Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-10-15
time TO HALF"

Under the above heading the Worces.
ter Mass, Gazette, some weeks ago.
had an editorial that escaped our notice
but which has been sent to US by a
friend That paper has generally ex-
hIblted fairness and candor. and at
the same time an understanding OF the
situation. IN reference to Utah affairs,
that renders It's utterances OF weight
aud force This is somewhat out Of the
usual line Of eastern comments on such
topics and Is therefore ae striking as
II is commendable. We copy the ar
tlcle verbatim and regard 1t 10 rational
and timely;
That Mormonlsm Is a very real force
In the Rocky Mountain states. no one
who has followed the testimony given
In the course OF the SmoOt investigation
Will have the assurance 10 deny. The
extent Of this force, however as affect
Ing states outside Of Utah, Is as yet
scarcely Compounded. The article
by Ray StannGrd Baker In the June
Issue Of the Century magazine on the
vitality and work Of Mormonism, Is
therefore most timely. MIR. Baker de-
sCribes the conditions prevailing IN
Utah aud neighborlng states. just as he
found them. His conclusions are that
the Mormon church Is a most potent
influence In the development Of the
mountain states and territories and
that without the Church, the region
would still be a comparative wilderness
lie also thinks that with the rapid
Increase 0f population and wealth
throughout the territory affected by
Mormonlsm, the narrow creed confines
viii be broken over as they are al
ready 10 some extent, among the
younger members Of the Church and
that the evils which have brought 80
much criticism on the Church will be
done away with by sheer force OF ma
terial progress The filling Of the land
with people does away with the neces-
slty for rapid Increase I'm population,
hence polygamy is bound TO die because
unsuited 10 modern conditions Of life,
The weight OF economic law will oper-
ate I'm the Church as everywhere else
IN the world against those individuals
who are out Of harmony with the con.
NllllIa WHICH hNliONllu lilNNNlll NV
There seems 10 have been o growing
conviction Of late, both IN the press
and I'm comment from the PLATFORM
that the Smoot investigation, having
revealed TO the nation the actual state
OF affairs prevailing IN the Mormon
Church has gone FAR enough. Public
opinion, not only GENTLE but Mormon,
will do the rest A further pursuit OF
the investigation would appear to nave
hut one result. that Of creating USE
less bitterness between the Mormena
and the rest Of the nation. The people
Of Utah would probably look upon the
as a long drawn persecu-
ton, and any attempt OF outside au-
thorlties 10 suppress the institutions OF |
by force would simply turn |
the Mormons into martyrs ana excite |
the sympathy OF the world. This has !
always been and probably always viii |
be the rule, where any question OF rell- |
zion Is involved. An attack from With |
out is successful only I'm advertising |
the cult, leading inevitably TO a
STRENGTHENING both OF membership and |
OF the prosecuted
"The Mormon church Is alive 70 its
mower and influence. Already II Is !
making the greatest possible capital
out Of the smoot hearings and In car
rying on an active propaganda Of the |
faith I'm every large city OF the east |
and west, and even In Europe. It's
people are industrious and hardy tenn
perate and faithful TO the organization,
which by the way IL one Of the strong
est and wealthlest In the world. The
Mormon Church has little TO fear and
everything TO gain by continued public
Its shame has been pub
Ilshed to the world. Further attempts
10 drag out information can only lead
10 making the shame less obvious by
covering II under mass Of unessenilal
testimony, and by raising the cry OF
Of the faithful