The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-19
SAYS THE MORMONS
HAVE GOOD TRAITS
ST. Paul Man Got Good insight
by Two Years Residence
Among Them.

4 City, " IL T " e last GNSllluS. 49,
have met them In business, and in their
| churches, socially, and in their homes;
| and I found them people of many vir-
| tues, although possessing faults like
| the ordinary Individual
81 have lived for two years in the
| Mormon paradise and have had OPP
| portunities to become acquainted with
| them. The term gentle is applied in
! discriminatory to all persons of nom
| Mormon sympathy, and of course,
| when l came in contact with the Lat
| tef-Day Saints 1 was so denominated.
Personally and in their smaller
| communities the Mormons are a
worthy people. Only in the larger
| towns where there is predomfnance
| of gentle population, or where the gem
| tile population is a factor in the munic-
| ipal politics, exist those fever-spots of
immortality which characterize the
| cities in which our more orthodox
| Christianity is the accepted belief.
| con the whole, Mormonism seems a
more vital and aggressive force than
orthodox Christianity. This appears to
| be due to the wonderful organization
| of the Mormon church. There is no in
| dividual member of that church who is
not under direct and constant observa-
| ton and who is not responsible to some
superior for every act. Scrupulously
| they pay ne-tenth Of their earnings
/ into the church treasury.
Hope for Temporal Power.
plural marriage is not the greatest
| danger with which Mormonism threat
ems the country. That is a minor con-
| Sideration in comparison with their
hope and ambition for temporal gov
/ eminent. They believe in and are
striving for the merging Of church and
state. In Utah they have practically
accomplished this end. The head of the
| church, assuming to receive direct rev.
Citations from God, is .despotic in tenn
| poral as well as religious affairs of
| Mormon communities. Politically, with
! few exceptions, the Mormon vote is a
1 unit. I have no doubt but that Sena-
| tor Smoot, whose right to seat in the
senate is now in dispute, owes his cleo
| ton to the Vaccinations of the Nor
| mon church. A member of the legisla-
/ tive body which elected him, who is
| himself a Mormon of the enlightened
| type, and in whose house i lived for
j two months, said to me: 1 voted
against Smoot because he was the
4 church's candidate. 1t was too much a
| church affair."
/ Fifty years, a century, two, three, or
/ even ten centuries, are as nothing to
| the Mormon church. The eye of the
4 church looks forward into the ages and
| sees visions of Mormon predominance
| throughout the length and breadth OF
! the United States and the world. Po-
| iygamy is an institution to that end;
! like Abraham of old, they plan to orig
mate a people. If legislation could de-
stroy the ambition for temporal power
for utilization of church and state, po-
/ lygamy would subside into history.
| 'sPolygamy was not incorporated IN
| the original Mormonisn. 1t is an after
graft by way of revelation. Plural
| marriage seems not to be pract1ced tic
| a noticeable extent, although 1t is the
| hope of the church to resume 1t legal
ly, under authority of law, in the neal
future. The Book of Mormon precepts
! contain verse commanding true 1ol-
lowers of the church to obey. the laws
/ of the land and by this they JUSTIFY
| their disregard of the mandate calling
! for plural marriage. We will some
time change the law Of the land, ane
then there will be no conflict an agec
| Mormon once explained to me In
| manner which indicated the bltteres1
| resentment against gentle interfer-
! enee. The powers Of the church seeF
/ and expect to accomplish that END
| With the Mormon vote as unit, ane
the millions of corruption money thai
can be derived from the fittings, there
appears a possibility that they may eff
feet a change in legislative sentiment
if not now, in the future.
Education of Children.
'.The great secret of the church's
strength is in the manner in which II
| pervades the lives of its adherents
| from the cradle to the grave. Nor
| monism is not taught in the schools II
| open session.; but after school hours
1 the doctrine is read and explained
Pupils are called upon in turn to reaC
and speak concerning the Book OIL
4 Mormon the Life of Joseph smith,
the Pearl Without Price and the
| Bible. Attendance is not compulsory
| for gentle children but on one pretex1
or another it is generally arranged thai
| thew shall remain. The church makes
Mormonism pleasant for it's young peo-
pie. In isolated communities dances
are held in their churches. Those
attended were opened with blessing
and closed with benedietion pro-
neunced by some Mormon official.
Like the rest of US, the Mormons are
Americans and celebrate the Fourth OF
july: but the oath Of the same month
when they commemorate the entrance
of the first Mormon pilgrims into the
valley of Salt Lake, appears to be the
/ greater occasion with them. The DEM
! onstration is more hearty and enthu-
siastic than that which marks the ma
tional holiday.
! acquainted with the Mormons to know
/ that they believe in reincarnatlon
= Following are the opening lines OF one
of their favorite hymns:
/ .sFor a great and glorious purpose Thot
1 hast placed us here on earth,
4 And withheld from US the knowledge o.
our former friends and birth.
Have Good Traits.
Individually the Mormons are wor-
thy people of sober, industrious hab-
1 its, and to large extent are chaste
| Reverting to polygamy, it is not prac-
ticed in an ostentatious way. :. Mel
| who had already entered into plura
/ marriages before the law which re-
voked the mandate commanding It
continue the relation and give logica
4 reasons for so doing. One such in
/ stance came under my notice. A teach
| er instructed boy to take certain in
4 formation to his father, and received
4 the reply: I can't. Pa isn't staying te
| my house this week.
1--WE have some things for Which We
| must thank MorInOnism. The Nor
| mons have revealed the possibility OF
Transforming our great Western deserts
from arid tracts into rich, wealth pro
ducing lands. In view of the difficult
ties that have been overcome. that II
itself is testimony to the strength, or
! ganization and saggressiveness of the
| Mormons Mormonism is not transi-
tory thing; it is substantial and l be-
1 lieve will exert an influence in the his
tory of the centuries to come
NEW INC0Rp0R ATl0Nc