The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-08-05

| [ brought me into contact with nun
lreds of the state college yearly, of
he youths of the state and cducat.
)rs of Utah, as well as parents Of
the students and business men.
have twice visited Utah since and
looked carefully into conditions there
The last me this year. My stay in
Utah in the nineties was when bit
terness was at its climax between
the Mormon and nonMormon citizens,
when Salt Lake City, the Mecca OF
the Mormons, passed into the hands
| of non Mormons, and Ogden the same
Passions of the hour brought all
evils into light 1t was then that by
revelation the head Of the Church
forbade further polygamous marriag.
es and the old local political parties
broke up and nat onal parties were
! formed.
Without detailing my reasons, l
| express the strong belief that polyga-
| my is now deader in Utah in illegiti-
mate relations of the sexes than in
the rest of the country. 1t has not
the sympathy of the youths Of Utah
and the Church is disciplining cases
of infract.on of the law of the land
in marriage relations. Polygamy
cannot survive the pressure of many
forces now operating against 1t If it
would, and ceases to be public
menace. AS to the Mormon hierar-
chy in relation to the political life
Of the state land this is the de
that concerns the public 1t may be
enough to say that the membership
of the Church is divided between the
two great parties.
But what | have said is incidental
to my object in this letter. Along
with the denunciation of polygamy
and the hierarchy of the Mormon
Church goes deeply false impress
sion of the people of Utah that is
keenly felt there by the Mormon peo-
pie. 1t is assumed that they Gre ig-
norant, superstitious, and feeble in.
struments in the hands of the design
ing power. Mr.. Freeze in the lee.
ture heard at Concord, said that
they held their dances in the ward
churches, opened them by prayer and
usually closed them with a fight.
This is grossly libelous as to the
fight. Let me picture the Utah that
| know of.
FIRST, 1t has in the Mormon Church
probably the most completely and
powerfully organized religious system
in the world and the most devoted
and self sacrificing body OF believ-
ers to be found now or in the past
on scale so large. Upon its village
farm life and subdivision of land and
almost universal ownership of the
homes in which its people I've, is
found the most democratic state OF
society in the country. Under the
organized care of the Church hunger
on the part of its membership is nm.
known. ldleness is at the minimum.
Music, dancing and the drama are cul-
tiyated as nowbero else Tho church
has no emn,oved rreacbors sorrrors
being given nv the Iavmer nm call
without prev.ous notice. MAKING of
its membership great studorts %
tho RibIe-vorr pfblo ord .noot,ors
off hand in maximum. Disputes are
settled by the Church in the main.
hence lawyers are few and court
practice small.
Durino nv. rosr1o,oo t,,oro q, r.,.
tho third st.to IN tho rrrion - u,a
ratio ~ tic noonro ,ho, oou,a raa5
and v,ri,o rbarara.a a., =. ga.
r,,to If i.roronoo :, :, a,,a MAJ
,r.,.,,,... -, 49,
of money Is now devoted 70 scboo,s
cqualing Sc per cent OF the taxes of