THE ANTI-POLYGAMY AGITATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1532, 29 April 1882, Page 4

THE ANTI-POL YGAMY AGITATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

i 4. : r-* — - — „ The Mot«nona;rfeeiTL to»have l^.ea quitd alive ftb-ine "results likely to accrue irom the .passing of the, Anti-polygamy Bill by. Congress) and ' amongst other - measures they adopted petitioning. The ,way in which it was worked is described in the TribHHf of Feb. 23, •«« follows .-7- > Last night. Utah. wa&\ flooded with painted memorials, intended to be sent to Congress, and begging that body not to interfere wiljh, the polygamous ( practices of theiMormon Cljurch, j_ This' menioriaj sets forth 'that the young people of Utah are fully in accord with th.c doctrine of polygamy and" that they consider the practice of the same by their parents has .been uniformly pyre and ennobling. For several days past ,the^e petitions have been sent in bundles all over Utah, and yesterday was the day set apart to do the grand work .of A obtaining, signatures. Each school 'was canvassed 'and every little boy and girl old enough to hold a pen was required to sign. The Bishops made addresses hi' each school and said': "We would be ashamed to know that any little boy or girl would refuse to sign this paper. You don't amount to anything if you do not } you will simply be looked upon as nothing ; your names will go to; . Washington, where the bigCongressmen live, and they will all read your names." After this stirring appeal none would refuse to sign, and as tiie line filed out ol the door 'each one signed. Many, who signed were ,m ,the primer class, learning the alphabet and unable to read.' If they, Could not make a legible scrawl^ the teachers or bishops would get. permission, to write the names for them. The children looked upon the -thing as a sort of diversion, which broke the monotony of the regular, routine of- school .life, and had the petition memoralised Congress to give them all the small-pox, the signing would have gone on just the same, ' > Last night men went from house to house getting signatures. Children were made to sign and grown people who refused knew that they would be cut off from the- Church and their business ruined. ' In v many instances, however, Mormons refused to sign the vile document, and politely declined to have anything to do with the petitions. One lady, when requested to sign, gave the caller the following answer : "I have lived in polygamy and I will not sign' the nasty document or allow any child of mine to sign ifc. We all loathe and despise it, and we don't ' propose- to say over' our signatures that we like it. It looks to me as if the hour of deliverance for Utah was at hand, and I am glad of it." There wei c plenty more grown Mormons who see the handwriting on the wall, and feel that the iniquitous reign of the priesthood in Utah is over. Expulsion ifrom the Church dosen't mean what it' did when Brigham, the Lion of the Lord, lashed his tail and clashed his yellow fangs at his frightened followers. In every village and hamlet in Utah last night men were tramping about with the petitions ; telegraph despatches went back from the Church to complete the work in a single night, and there was not a Mormon house or cabin .in the Territory that was not visited by vileminded curs asking little children to endorse their own shame and that of their parents. The signatures will all be collected in Salt Lake as soon as- possible, and a monster petition, several hundred feet long, will be sent to Congress, calling upon it to forbear to strike the blow. While the petition is going, thousands of mothers who compelled their children to sign because they dare do nothing else, will be on their knees praying for a happy deliverance , from, polygamy and better days for Utah. A few years ago the Mormons were telling the Gentiles to get up and leave the country if it did not suit them ; they .were bullyin fa and arrogant to the last degree ; butviiow they see the last ditch just a few feet ahead, and they are on their knees supplicating for mercy, and clinging to tlie^ very jnen that they used to insult and abuse. The petition is the last kick of the Church in the unequal fight. The petitions are too late, and will be like whi&tling to stop a tornado. The Mormon side of the question is put thus :-— ' It is claimed that many Gentile merchants will sign the Mormon petition, as they believe the revolutioni-' sing of the government of the territory, as proposed, wonid unsottlo values, ami prove disastrous to business. Within two weeks petitions with a hundred thousand Utah and Idaho signers will be in Washington, Already soniu leading Mormons have gone to WnslmiHtou, and Mosso TUitoher and John H. Smith, apostles mid members of the Legislature, Will leave in £he morning, Whether they dw nutlJot'iaod to nuvke eoncassious in ljoluilf ftf the Oluitoh U wot known, but Ihe gontfhll feeling is that Unless they lire their Mission will bo iti vain, The move intelligent Mormons feel that matters have boon carried too far, and they fear the consequences. Only the Radical Gentiles at'c jithtlaut over tlio piospect, the Cdiibcrvctth c element fearing the stnngeilt laws Avill not remedy the evil."