The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-08-22

priesthood VIII hold power to carry
| forth the laws of Zion to the remnants
of this nation and to foreign nations
! as ministers of plenipotentiaries they
will go forth to the nations of the earth
with the laws Of God" In the mean
while II is "the business OF the priest
| hood to increase In power. influence.
authority and control; to extend the
the Son of Man will find a goodly herit-
| age at his coming"
Joseph Smiths assumption or power
under an ecclesiastical organization
was the chief cause of the troubles
that came upon him and his followers
in the early days. and yet lie never
modified his claims or lowered his pre-
tentions. For this cause they were
driven out OF Ohio and Missouri. and
We're harrassed and prosecuted in Illi-
nois. Yet after Smiths death at the
hands of n mob in Carthage, Illinois,
his SUCCESSORS, mbued with his spirit.
swore by the blood of the prophet to
realize his designs.
The exodus TO Utah marked the be-
velopment. Up to this time they had
been hampered by the fact that they
were living in the midst of hostile
communities For years they had been
perpetually ut war with society and
the courts. Many OF their peculiar be
liefs were held In secret; they even
boldly denied the practices in which
they afterward as boldly gloried and
worked more or less In secret toward
the realization of their ambitious po-
litical designs.
When firmly established in Utah,
a thousand miles from civilization. all
this was changed. 1t did not take
them long to come out in their true
colors. Polygamy was openly adopted
and avowed. They made no secret Of
their purpose to establish Kingdom
which should be Independent and above
all earthly governments. They knew
themselves to be alien in spirit, char
acter and purpose from the American
people, and defied the federal govern
ment to check or control them.
The history of the continual Difficult
ties that existed between the Mormons
and the federal government from the
time when Brigham Young entered Salt
Lake City till statehood was granted to
Utah is too we'll known for us to dwell
upon here. 1t was marked by usurpa-
ton of authority. reasonable utter
ances and acts. defiance of authority of
the courts. revolving crimes and high
misdcmeanorS. acts of violence against
dcfenseless men. women and children,
and even open declarations of war
against the federal government. Until
the co"lplttion of the Union Pacific
railway and the resulting influx Of
non Mormons in great number. Meth
er life or property OF those who set
themselves against the will of the
church was safe.
All through this period the one I'M
changing purpose OF the Mormon lead
ers was to build IN empire that should
be strong enough to assert It's inde-
pendence of all constituted authority,
and ultimately to force recognition OF
its claim to rule in the name OF the
Lord. This explains the zeal with
which they sent missionaries every
where to make converts and bring
them to Utah. 1t also explains their
purpose in so soon starting chain
of settlements which was intended to
reach from Salt Lake City to San
Bernardo. California. 1t explains their
hostility to the emigrants bound for
he California settlements. 1t also
furnishes one of the fundamental rea-
sons why SO much stress was laid upon
the practice of polygamy. Our popu-
lation must grow said Brigham.
Every woman must do her duty" In
those days the children constituted
Utah's best crop. and it was a matter
of pure patriotism and loyalty to the
church to have as many wives and get
as many children as possible.
There is only one thing that pre-
vented the realization of Mormon an.
billions more than generation ago
That was the fact that the great west
filled up so rapidly with an entirely
different class of people that, in spite
OF its marvellous growth, Mormonfdrn
could not keep pace with the incraas'
OF population.
The one distinct aim OF Normonisrl
as in the past. is to grow In politica
power. Its avowed purpose is to im-
pose the rule of the priesthood upon
| the American people, and finally upon
the world. "Of course such an aim
is utterly absurd. They can never ac-
| complish 1t. They can never even be-
come a dangerous factor in American
| politics. The age is too enlightened
for such thing" have said and
many others have said this. Nom
Mormon advocates of statehood for
Utah said: There is no danger" and
believed It, But facts are stubborn
things. and the facts are that Nor
monism was never so strong politically
as at the present time. 1t was never sc
determined. aggressive and persistent
as now. It's leaders are cunning and
are not distracted by any conflict o,
interest Political campaigns planned
in Salt Lake City affect the results OF
elections in Utah. Idaho. Wyoming. Ne
vada. Indian Territory. Colorado, Mon.
| tana and in a more or less degree In
every western state The work OF
colonization Is still carried on all owe,
the west. and on lines carefully plan.
red and thoroughly studied. There 1.
no political or religious organization
| that planS for the future With rnora ia