Of nm early apostle Of the church and
he has more stepmothcrs 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.
81 I'm "A Gentle" continued the speak.
er-"you know everybody in Utah who
isn't a Mormon is a Gentle, even
though he be a jew, but I have lived out
there since az 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
a supplementary volume, purportiugto
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 10 be guided directly by messages
from God, but nowadays comparatively
little stress is laid on that point. Old
Brigham Young used il with remen
Gous effect among his supplemented
followers and il undoubtedly lent UNI
paralleled authority TO all his COM
mands, but at present it is not much
more than a respectable tradition.
THE modern Mormon church is real
ly a well-mannered and highly success
full business organization. II conducts
a cooperative store. which is the only
'bil''iH VI tNN hillA ~ Ahs hVllA Which,
has never suffered any reverse. The cs-
adjustment is popularity known as the
Il. {. VI. L. which means Zion Cooper
alive Mercantile institution, and the
parent house in Salt Lake City has
branches all over the state. Ii deals in
everything from powder puffs TO plows
and supplies the members 1T wholesale
rates. An orphan is always considered
the child Of the church az is educated
and cared for out of the general fund.
The system of 'ti,Lirg,' about which a
good many misSiatements have been
made, is simply a voluntary contribu-
ton of one-tenth of the annual increase
Of personal properly or income for
church purposes. If not given il is
never asked. aud the greater part of it
is spent in charity. These are merely
a few isolated facts, which | mention
at random. The truth Is the Mormons
are n siuguiarly happy, prosperous and
well-behayed lot Of people, aud have no
problems that are not rapidly solving
themselves."-N- %. Times-Dcmocrat.