Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-01-18


to the law of the land"
Question: "1'hen you mean to say as
Q member Of the apostolatc that polyg-
amy is Just as much n cardinal prin-
ciple of Mormonism as 1t ever was"
Answer. Eyes, sir. And speak from
an experience Of fifty years In the
church."
Could any testimony be more con-
elusive that the Mormon church stands
today in all its principles just where 1t
stood in Brigham Young's time? Now.
let us begin to examine more in detail
what this leprous social organism Is
reaching out for in this twentieth cen
fury.
First, the Mormon church unblush.
ingly stands for graft" 1t represents
financial plumber. 1t is Boss Tweed
ism parading about the streets in the
mud despatched garments Of ecclesi-
asticism. 1t Is the Tripoli pirates de-
manding blood immunity pay from all
those who come under its churchly
shadow. 1t is the holdup call Of the
highwayman, demanding that the
stages passengers empty their pocket
books at its affairs. 1t was conceived
with the idea Of financial graft, de-
veloped with the idea Of graft and it is
perpetuated with the idea Of graft.
! The members of the hierarchy are no
more philanthropists than the bucca-
neers of old were philanthropists or
that Captain Kidd was philanthropist
when he raised his black flag over the
| Adventurer on the Madagascar coast
in the latter part of the seventeenth
century.
Brigham Young did not elect himself
as head of the Mormon church for the
benefit of his followers any more than
Boss Tweed ruled New York for the
benefit of it's people He was finan-
cial robber, pure and simple. He at
once commenced to levy his taxes. This
tithing system grew and grew until out
of the iniquitous system Brigham Young
became one Of the wealthiest men in
America. The world marvels at the
few hundreds Of thousands Of dollars
which members of the Ubiquitous pO-
litical rings Of New York and Philadel-
pha We're able to steal. Why, these
men were only babes in the art Of flnan-
cia graft compared to this monstrous
adventurer. Some years ago, with the
governor of what was then Utah terri
tory, l was driven about Salt Lake
City. Almost everywhere | could see
the results Of Brigham Young's finan-
cial depredatiOns. Two years after his
death the Salt Lake Tribune declared
that Young had secured from the tith-
ing system Of Utah over $13,0OO,OOO.
Nine million dollars of this he squan-
dered on his family; S4,000,OOO he left
to be fought over by his heirs. I have
been told that at his death he owned
one-tenth of all the wealth Of Utah.
Can any man read an account Of such
financial dealings and not declare that
he was the king Of grarters?
King of Grnftcrs.
What the Mormon church stood for
in its financial dealings fifty years ago
it stands for today. by its tthng sys-
TEN the Mormon church has now an in
come of at least $1,000 900. Where lie
it going to? For what means is all
this vast amount Of money being used
For the spread of the Mormon gospel:
Oh. yes. Some of it is spent in that
way, just as some Of the money OF the
, Infamous Louisiana lottery was used
for advertising the lottery tickets all
over the world: but, without doubt. a
vast percentage of that income goes
into the pockets Of the Mormon leaders
But says some one. You should
not condemn the Mormon leaders like
that They do not compel the mem
) bers Of the church to stand and de
liver as highwayman gruftly orders
his victims to do. These church men,
bers do not have to surrender their
tithcs any more than the members OF
your church have to give into the col.
,. lection plates unless they wish to dc
,, so. If the Mormon people give to Jo
scph p Smith they give of their OWL
; free will" All, my friends. that is one
Of the biggest decisions ever sent
broadcast over this land. The Mormon
victims do not give willingly. They
are compelled to give. whether they are
willing or not. by the thumbscrews OF
. the boycott and financial ostracism. II
you want proof OF what I say read to
y. day the marvellous Investigations OF
"Mormonism Unveiled" by Irving Say
ford, already quoted Not only does he
cite facts seen with his own eyes, but
: he corrobOrates with names and dates
this one fact-that Mormon excom
munication means financial persecution
and financial humiliation. If a man II
= Utah does not give 10 the church his
u tenth the church will deliberately star
:. forth to take away his trade. The mos
y fiendish work Of the most merciles.
y trust is not more relentless and dcstruc
y. tive than this evil institution of which
:, Brigham Young was the creator and o.
- which Joseph +. Smith is now the in
:, iquitous head.
;, But in this description Of the Nor
4 mon hierarchy we must also declare
;, that modern Mormonism stands 70
g licensed libertinism and immortality
=. Many Of these long bearded apostles
4 by their own confession, are living to
day in open adultery. These gray whs
" kered Mormon criminals before tn
Il senate investigating committee no
n only unblushingly admitted that the
!. We're living with plural wives, but the
II even We're photographed with them an
10 with their illegitimate offspring. bor1