The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-09
MISSIONARIES IN GEORGIA.
Treated Much as They Are in Heather
Countries.
Washington Post.

Washington Post.
While the case of Miss Stone is upper
most in the public mind and while we nurse
our horror and indignation at the wicked
ness of the Turkish barbarians in south
eastern Europe il may be as well 10 give
one moment TO a consideration or our own
attitude here at home with reference 10
the teachers of creeds and faiths which
conflict with those we have adopted. Ihe
Montgomery (Ala) Journal of last FRIDAY
gives us a pretty little story very much TO
the point:
1.-TWO Mormon elders, b. f. Stewart and
L. +. Zundel, living in Atlanta at No; 4bZ
Houston street, were the victims few days
ago, they state, OF rough treatment at the
hands of masked mob i'm Hart county.
According to their statement they were
visiting o. T. Shirley at Bowersville, Hart
county. Shirley, they say, is a member or
the Mormon faith and they were there on
business for the church, which they had
about completed when the mob came 10
claim their attention.
THE two elders were getting ready to
leave BOwersville for Atlanta, expecting TO
start in the morning. The night before a
band of masked men armed with shotguns
and pistols went To the Shirley home and
called the two elders out. Elder Stewart
responded and asked what was wanted
We want you, was the reply OF one OF
the band. We have had enough or your
Mormon teachings around here and you
must get out.
In order to avoid any trouble at the
Shirley home said Elder Stewart last night
to representative OF the Constitution,
we lett the mousse ana Went WITH tnen.
They took us off into the woods some dis
lance and there beat US with buggy trace,
giving me twenty-five lashes and Elder
Zundel fifteen lashes. They held a parley
first and finally decided TO let us off with a
whipping. Then they told us to get out OF
the county at once We had to walk sew
eral miles to get train TO return to At
lanta.'
OF course there is nothing in this
story. Mormon evangelists have been
treated thus for years past in half the
States of the Union. especially in the South
ern and Western States, though only so be-
cause they have been most active there.
The people of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. Mis-
souri,, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia-and
everywhere else, for that matter-have their
own social and religious establishments and
ideas. They believe in them. find them
suited to their wants and do not propose
TO have them disturbed or even challenged
by outsiders. Usually, though not always,
they stop short of actually numbering the
missionaries, but as the Journals arti-
Gle shows. they resort to very strenuous
as self-protection. Some men would rather
be shot to death outright than logged TO
the brink of the grave and otherwise sub
jected to Misunderstanding humiliation. In
any event the reprisas are about as terri
bic as human nature can endure or human
cruelty devise. That is the way civilized
Americans treat invaders who come 10 med
die with their institutions
Ihe only question is whether concede
TO the Chinese, the Turks and the heather
generally the same prerogatives of man.
hood Self-respect and independent action
we insist on for ourselves.