Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-10-21
PROF. HUGHES ON
THE MORMONS.
Distinguished Educator Talks Of
His Visit to This City,
THINGS THAT PLEASED HIM
One Was the system Of Cooperation
In the "Mormon" Church-Our
Intelligence High.

Inspector james l.. Hughes returned
yesterday from Salt Lake city, Utah
where he lectured six times to the
state Teachers association, once IN
the university and once in the Brig
ham Young academy lie had an exc
ccNent opportunity Of seeing the Nor
mon people, and to the Toronto Mail
ana Empire talked most interestingly
regarding them.
Il found the people TO be intensely
Interested In education" he said tile
s-hoo buildings are well constructed
and the schools are admirably conduct
ed, The people are more deeply inicr-
ested In giving their children high
school and university education than |
expected Many OF their young men
and women, after graduating from the
colleges and universities in Utah, 20 to
eastern universities in America or 10
European universities IN music es-
pecially they seem to De proficient
81 was much Interested I'm the CO.
operative organization OF the church.
Boys Of l3 years Of age are or
gqnized into classes called deacons, and
ore given various kinds of work In con-
ncction with the church. Among other
things they clean out the churches ana
collect all the funds given by the Nor
mon people Of their district for the
benefit of the poor. In cases where
widows have no one else 10 cut their
wood these boys cut the wood for them
! In other ways the boys are traind 20
| do church work from very early age.
| When they grow older, in their high
/ schools and colleges, their special ap'l-
! tn e ls carefully noted, and as soon us
! they are old enough the best of them
| are chosen by the church to do mis-
| sion work Of various kinds in different
| parts Of the world. There are now
| LOO young men and women doing mi s.
| sion work for the church. The presi-
| dent expressed much interest In the
! Canadian colony Of MormOns In Al
| narta, and told me that they were
! fourishing very satisfactorily, and that
! tLcy had this year erected very fine
| beet sugar min for the district. He and
| Professor Tanner superintendent OF
| Mormon education, were particularly
| anxious TO get good teachers for Nor
mon children in Alberta.
"One thing that interested me very
much was the fact that leading Nor
mons are often more Interested In The
education Of their daughters than Of
heir sons President Smiths two
daughters were educated In New Iors
City, one in domestic science and art
tie other in kindergarten work
in regard to poygamy was In
formed that only small percentage
between and per cent Of tht
families had ever been polygamlsts
m polygamous order was always re-
strlcted, and both men and women
who did live In that order with whom
| converted appeared 10 regard the or
der as one OF deep religious signiil
cane. The question Of polygamy Is
not really a vital question In the Nor
mon faith. While most Of the leading
men and women that ! met are In IA
uor Of polygamy they recognize tht
! United States law as supreme, and vii
In future carry out the law. The
abandonment Of polygamy does not IN
tsrfere with the vital elements OF th'
Mormon faith.
9TH general standard OF intelligence
q very high at any rate In the cltle'
and the general appearance Of the peo.
ple In their earnestness and enthusiasm
reminds one Of a Canadian audience
more than any other audience l have
seen in the United States