PEKILS. — MORMON ISM. 117 



in an address to American citizens, say:^ "We recog- 

 nize the fact that the so-called Mormon Church, in its 

 exercise of political power, is antagonistical to American 

 institutions, and that there is an irrepressible conflict 

 between Utah Mormonism and American republicanism ; 

 so much so that they can never abide together in har- 

 mony. We also believe that the growth of this anti- 

 republican power is such that, if not checked speedily, it 

 will cause serious trouble in the near future. We fear 

 that the nature and extent of this danger are not fully 

 comprehended by the nation at large." 



If the Mormon power had its seat in an established 

 commonwealth like Ohio, such an ignorant and fanat- 

 ical population, rapidlj" increasing, and under the abso- 

 lute control of unscrupulous leaders, who openly avowed 

 their hostility to the State, and lived in contemptuous 

 violation of its laws, would be a disturbing element 

 which would certainly endanger the peace of society. 

 Indeed, the Mormons, when much less powerful than 

 they are to-day, could not be tolerated in Missouri or 

 Illinois. And Mormonism is tenfold more dangerous in 

 the new West, where its power is greater, because the 

 "Gentile" population is less; where it has abundant 

 room to expand; where, in a new and unorganized 

 society, its complete organization is the more easily 

 master of the situation; and where state constitutions 

 and laws, yet unformed, and the institutions of society, 

 yet plastic, are subject to its molding influence. 



And what are we going to do about it? Something can 

 be done by legislation, though it has proved less effective 

 than was expected. From the first enactment of anti- 

 polygamy laws by Congress in 1862 down to September 

 1, 1889, only twenty-four convictions had been secured - 

 while sixty-seven men are known to have entered into 

 polygamy during the single year ending June, 1887. 

 There were, however, 909 convictions for unlawful 



1 Hand-book of Mormonism, p. 94. 



' Montgomery's Mormon Delusion, p. 292. 



