The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-07-25
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
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d oAAOAN~~
parties seek its aid to carry elections and so Sc
cure Offices Both parties and all factions Will
seek and accept aid from the Mormon Church.
for that aid means success. In Utah, IL is aD-
solutely essential for political successes nave the
support of the Church. This support is gwen TO
the party, the faction, the person that, IN the
opinion of the Church officials is for the best IN
terests of the organization. At a recent munl-
cipal election of Salt Lake the odds were ten TO
one in favor of the Republican ticket twenty -four
hours before the election but, to the surprise OF
all Gentiles the other side won. The whisper
had been passed that the Democratic candidates
were on this occasion, chosen by Gods elect to
rule. As result, the political complexion OF the
State had been entirely changed in day.
"It is an undisputed fact that, as soon as cam
paign begins in Idaho, delegations from all par
ties go to Salt Lake City to use their influence to
secure the support of the Mormon Church ALI
parties have sought this assistance, and have, at
times returned, believing they had secured favor
able answers but it is not often known unit! near
election day, what the Mormons will do. Ihen
some leading Churchman takes stand for the
party the Church has decided to support, and 1T
is evident which way the Mormon vote Is to be
thrown. 1t is estimated that there are two thou
sand Mormon voters in Wyoming Leaders of
both political parties go to Salt Lake City before
every election to secure orders for this vote. In
close contest, these two thousand votes would
decide an election in Wyoming, and, should 1T be
an election in which the Church had vital inter
est there is no doubt that the vote would be cast
as directed from Salt Lake City"
Polygamy is Still Practced.
Not only did the Mormon leaders, before Utah's
admission to Statehood. pledge themselves to keep
the Church out of politics. but they pledged them
selves to break up polygamy Both pledges have
been broken, and any one who wishes the proof In
detail has onlv to read the speech of Senator
Thomas S. Kearns of Utah, made in the United
States Senate the 2sth of last February.
Polygamy is not dead. Of course the Mormon
representatives who courteously guide the visitors
: through Temple Block will tell you that plural
marriages have not been contracted since the
famous "manifesto" and their testimony will be
corroborated by most "good" Mormons you ask in
the city. But the trouble is that "any falsehood
which will conceal these or any other harmful
facts from Gentle questioning is accounted unto
Mormon for righteousness legitimate means
of self-defense." Long before reaching Salt Lake
learned from those who had visited Utah that
polygamy is still practiced more less openly,
and on the morning of our arrival the Salt Lake
Tribune declared that more Mormon young people
are now living in polyoamous relations than ever
before in the history of the Church. If you will
look up last Februarys Frank Leslie's Monthly
you can get picture of President Joseph Smith
in the bosom of his family with his five wives and
forty children gathered about his bewhiskered
frame. He has also oficiated at the polygamous
marriage of Apostle Cannon since the "mani-
festo." Of the twelve apostles who rule the
Church the majority polygamists. Two have
taken plural wives since Statehood. By the way,
children of the same father by different wives do
not call one another brothers and sisters, but
Cousins"
The Tragedy of the Mormon Woman.
was speaking a moment ago of the Bureau of
information in Temple Block which is so courte-