Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-08
pEsERET EVENING NEWS MONDAY JUNE 1908

Impressed with sanity and good judg-
mont. Tho three words that have beei
constantly ringing In my ears since
| have had the pleasure OF entering Nor
| mondom suggestive OF their most
4 striking traits, are simplicity, demoo-
| raoy, sanity These three traits arc
! uppertnost IN everything they say or
| do. But the most beautiful Mormon
trait Is charity-not only the charity
that puts It's hand In It's pocket and
! provides for the poor the suffering and
the dead regardless OF creed, natlonal-
lily or racc-but that which refuses 10
speak Ia harsh terms OF the very enc
mics who are constantly villfying them
and trying TO destroy them. Tho near
est approach TO bitterness displayed by
them ~ in speaking of the people who
come among them and go back east TO
Willy and abuse them. IL is TO place
myself In an unmistakable attitude to-
wards them that ! write these sincere
words Of eulogy; and you will greatly
oblige me by publishing this letter, en-
tire, IL some eastern journal, so that |
can show them, beyond a doubt, that
/ moan what / say.
There is startling fact for their
enemies to ponder over Although the
finest specimens of manhood and wo-
manhood among them are the Offspring
OF polygamous parents, and although
I have known at least ono gentle, while
among them. to indorse polygamy,
there Is among them 81 strong and bit
ter undercurrent of opposition to tho
practice, to which only their belief in
It's divine revelation reconciles them.
My observation teaches me that the
Mormons, as a people, especially the
women, are -polygamous
Nowhere have seen better be-
haved children and youths, and so lit
tie indication of vice and crime. In
NN..ata Il. 49,
what their material condition or rank
In life, they are simple, unassumtng,
frank and courteous, and in their daily
contact with each other. they exhibit
II beautiful spirit OF brotherly love. OF
course there are exceptions 10 all rules
and there are Monnons who do not Ill
the bill IN all particulars, but, as
people, this estimate of thcm holds
good.
Another thing; the whole organiza
ton OF the Mormon Church, ono of the
most perfect organizations ever devised
by man, is essentially democratic from
the humblest to the highest member;
and there Is plenty of evidence on
every hand to the fair, unbiased OBJ
server, that there is no tyranny over or
coercion of the members by the HER
archy.' On the contrary, ] was amazed
at the freedom and strength of the
criticisms OF the highest Church officials
by some Church members. And mo-
where have women greater freedom of
thought and action, within the limits
of the conventional moral code, en-
dorsed by all Christian scots. Her po-
litical enfranchisement was given her
by the Mormons taken away by the
Gentiles and again restored by the
Mormons.
And finally, II tor nothing else, they
are entitled to the greatest of credit,
not only for Transforming a desert into
u paradise, but for the example and
impetus they have given the whole
nation in their magnificent work in this
western country.
you at least, know that in thus
writing of these splendid countrymen
of ours who have grated on the best
of colonial and revolutionary stock, the
sturdy yeoInanry OF the three races
from which the best Of our immigrants
come-the Anglo-SaNon, the Teutonic
and the Scandinavian--you know say,
that I am entirely disinterested, es-
pecially in view of the fact that
have done less business with them
than with our Gentle patrons. II 1t
we're a matter of dollars and cents
would not have cause to write of them
as / do,
I'm conclusion I desire to record my
belief that Mormonisn-religiou po-
liticany or socially considered. is not
menace to our country!
Mr.. Livingston, we are happy to say,
is not the only business man who finds
the Iatter-day Saints different from the
pictures drawn of them by their adver-
saries We are acquainted with a gem
tleman who came here from Australia.
on his way he was warned that he had
to go armed here, His friends at homo
were uneasy for him, when they heard
that he had been sent to Utah. Such
is The effect of the eternal defamation
of the State by the conspirators. To-
day that gentleman has many intimate
friends among the Saints, and he is
doing all in his power to make the
truth about Utah known. And there
are others.