The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-08

Mormon propaganda.
Measured by numbers, Mormonism has
doubled its strength in the last ten or
twelve years. Measured by its hold upon
its adherents, and by the power of its
priesthood, its growth has been nior1
marked. The energy with which it reaches
out for converts, the artful seductivcness
of its methods, and the remarkable sue
cess OF its efforts, are only beginning to
be appreciated.
Mormonism does not content itself with
Salt Lake City, nor yet with Utah. 1t
reaches cut into the ne;ghbcring States,
and in six OF these it can already exercise
a political balance of power. Its mission
aries pass on cast and south and converts
are made in probably every State in the
Union. Nor does its energy stop there.
Ii finally traverses the world with nearly
two thousand trained emissaries. Such
is the condition OF a sect that public opin-
ion, religion and law have for years sought
to crush and that has been generally con-
sidered no longer a vital power
What this growth and PROSECUTING ac-
tivity OF Mormonism means, and how it
should be regarded must depend of course
upon what Mormonsm now is. That is
something hard to find out. Probably
nothing emanating from the sect itself
has given full fair statement of its
beliefs and practices. Quite possibly moth
ing proceeding from its opponents has
done so, though some OF the attempts have
certainly been sincere.
In any event, it must be said that Nor
mouism, while acknowledging God and
Christ and the Bible, is irreconcilably in
conflict with generally accepted Christian
ity. Whether Mormonsm now includes
polygainy, either as matter OF doctrine
or of characteristic practice is perhaps
open to question. Professedly at least,
polygamy was abandoned in 1860 in COM
pliance with the prohibtory act of CON
gress Mormons have insisted that the
abandonment was real and permanent.
But it is now claimed by Gentle writer's
having the best means OF information thar
polygamy is not dead in either belief or
practice, and that Mormon missionaries
are again preaching the doctrine as an
aid in winning certain classes of CON
verts. IT this view has general accept
ance-if Mormonism again comes TO be
considered as both a religious and social
menace there will be much OF the old
time bitterness in the crusade already
Opening against it,
Considerable has been written as to how
to carry on such a crusade-aS TO the
best means to combat the Mormon Mon
'ster.' The methods proposed arc chiefly
OF two kinds-legal and religious and
neither OF them seems very promising
For forty years polygamy has been under
most drastic law ever attempted in this
country. Yet we are told that polygamy
IS still with us, In the last few years
there has been marked missionary activity
on the part OF the Christian churches in
the West and among the Mormons. Yet
in these years Mormonism has recorded
its greatest growth. For every convert
Christianity has secured from Mormon
communities, Mormons have secured a
hundred from Christian communities
OF coarse all this is accounted for by
the fact that Christian churches and mis-
sions among the Mormons are still far
too few and weak to cope with such an
, organized power, 1t is proposed to great
ly strengthen these agencies and to add
TO their efficiency by practice OF carry
ing their Christian teac-mgs more directly
into Mormon homes
| The following references include none
| of the old, standard works on Mormon
ism, but indicate the literature of what
may be called the new Mormon problem
/. Study OF the Present Mormon Prob
| lem. J, d. Nutting. independent, 81 ga,
/ April ~, 1909.
:, The Mormon Peril Literary Digest
! Al 1919, April 20, 1909.
3. Mormonism aud Purity Missionary
Review, 2SI35, February, 1909
4, Growth Of Mormonism. Public Opin-
ion, 81 400, April 10, 1909.
/ II. n. y
+. II, Revell company, Chicago.
o. The Mormons and Their Bible NJ
| 7. Lamb. American Baptist Publication
Society, Philadelphia.
:. Mormonsm T. w. Young. George
/ Wohr publisher, Ann Arbor, Mich.
s. Truth Defended S. Smith Boarc
of Publication OF the Reorganized Church
OF Jesus Christ OF Latter Day Saints, La
moni, la.
The first four numbers in the list ar,
from periodical literature, and are de
voted largely to the recent prosecuting ac
tivity OF the Mormons. The leading ar
tiele is that OF Mr., Nutting in the hide
pendent, This writer is the secretary o
the Utah Gospel Missions He has worke,
among the Latter Day Saints" TO
years and probably knows about all tina
q Gentle can know of this peculiar PEG
pie,
The general position taken in thes
articles is that OF warning against gray
peril, A point made is that the eviden
weakening of the marriage bond amon
Christian people is furnishing Mormon
missionaries with one OF their best argrl
mcnts for polygany, Marriage is eudur
ing at least under that institution as the
know il.
Nos. S, and are late publications Il
book form. These have all had favor
able mention and purport to be conserva
from the Gentle standpoint No. s /
one OF the latest statements from the Nor
mon side.
UNCLE SAM is BAGGAGE INSPEC
TOR.
Americans can enjoy foreign travel thi
summer without being subjected TO quit
the usual baggage inspection ordeal upo,
their return
il seems that Tor long time Uncle San
has been more grasping than courteou
in collecting customs duty from his sub
| ieets returning after travel abroad HI
has often refused to take their word O
their cath as to what dutiabc goods wer
in their trunks and boxes, He has scat
tered the contents of these trunks an,
boxes out upon his open wharfs an,
mussed them up trying to and things will
J foreign look that he could levy upon
He has spoken rudely, kept people stand
ing waiting for hours, and finally, per
haps, levied upon picture hat built i,
Kalamazoo.
Recently 1900 indignant women, who's
personal belongings had been rudel
strewn along the Atlantic coast line. ear
RED their grievance 10 the president, an,
quite effectively 1t seems that hereaftc
sworn statements of traVeIsrs ,.;u T.