The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-16
WHAT CONNECTION IS THERBp

| ington authorities. no doubt fearing the
powerful political influence that pre-
vents action on the Smoot case, have
never dared to investigate this assisted
Mormon immigration"
The Tribune stated. upon seeing that
| editorial In Its Boston contemporary
that the Traveller was making very
serious accusation against the National
Government, and we asked what posi-
| bic conjunction there can be between inc
Mormon church and the administration,
| which would permit a violation OF the
| law in behalf OF assisted Mormon I'M
migration. And we urged that the in
sinuation which connected the asserted
! fear OF the National authorities which
prevented their action In this Mormon
| immigration was something that GER
taInly deserved proof or explicit repu-
diation; md we asked the Traveller to
make good,
| The Traveller now comes to hand with
an editorial stating that 1t Is very glad
to comply with the request OF The
! Tribune, and make It's meaning 'clear.
1t then goes on to cite a number of
facts with regard TO the immigrants
brought by the Mormon missionaries TO
this country through the port of Bos-
ton. 1T tells about the numbers of
these converts which come. and states
i that the general complexion of them is
| that there are about two or three Nor
mon elders, who lock like prosperous
farmers, and IL there are fifty In the
| party forty or more Will be young
| girls. poor peasants from the Scandi-
/! navian peninsula. or the like. but al
| ways very few males" The Traveller
then proceeds to argue that the immi-
| grafton made up in this manner is
probably used TO spread polygamy and
to defeat the laws on this particular
point. 1t says that this matter has been
reported to Washington on numerous
occasions by the immigration officers,
but no notice taken OF 1t. And then
the Traveller proceeds to ask;
| Will The Tribune please inform us
| What is behind this continual immigra-
| tion of young alien female converts TO
| the Mormon church?
Why do the females so largely predom-
| nate?
What becomes of them after they ar
| rive in Utah2
This continued arrival of alien girls un-
| der Mormon escort is strange enough to
| make IL OF exceeding interest TO the peo-
| pie OF the country to have these qucS
| tions answered so that IL these girls are
| not being brought into Utah for a wrong
| purpose the Mormons may be ebsolved
| from suspicion,
To which The Tribune will reply as
best it can.
| What is behind this continual immi-
grafton OF young alien female converts
| to the Mormon church Is what has al
ways been behind it, that is to say. the
women of certain classes in Europe
seem to be peculiarly susceptible to the
persuasion OF the Mormon elders: and
| It may be that in a number of cases
these elders are looking out for them
selves in the matter of plural wives;
certainly that Is what they used to do.
1t has been the habit, for some two gen.
| erations now, for the Mormon elders to
| devote their attacks very largely to the
female population of any country In
which they are laboring. This no doubt
continues because. primarily, it is found
| the easiest and most prolific field for
| converts.
Why do the females so largely pre-
dominate?" Because they are the more
easily converted.
What becomes of them otter they
arrive in Utah2" They are scattered
around in the Mormon settlements. But
a considerable proportion remain In this
city, many of them taking service In
| 70 In
after a while they are apt to marry
perhaps in polygamy; certainly some in
monogamy.
Now, while we agree with our Boston
contemporary on this phase OF the Nor
mon immigration that 1t looks suspi-
cious, we submit that there is most
important feature involved in its origi-
nal editorial which 1T has not explained: :
and that is the connection between the
Indifference of the Washington authori-
ties as to this immigration, and the
politics of the Smoot case, supposing
that politics enters into it. Now. what is
the powerful polticafinfuence in Wash
ington which prevents action or has
prevented 1t on ,the Smoot case? That
|
country are anxious to know about.
What Washington authorities are ex-
erting the powerful influence to prevent
action In the Smoot case. and what
proof is there that these same officials
are complaisant in regard to this Nor
mon immigration. and that these two
matters have a connection with each
other in the minds of the Washington
authorities
1t would seem. from the logic OF the
case that the Washington authorities
referred to must be of wide-reaching
power in order 10 cover both phases.
The question OF immigration would US
ually not be considered a political ques-
tion at all. And the Boston Traveller.
in seeking TO fasten the responsibility
for the indifference with which that