Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-19

| Nun on the pOlyBamy question, ana
President Young referred him to orson
Pratt, who arranged with Drs, Newman
and Sunderland for a discussion OF the
question In the Tabernacle. The de-
bate was reported verbatim. The pro,
ceedings were detailed in the local pa
| pers. Nobody ever heard Of such IN
| outburst as described in the Christian
| Herald, until It appeared IA that reli-
gious magazine. DR. Newman made a
terrible mess Of his attempt TO prove
| that polygamy was not taught In the
| Bible and was not practlsed by Moses
and the patriarchs. And the only ex-
preston OF the congregation in response
TO one OF his labored, fat and flabby at
tempts at flight OF oratory was on one
occasion. when he hemmed and hawed
So In evident hesitation at not being
able to recall the grand.loquent words
he had committed 20 memory, that the
audience fairly roared with laughter.
There are many people in this city
and state who were present during the
debate. and We presume there Ia not
one OF them, whether friend or foe, VINO
remembers any such incident as that
which Talmage declares DR. sunderland
related 10 him. or would have the hardi-
hood TO declare that II occurred. Dr.
Sunderland rendered all the aid he
could 10 support DR.. Newman, posting
him frequently with quotations which
he desired TO use, but the whole affair
was recognized failure, and the email
lenger beat retreat with as good
grace as possible.
10 his great surprise. he found that
Elder Orson Pratt one OF the Twelve
Apostles, was Hebrew scholar, thor
oughly versed in ancient scripture, ana
when DR.. Newman cited Leyiticus xviii.
IS, az the grand Biblical illumination
against polygamy, and endeavored to
dIstort the Hebrew text In order TO sus-
tain his position Elder Pratt so thor
oughly analysed that text from every
possible standpoint. that the great
champion OF the NJ. +. church in Wash
ington. d. c., with the chimes at
tached," was completely vanquished,
and even the boys In town jocularly re-
ferred 10 him after his departure as
"Levlticis xviii, is."
Or. Newman was treated with the
greatest courtesy while here. and as far
as we know, the story Matched up by
F. De witt Talmage ID. y. is the first
attempt from any quarter TO show 10
the contrary. There was no occasion
at any time for the exercise of the In
iuence OF President Brigham Young to
preserve order during that debate. The
writer OF this article was present, and
knows OF that which ne aflirms, and his
statement can be corroborated by many
other persons who also attended,
We do not intend to go through the
so-called sermon" published In the
| Christian Herald, but will quote few
sentences to show the kind Of Chris
tian" preacher this later Talmage Is.
After stating that he has read many
books, both for the advocacy and the
condemnation OF Mormonism," he re-
marks:
81 can come TO hut one conclusion;
] that Joseph Smith was a crack-bralned
| epileptlc. who with his fits of hysteria.
| was just the man for little while 10
| appeal to the ignorant and superstitlous
| people with whom he came in contact.
Any man who has really investigated
| "NIorrnonsm" from works written for
and against It, and has truly reached
| such a conclusion us that, must be him
self subject to fits OF hysteria or lapses
| into ldiocy. The idea that the physic-
| ally stalwart athletic, vigorous yet
highly spiritual Joseph Smith, who
conyersed with the powers on high.
brought forth and translated the Book
| of Mormon from metallic plates, In
troduced a system of theology that has
never been controverted, and an eccle-
slastical Organization pronounced by
even critical DIRECTORS to be the grand
est IN existence, who gathered thou
sands Of strong minded adherents.
founded cities. built grand edifices, laid
the foundations OF the great Church
which has withstood both the assaults
OF the learned and scientific and the
violence OF mobs and murderers, was a
poor hysterical epieptic, is a Mt no.
ton 10 be associated with Talmage's
fanciful and ridiculous story about the
Mormon" uproar IN their Tabernacle
dedicated TO the service of the Lord!
| DE Witt Talmage with about ms much
truth and common sense attempts &
explain Ia the so-called Sermon
what the Mormon Church Stands
for" To use HIS own elegant language
what this leprous social organism
is reaching out for IN this twentieth
century" lie sayss
First: The Mormon Church un
| blushingly stands for graft. II repre-.
sents financial piunder II IL Bos!
Tweedism parading about the street,
IN the mud-be spattered garments 81
ecclesiastieism II Is the T'ripOl pirates
demanding blood immunity from al
those who come under its churchly
shadow II is the hold-up call of tn,
hghwaymau demanding that tn,
stages passengers empty their poke
books mt Its affairs. IL was conceived
with the idea Of financial graft. de
Ncloped with the idea of graft. and 1
IL perpetuated with the idea OF graft"
He then goes on to relate what h,
says he has been told in regard {,
Brigham Youngs financial depreda
tions" OF course it must be all true
for somebody told him SO. For In
stance. that President Young secure,