Year: 1879

1t is evident that Il revival OF the Mormon
difficulty is close ut hand and, indeed, the
sooner The trouble comes to head the better
Our Washington correspondent has reminded
us of point in the case which has generally
been lost sight of. The Mormons aic rapidly
extending their settlements beyond the Terri
tory Of Utah. They have large and growing
colonies in Idaho and Arizona, where they ex-
pect 10 become before long the ruling ma
jority of the population. The colonizng
movement has been going on systematically
for many years-nO doubt with a fixed pOliti-
cal purpoSe-and If the question of the tolera-
ton of po.ygamy III one Territory is not
settled now. we may soon be confronted with
the question of pOlygamy in three Territories,
and with triple agSravation of all the va
rious dangers and complications which that
harblrous anomaly involves. Wherever the
Mormon church is set up, there is established
also the institution of plural marriage and the
despotic theocracy of which that institution is
the strongest bulwark.


There was prevalent belief, before the
Pacific Railroad was built that pOlygamy and
other Mormon abuses would disappear as soon
as the Territory was opened to Gentle immi-
grafton. The miner and the trader were to
be the missionaries of civilization, and in the
sunshine of their influence superstition was to
wither and disappear. This delusion seems
now to have been dispelled The Church of
the Latter Day Saints has become more united,
exclusive and tyrannical than before While
uoygamy lasts amalgamation between the
faithful and the unbelievers is impossible.
That practice sets up an insupeTabic social
barrier between the two classes of the pOpu-
latiOn, and they might live side by side for a
thousand years without coalcscing. Indeed, If
any influence at all is eXcrted by one class
upon the other, it is more likely 20 be by the
Mormons upon the Gentles than rice rerSa
The sanctity of the marriage relation, the I'M
portance of the family life, the social decen-
rcies which were once the PRIDE OF al
most every American village, are not
likely always to be held III scrupulCus
respect IN the midst of commu-
nity of prosperous bgamsts. Even in the
most enlightened and cultivated States OF the
Atlantic Slope there has been Il lamentable
weakening of domestic ties and = growing
disposition to tolerate the most dcpraying i'm
mOiaties. What we may expect III remote
settlements where bigamy and incest are in-
culcated by the leaders of the church and
society we prefer TO leave to the readers
imagination. Thus, while the Mormon Church
is constantly growing stronger by the increase
in Its membership, the countcr-iniuenccs of
the Gentle population are probably weaken
ING. Under. ordinary circumstances one of the
first results of the opening OF the railroad and
the development of the regions around Utah
would have been the dispensing of the Nor
mon settlers. But the inevitable effect of
pclygamy is to keep them compact They
send off large colonies when they have the
opportunity; but they do not dspersc. The
Saint with two or more wives can never live
outside of Mormon jurisdiction ; and he knows
that he cannot live with his c0ncubines III Utah
except so long as he Upholds the Church III
it, claim of political supremacy. This is one
chief cause of the permancnce of the Mormon
imposture and OF tie resOlute defiance which
the Saints oppose 10 the authority of the
United States. They have never been loyal
10 the Government. Ever since they emerged
from their early obscurty they have MAIN
tanned the prctence of theocratic mpcrium,
and the National authority has been TO them
as n foreign and oppressive power. The Ma
tion has surrounded, but has never included
them.


1t is GU. of the question thai we shoull
ever take into the Union an element 50 ir-
reconciaby hostile aud yet, if we hold Utah
much longer as a Territory, we shall involve
ourselves in the most serious embaIGssmcnts.
The only solution of the problem appears to
be the radical determination Of polygamy.
and that we believe would be elcciual. 1t
would destroy the one influence which keeps
Mormonism compact and apart and when the
ii. D.s.


are once amalgamated with the rest of the
population, time viii perhaps cure the most
Troublesome OF their dclusouS.