The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-05-11
M0RM0hs GUILTY
OF P0LYGAMY
AND TREASON
MRS. r. J. DlEFENDERFER.
WOMAN WHO WAS LEADER IN
FIGHT AGAINST REED SMooT
OF JOSEPH SMITH.
MRS. r. J. DlEFENDERFER.

1851 PoAy6cihy ~ piaNlSSu W ehc
Mormons In open defiance OF the law
that children are taught the religion
OF Joseph Smith In the public schools
Of Utah, and that by their oaths when
they become a Mormon. members of
that sect are guilty of treason to the
government. are among the state
ments made By Mrs. Frances ]. DIE
fenderfer. OF Erie, Pa, one of the
field secretaries OF the home mission
board OF the Presbyterian church. who
delivered an address Monday morn
ing before the members of the Pas.
tors union. in the Central Methodist
church.
Mrs. Diefenderfer has been In Utah
| several times. has made special
study OF the question. and was one of
the women prominent In the fight in
Washington TO unseat Reed Smoot.
I'VE suffer more from the Amerl-
can tourist that goes 10 Utah than
from any one else" said Mrs. Die
fenderfer In speaking OF the impress
sion made by the Mormons on strang-
ers. We tourists are there for a
short time, the guide is usually agree
able, and tells such a story that the
visitor goes away feeling that the
| Mormons are not such a bad people
after all. The guide will tell you
that they are not polygamists; that
they do not believe in II at all, but
a Mormon is taught that a falsehood
is not falsehood IL he can gain any
| ground for his own sect. The leaders
have become fearless since Reed
Smoot was seated, and polygamy is
taught to the young people today as
1t was years ago. In open defiance OF
the law. They only snap their fingers
In the face of the law and ask what
we are going to do about IT, Our M
tional leaders have treated the ques.
ton in such light way that the Nor
mons have grown bold.
| Sixteen Churches in Michigan.
There are hundreds OF thousands
| OF Mormons at work in every state
and every country of the world. In
southern Michigan there are 16 strong
Mormon churches and % in Pennsyl.
vania. They are gathering large re-
Inducements in Paterson, N. j., at the
present time.
There are many people In the rank
and file OF the Mormons today who
are just as tired of MormonfSm as
you and l. but they are powerless 10
do anything. You don't know what II
means TO live under the iron hand of
Joseph Smith, socially, politically and
religiously. The governing body OF
Is men are the ones against whom
we are making the fight. These men
have taken plural wives since the
manifesto of 1890. They have called
for the organization OF religion classes
I'm the public schools In Utah. These
classes shall be taught every day,
either before or after the regular
sessions. and II teacher refuses 10
teach the religion class. then spe-
cial teacher must be provided. The
textbooks used are biographical
sketches of the apostles in the Nor
mon church, from the first down to
Reed Smoot. The children are not
taught loyalty to the flag. and they
know nothing OF the national indie
pendence day.
smoot Charge Was High Treason.
1T Is generally known that We pro-
tested against the seating OF Reed
Smoot, not on the charge OF poly
gamy. but on the charge OF high
treason, but the United States sena-
tors in defending him defended him
on the charge OF polygamy. Mark
Hanna and other senators promised to
stand by Mormonism, II the vote of
the Mormons we're thrown into the
Republican ballot box, and that ac-
counts for the stand of the senator's
on the question.
"A bright woman wrote book ex-
posing Mormonism, but five prominent
publishing houses of the country re-
fused to publish 1t, sending 1t back
and saying that II they did. their
books would be boycotted In the
Rocky Mountain district.
Joseph Smith owns and Is president
OF 10 sugar beet industries In Utah and
Idaho. Not only has he millions upon
millions OF money, but the tithing sys.
TEN brings him two millions OF dol
lars every year Every newspaper
printed In Idaho today Is under Nor
mon power. The young people, how
ever are beginning to ask that Joseph
Smith give an account OF all this
money. and are also asking that some
thing be done to help them break
away from this power.
"The greatest sin OF the Mormon
church today is that they have taken
the crown from the head of Christ
and placed 1t upon the head of Joseph
Smith"
Alleged Mormon Oath.
The attitude OF the Mormon to-
wards the government, Mrs. Diefen-
derfer said. Is shown by the follow
ing endowment oath which every
member OF the church is obliged to
take:
do solemnly swear before AL
mighty God. his angels and these
witness that will begin and car
~ out hostilities against this ma
tion as long as l shall live and
! teach il 10 my children unto the
third and fourth generation.
do solemnly swear before Al
mighty God. his angels and these
witnesses that the blood OF Joseph
and Hiram Smith shall be aveng-
| ed on this nation and to teach II
I 10 my children unto the third and
fourth generation. II | fail TO
keep this oath my tongue shall be
a. -.