The Washington times., 1901-10-16
IN FEAR oF MoRMoN1sM.
address to the baltimore Conference
of Home Missions.


Last evenings session Of the fourteenth
annual meeting of the Baltimore Confer
| cnce of the Woman's Home Missionary
| society, which is being held at the Foun-
| dry Methodist Episcopal Church, was
| largel:- attended. After the opening Szer-
| cises Of prayer and solo by Miss Eliza
| beth Wahy. Mrs. w. 2. White, a re-
| turned missionary from the State of
| Utah. spoke of the rapidly increasing in
| fuence of Mormonism in this country
| and advocated in strong terms the
| proposed amendment to the Constitution
| OF the United States to abolish and punish
! polyEamy.
Mrs. White introduced her remarks by
comparing Mormonism with anarchism,
and then she said: You have no idea
| OF the terrible condition that exists not
| only in Utah, but in all the surrounding
States. Mormonism is spreading to an
alarming extent, and by that l mean
polygamy. for the Mormons have not kept
| their solemn p..misos, made when Utah
was admitted as State, that they would
separate from their numerous wives
In the front of the church auditorium
Mrs. White had a large chart of the
United States. and upon this was drawn
a large octopus, its body covering the
embracing the entire Rocky Mountain re-
gion. and another stretching to the city
of Washington, where she explained the
Mormoas were gaining such large
power with Congress. She continued:
Those who had plural wives before
Statehood still live in polygamy. The
Mormon Church has become a mighty
political power, and at the present time
holds the balance of power in many Of
the Western States.
The rank and file of the Mormons
whom 1 have known are honest people,
who really believe that their religion is
the true one. but the leaders are schem-
ing, crafty men, who are supported by
the Mormon Church, and are, therefore,
anxious to secure converts. They have a
very elaborate system of missions, and
their missionaries are all over the land
Brooklyn is stronghold, Philadelphia
another, and they are gaining converts
rapidly everywhere.
Their methods are very quiet and
secretive. They make a house-to- house
canvass, and do not introduce the doc
tIine of polygamy until after the recruits
nave pledged themselves to the faith. ana
usually not until they have gone West.
The plural wives are bound by their
religious VOWS 70 maintain that they are
happy and be loyal to their husbands and
they believe they will be higher in glory
IN the future life if they become plural
wives. But the sad faces Of the older
women show the terrible suffering they
nave endured. The younger women know
no other life. They are taught from child
hood that the proper existence of wo-
man IS to be married to a man with many
wives. To be the first wife is OF course
desirable, but falling in that is no ex-
cuse for remaining unmarried,
My life was in danger several times
IN Utah. Once ! was threatened because
would not sign petition in favor OF
polySamy and was warned by personal
friends amonS the Mormons not TO 20
on the street alone at night
Mrs. White says the Mormon Church
maintains lobby in Washington. and Is
ever on the alert to secure all the po-
htical power that it can. She SAYS the
case of Brigham II. Roberts was a test
case and had he been seated they would
have sent another polygamist TO the SEN
ate.
Mrs. White closed her remarks with
an earnest appeal to the Christians and
peace loving people OF the United States
10 petition their repcc cssnts Ives IN Con-
gress to vote for the anti-pulygamy
amendment to the Constitution of the
United states, pr0phesying that unless
this amendment takes effect Mormcnism
viii gain such a stronghold in the Gov
ernment that 1T can never be uprooted.
After a short address upon the Duty
Of the Hour. by Mrs. Tennis s. Hamlin !
the meeting adjourned until this morn
ing at 10 o'clock. i