Palisadian., 1922-12-02
AN EDITORIAL JAUNT
ITO Be Continued.)


Nearly all other religious denomina-
tions have fought the Mormons, and
today in our religious publishing
houses we find literature attacking
Mormonism. In the practice of their
faith the Mormons are unobtrusive.
They believe in themselves and fight
for the cult. The one big thing against
their form of religion, which l admit
is most questionable, is the main
tenance of secrecy in the organization.
Mormonism is as close-mouthed as the
Masons or the Ku Klux Klan. Nobody
has ever yet divulged the secrets OF
the Mormon Temple-that is, they
have not been given publicity. What
takes place once month behind those
locked doors is strictly the Mormons'
own business. And only Mormons OF
the highest degree can enter therein.
AS to the domination of Salt Lake
by Mormons, they do and they do not
do it. Up to about eighteen years
ago they ran the city government,
and had for a long time. There came
a victory for the Gentiles, and the
city government by Mormons passed
out. But this year finds the Mormons,
through a combination hookup with
the Democrats, again in power. There
is no sign of radical local legislation,
however, and if the outside public
looks to see something to announce
Mormon prestige, it is not going to
happen. The Mormon is never DEM
onstrative He moves along on creased
rails SO smooth, that there is neither
noise nor bother. To the casual OBJ
server Mormon propaganda is con-
fined to it's own emissaries. They
have them at work right here near
Palisade, perhaps all over the Hilltop
section. What they seek is converts.
Foreign countries have furnished a
limited percentage of these, the ad-
YeEt.sing manager of the big Mormon
department store in Salt Lake being
an Englishman. This Zion" store, by
the way, is about the biggest local
store enterprise. They sell both re-
tail and wholesale and sell no bad
merchandise. They won't do it. l
asked this gentleman to send me some
Mormon literature, but l could make
nothing out of it. 1t tells the story
of how Mormonism came about-a
most improbable story-and gives
copious extractions from the Bible
proving divine origin of the cult, but
for my own part l couldn't make any
thing out of it. Salt Lake is not
Mormon city, nor is it more than one
third Mormon. That they are fac
tor in Utah, however, is in striking
evidence. They have the United
States Senator, Reed Smoot, recog-
nized as one of the ablest men in
Congress. But no one has ever heard
Smoot preaching Mormonism in Wash
ington. With polygamy disestablished,
the great objection to Mormonism is
removed yet the secrecy continues.
Next to Mormonism the next big
thing in Salt Lake is the salt lake
itself, as large in area as Delaware,
almost This wonderful body of water
is so salt that human beings in it
bob around like corks. They cannot
sink. Every visitor invariably seeks
an occular demonstration of this, so
that in summer the bathing pavilions
out at Salt Air, resort on the beach
forty minutes out, attracts thousands
daily. Salt Air bears all of the aspects
of Coney Island. The lockers for
clothing have a shower of fresh water,
which is necessity, for having
fioated for an hour or two amid the
shouts and laughter of the jolly hui
man corks, getting rid of the salt
solution is the only sure cure for the
itch that is sure to follow neglect. If
perchance one forgets to shower the
feet, it soon establishes itself in shoes
that feel like they afe filled with pep
per- l saw men lying on their backs
reading newspapers in the water, done
as a joke, yet easily practicable. 9th
ers fioated smoking cigars. Getting
salt lake water in the eyes is to be
avoided, for it burns them with fiery
yehemence. The only cure is to poke
a salivered finger in the mouth and
rub the ewes with it.-C. T. L.