The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17


Mormonsm He showed this in his
A4f3 policy throughout his life. Keen,
>As~ far-sighted man that he was
he led his people far into the wilds, across
plains. mountains and desert, to get them
away from all other influences long enough
to shape them, as he hoped irrevocably,
according to his ideas. For years he was
untrammeled from the outside. He was
able to stamp his followers with his person
ality and to shape their thoughts. He
recognized the dangers as soon as they
appeared. He opposed the permanent resi-
dence of Gentiles in Utah. He fought the
advent of railroad. He counseled the
Saints" against developing the rich min
eral resources The only schools which were
free from his hostility those which had
as their main purpose the incubation of
the principles of Mormonism. For some
time he was able to combat these things,
but a broader civilization had the aid Of
the mercenary instincts inherent in the
human race. Mines meant money, rail-
roads meant financial profit and the coun-
sells of Brigham Young had to oppose the
worldly influences of the gaining of riches.
The opening of mines the building of rail-
roads and the arrival of Gentiles were fol-
lowed by the more idealistic result of free
schools and their spiritual influence. Here
in lies the permanent solution of the Nor
mon problem.
Significant is the fact that Salt Lake City,
with its population of some $4,000, contains
within its borders fully a score of mil
lionares. and scarcely three of these are
adherents of the faith of Joseph Smith.
These rich men came TO Utah, poor as
rule. because they could make money here.
There are consequently material influences
against Mormonism Sentiment is favored
by materialism-and yet there mate
realistic factors on the other side, which
form the great obstacle to a solution of
the problem.
Writers on this subject have as favorite
expression the calling of slavery and polyg
amy twin relics of barbarism." These con-
stitute two of the greatest problems con-
| fronting the American Republic Slavery
| caused a terrible war and the slaughter of
vast number of men. This has resulted
| in a better understanding of the problem
than Of polygamy and Mormonism. Many
| lessons may be learned from the ex-
| periences connected with slavery that are
| applicable to the polygamy question.
| Slavery was taken up first and it aroused
| many decades, that of mutual OPPOSE
ton and bitterness. This epoch. like all the
others. was full of misunderstanding on
both sides. To this, largely, was due a
| terrible war But a surgical operation
| was necessary. The civil conflict consti-
tuted this operation, Then game recon
| struction and recuperation. The question
| now is, what to do with the colOred race.
The solution, will be conceded by all
| fair-minded persons on both sides, is not to
be found in bitter attacks on the people of
\ because
| once held slaves, on the children of
| Shareholders because their fathers did
something which they may or may not be-
| lieve TO be right.
| For the sake of analogy, suppose that a
| large majority of the people of the South
I favored submission to existing conditions
! that is. the abolition of slavery. Suppose,
| further, that there were few still MAIN
| tanning their old ideas and determined to
| carry them out, were able surreptitiously
/ TO hold slaves. Would the people of the
United States punish all the residents of the
States south of Mason and Dixons line
| The superstition is that the policy would
be to leal sternly with actual offenders. to
cultivate those who naturally had ideas
| in sympathy with the laws of the land, and
| help them show the others to the better
| way.
| MORMONS misunderstood.
The Mormons are greatly misunderstood.
The people of the world, as rule, forget
| that they are human beings, with the same
emotions, the same instincts as others. For
| get not the words of Shylock, that Jew
hath eyes and ears, emotions and feelings.
The Mormon. granting his departure from
| the standards generally accepted, is still
human, with the foibles and the higher in
| stincts of man.
| When a physician encounters a battling
case, he is inclined to experiment. He
watches the effect of each dose, and is
1
| solving the question of Mormonism, the
| United States has, as a foundation the ex-
| perience OF over three score years of eX-
periments. Note the history of different
| actions.
Joseph Smith, the prophet of the Nor
| mon faith, was dead. He was killed by
those who opposed his doctrines. With the
analogy of the gospels. the Mormon people
could look upon him as glorious martyr.
| Sentiment ran high. Brigham Young was
the leader to seize the opportunity He led
| this people, uplifted by emotion which
filled their souls and was strong enough TO
| carry them to any extreme in the name OF
| their religion, across the plains and noun
| tains, into an Isolated region then under
the jurisdiction of Mexico Had Mexico
| remained supreme in the country west OF
| the continental divide, Brigham Young s
idea might have been carried out TO the
| uttermost. But the Mexican war wrought a
change. The State of Deseret. as the leader
| of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
day Saints chose to call it, was annexed
| to the great American Republic. This was
| the first step towards the undoing of Nor
monism as conceived by Brigham Young
| The spirit which guided the foundation OF
| the most advanced republic the world has
| ever known, was rigidly opposed to some
| of the fundamental principles of the church
| of Joseph Smith. The ultimate result was
| inevitable.
| Nevertheless in this remote empire Brig
| ham Young was able for many years to
| carry out his ideas of building up a tenn
poral kingdom OH this earth in which the
4 no a n WI
he was the absolute dictator
Second in the developments which worked
| against his policy was the discovery in
| Utah of mines. Soldiers sent out to keer
| in subsection this Mormon community dis
| covered that Utah and the surrounding
| region were rich in mineral resources. They
| started to develop this mineral. The
| Saints" sharing the love of wealth with
| humanity in general, started to gain foi
| themselves whatever portion Of these riches
they might. Masterful and all-powerful
| Brigham Young shut them off He lost
portion of his followers through this. But
| he knew if il were heralded that Utah was
| an Eldorado. there would be an influx OF
| outsiders from all quarters of the globe
| who would overwhelm his people in their
| formative period and would undo all his
| great plans. His word was law. The
out of mining. They left this field TO the
| Gentiles and TO this fact is due the greatest
| results in the way of the development of 3
spirit in Utah opposed 70 the doctrines oil
the Mormon Church.
| DETRIMENTAL TO DOGMAS.
AS the Pacific Railroad was being con.