Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-04-16

L
Mormon" votes, was TO legltimatlse all
| children born of plural marriages up
TO January !. 1886. The deduction was
palpable that there were still some stall
warts who chung 10 the patriarchal sys-
tenn. But there liz no case on record OF
| plural marriages being contracted since
1890. and ] think one may take It vlrtu.
ally for granted that the ylgor OF the
government, the prohibition OF the
| Church, the pressure Of Gentle ciyii-
rntion and competition. and above all.
the expenslveness OF the custom, have
now killed II.
HOW "MoRMoNIsM' FLouRIsHEs.
And yet "MormoDlsm' thrIves. II Is
growing today at a relatively faster
rate both In numbers and power than
any Church in the United States, and
none OF It's rivals even begins to COM
pare with II In vlgor and practical
alartness. Its disciples number more
than 100000; 1000 missionaries are
preaching It's doctrines every day OF
the year IN all civilized countries, and
with persistent and increasing success
travelling, as did the ancient Apostles,
without purse or scrip, unsalaried. and
at their own expense; IFS expansion has
overiiowed Utah and spread into Idaho,
Arizona, Wyoming. Colorado, Oregon.
and even In Canada. Mexico and Japan,
II absolutely controls the politics OF one
state and powerfully sways the politics
OF four others. and It's corporate wealth,
II capitalized. would entitie II 10 rank
with the most flourlshing trusts In the
country.
Polygamy obviously can have had
but little TO do with such results as
these. The truth is that In Mormon
ism we are not dealing with q party OF
impracticable fanatics but with the
brains, Drawn. and capital Of a vast
business organization that owes its CO.
-hesive power TO religion. and devotos
Its united energies not only 10 the spr-
ituafbut to the material betterment OF
al It's disciples. The convert to Nor
monism' may be sure not merely Of Sc
.curity In the world to come, but Of So
acurity. here and now. If he asks for
bread, be Is given not q stone. but
loaf, 'Mormonisn" Is 'Spurgeon's Tab
ernacie and the army and navy stores
rolled into one. and It's disciples, so long
As they are obedient, honest. and in
dustrious. have at once the consultations
and stimulus Of religion and the GER
talnty OF three square meals a day.
COLONIZATION AND Co-oPERA-
TON.
What the Salvation Army Is doing on
a small scale In Colorado, California,
and Ohio, that "Mormonism" Is achiev-
ing on large scale. What Dowie fall
ed to accomplish at Zion City, Nor
monism" has succeeded In accomplish
ing wherever II has set It's foot. The
policy Of "Mormonism," In word, Is
colonization; Its method cooperation,
Fifty years OF swiftly-growng prosper
ity have proved that combination TO be
a winning one, Joseph Smith sup
piled "Mormonism' with Its faith;
Brigham Young mapped out Its colon
ization policy, developed Its economic |
system, and laid It's material founda-
tions.
Young was an instructive empire
builder He was the first American TO |
grasp the possibilities OF an arid region |
under irrigation. He placed waste Ia |
Dor upon waste land by means OF waste |
capital-rellgious fervor In his case
and out OF this trinity Of waste he dis
titled the unity OF production. No one |
better than he the relation |
between surplus people In one part OF
the country and surplus land In anoth-
or. An excellent Judge OF soil and
water supply, he led his followers into
the wilderness 10 win acres from the
desert. There was only one way In
which band OF poor men. whose capi-
al was their faith and industry, could
ackle 40 gigantic task. That way
vas cooperation.
II the colonial Office wishes 10 learn
he secret OF settling and developing a
new country II cannot do better than
study Brigham Youngs conquest of
Utah In the forties. The principles he
Icted upon are still the principles OF
he Mormon" Church. a new convert
5 Immediately introduced TO the adj
'antages Of cooperation. He has the
,eneft OF the advice Of the elders In
hooslng a place Of settlement; he
tarts with all the convenlenees OF n
with Mormon" schools,
cooperative stores. irrigation canals,
nd amusements, all around him; he Is
member of colossal labor exchange,
nd so long as he Is willing to work,
ays his tithes regularly. and remains
althfu to the organization poverty be-
ONES impossible.
|. GREAT COMMERCIAL CONCERN
The Mormon" Church has organized
nd directs great mercantile institu-
IONS, factories engaged In producing
he staples OF life, railroads, power
lants commercial and saving banks,
Implement warehouses, coal mines,
leasure resorts educational institutes, .
ook stores, and daily newspapers-all .
n thu cooperative plan. The lions :
o-opc live Mercantile Institution, a
uge department store In Salt Lake
ity, has capital Of over e20O,000, Its .
took Is quoted at 80 per cent above :
ar, and Its annual sales amount TO :
100000. The shares OF the Utah Sugar
ompany another Mormon" enterprise,
18th capital OF 100000. sell at more
han so per cent premium, and yield a .
lvldend OF IL per cent per annum;
nd the company produces yearly over
J, 600, 900 pounds OF sugar.
A Mormon" salt company supplies I
ne Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast I
istricts with most of the salt used
Mormon" wagon and machine com
any, with a capital OF over 100000,
finishes nearly all the agricultural i'm I
Iements required throughout the same
,gion q Mormon" savings bank and
ist company has larger deposit
ian all the other "a savings instltu-
ons OF Utah combined Mormon" I
5ht and power company supplies Salt
AXE City with electric light and fur
oAAa 81 a. |