New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-14
MORMON CHURCH
VIOLATES PLEDGE
Has Not Kept Agreement
to Abolish Polygamy,
Saws Cannon.

Ex-senator Frank J. Cannon, Of
Utah, speaking in the West-Park Pres
byterian Church, Amsterdam av. and
s6th St, yesterday afternoon urged his
hearers to take an active part in the
campaign against Mormonism.
There is constitutional amend
ment in Washington to-day" he said,
"forbidding polygamy IN any part of
the United States II is buried In com
mittee. Write 70 your Representative,
20 your Senator, 10 use their efforts TO
bring this amendment 10 the floor OF
the House. Write 20 the Postmaster
General asking him 70 forbid the uso
Of the mails to the Mormon Church and
its priests 50 long as they use the
mails 10 promote their polygamous
doctrines. Write 10 the Attorney Cen
eral demanding an accounting OF the
vast Mormon trust funds.
THE Mormon Church to-day is a
blasphemy in religion and monstrous
treason in politics. II has the grip of
an absolutism. IL answers every ques-
ton that the mind can conceive. 1t
holds its converts far more firmly than
most of the Christian churches hold
theirs. The Mormon kingdom sets
itself up rs an absolute temporal king
dom.
Abraham Lincoln. ffty-two years
ago, set his hand under God 20 the abo-
lition of two curses on the nation
slavery and Mormon polygamy. He
died at the hands Of an assassin with
his work half accomplished From that
day TO this priests of the Mormon
Church in their most secret conclaves
have whispered that God sped the bull
let that took Abraham Lincoln's life.
~ am here TO tell you that the Nor
mon Church has violated every term
Of the agreement under which IL re-
ceived again the property coniscated
by the order Of Lincoln; that 1t is not
keeping the terms of the solemn cove
nant il made with this nation in 1890.
at pledged its word that never more
would the Church teach polygamy. Its
priests practise polygamy. II promised
that il would never misuse the millions
in its trust 70 further the doctrines Of
polygamy. II promised that never
more would its twenty-siI rulers seek
temporal power through politics. II
breaks every one of its pledges and
glories in its treachery and pertidy."
Mr.. Cannon said that as editor OF
"The Salt Lake Tribune he had OBJ
tanned evidence of 232 new cases OF
polvgamy in the Mormon Church. Il
cost him 100000 70 get the evidence, he
said, and he could never get convic-
ton, although none that he accused
ever denied his charge. For ten years,
he said. there had been no conviction
in Utah Of uolygamy. He estimated the
membership of the Mormon Church
throughout the world at 100000, and
said that il had $500 missionaries
some of whom had now returned from
Europe 10 enter the field here.
Politically. he said, the Mormons con-
trolled Utah by sheer numbers; by
holding the balance Of power they had
practical control in Idaho and Wyom-
ing; their influence was great IN Ne
vada. Arizona. New Mexico, Colorado,
Montana. Washington, California and
Oregon; in Massachusetts, he described
their influence as considerable" con-
GLIDING. "and in New York they have
some
Mr.. Cannon inspired Harvey J. O'Hig-
gins 70 write "Polygamy," which is now
plaving in New York, and collaborat-
ed with Mr.. O'Higgins in Under the
Prophet in Utah" which appeared in
"Everybody's Magazine" His father
was George Q. Cannon, leader OF the
Mormons.
In speaking at the Labor Temple,
Second av. and 14th ST., last evening,
Mr.. Cannon said there were two rea-
sons why there is another strong out
cropping of the entjMormon move
ment in the United States at this time.
One Of them, he said, was the fact that
the war in Europe has driven hundreds
of Mormon missionaries from the war
ring lands. The other was the TACT
that definite plans had been made by
The leaders of the Mormon Church 70
build a temple and tabernacle for the
followers of the faith in New York