The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-04

, ican citizens. The church gets credit due l the republic. Mormonism Is credited by these proselytes with all the blessings they have received, whereas residence in a free country has brought about the great measure of their prosperity. One of the first things the stranger mo- tices IS that the crowd Is a homely one. Tn no other assemblage in the United States Is there the utter lack of comely women and such a number of grotesquely visaged men. The tragedy of poverty is written in deep lines over all counten- aDces. It is the poverty of the past, but its traces will not disappear from the lineaments of this generation nor from that of the next. The dress is that of the prosperous peasant. It is as if a whole colony of hunger pinched European la borers had suddenly come into a few hundred dollars and had gone with their family to some fete. The combinationspof colors are the acme of bad taste. The lnconigruousness Is SO universal and so fearfully outre that 1t Is impressive. one can scarcely acquit the women of de" liberate desire to make themselves as ugly as possible. Red faced. with pig bled together like some haphazard in- pression made on soft bronzed wax. During the most vigorous sermons these people sit impassive. When the truly
 strains produced by d master hand, It appeals not to them. Only revelation will awaken a transient interest. They
 know they are to do what their superiors tell them and they do 1t. Also they pay
 their tlthes, giving one-tenth of their in come ito the church, consequently they are good Mormons. The tithe paying they regaRd as so much rent and they are
 glad when they think how much less Is
 exacted of them here than was taken from them in the old country. Here they are never hungry. hence they are always contented.
 Occasionally an educated man is convert ed to the ranks of Mormonism. It Is not long until he Is an oficer. The church authorities know as we'll as any one that their brow-beating tactics would not be tolerated by any one except the servant class. Many. of the old Mormons who crossed the plains were of a different stamp. If they had not been they would never have got here. Their sons and daughters are now the pillars of the church. many of them having been ed- ucated at good schools. They live in lux urious homes and their honorcd church connection adds vastly to their incomes from whatever lines of business they may happen to be in. Truly the church takes care of it's own. but 1t takes care of them according to what they have been used
 It Is only recently that a scion of one Of these old Norman families became en- amored of A Gentle girl. It was feared he was drifting away from the church.
 
 a critical period of what promised to be a successful career. he got a letter one morning from Box B." He dropped in 9 dead faint when he saw the return ad- dress in the left hand corner The let- ter commanded him to go on mission and to go that same week. He went and he is still on the mission. His Gentle sweetheart. it is said, Is engaged to marry a Gentle.
 These communications from Box B. are highly prized by some who feel the nesd or reinstating them 'elyes in the good g-aees of the church authorities. The letter always commands the recipi- ent to go to some far country as mis- slonary. There Is no money inciosed. The missionary is tV make his own way. Often he gives an entertainment, which Is a sort of benefit. before he starts, but sometimes he does not. He never fails to get to his destination and he remains from one to i've years. When he comes back he is received with due eclat and ever afterward the church takes an es- pecial interest in any aspirations he may have or in his being successful in his business. Once a successful missionary the young man cannot fail in anything he undertakes. Tn some way or other the peasantry of the church are lined up in his favor
 The peasants do the labor and the ofi cers, with a wonderful foresight and bus mess acnnen, manage the business af-