Independent

              BOSTON MONDAY LECTURESHIP * 
MR. COOK'S ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTIETH LECTURE. 
DELIVERED IN TREMONT TEMPLE, MONDAY NOON, FEB. 8TH. 
PRELUDE.— MORMON DISLOYALTY AND POLYG-AMY. OPINIONS OF GOVEHNOR MURBAY AND SENATOR EDMUNDS. LETTER FROM SALT LAKE CITY. A PLEA FOR THE IDAHO STATUTE FOR UTAH. 
INTERLUDE.—HISTORICAL CRITICISM OF THE GOSPELS. LIVES OF CHRIST BY WEISS AND EDERSHEIM. TEMPERANCE TEXT-BOOKS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
LECTURE.—MAN'S PART IN CONVERSION ; OR, SELF-SURRENDER TO GOD THE CONDITION OF SPIRITUAL ILLUMINATION. 
A GREAT audience, larger than that of the previous Monday, assembled in Tremont Temple at noon, February 8th, at Joseph Cook's 180th Monday lecture. The usual large representa-tion of preachers, teachers, students and promi-nent men was present. After the prelude on the present aspects of Mormonism, the audience passed, by a vote of 2,000, a request to senators and representatives in Congress to extend the Idaho Anti-Mormon Statute over Utah. Prayers were offered by the Rev. Mr. Updegraff, an Evangelist of the Society of the Friends in Ohio, and by the Rev. John Chandler, for the last twelve years a missionary of the American Board in Madura, Southern India. The Congre-gationalist says: "The spiritual impression of the lecture was marked. It seemed almost like the plea of an evangelist, and was received with hushed attention." 
THE PRELUDE. 
MOBMON DISLOYALTY AND POLYGAMY. 
The Mormon monster is both a disloyalist and a polygamist. His disloyalty is secret, so far as he can make it such; his polygamy is open and defiant. The American flag has been often placed at half mast on Mormon buildings, as an insult to Federal officials. A Latter Day saint is first a Mormon, and afterward, and a long way afterward, an American citizen. It has been again and again established that he takes the most horrible secret oaths to obey the polygamistic Mormon hierarchy, even when their commands conflict with the laws of the land. He often actu-ally obeys the aristocracy of the harem, to the extent of becoming a polygamist, perjurer and assassin. My conviction, obtained after much consultation with specialists on this theme in Utah and elsewhere, is that the American Blue-beard is quite as dangerous in his character of a disloyalist as in that of a polygamist. 
Many times already I have called attention to Mormon disloyalty; and I wish to do so this morning, in a way as incisively practical as pos-sible; and therefore I announce that I shall ask you before the close of this meeting to express yourselves on Senator Edmunds's proposition, which I am now to defend, to introduce into Utah the substance of the victorious law which Idaho has passed against Mormonism, and the central object of which is to break the power of the polygamistic priesthood in politics. 
Why should Idaho have an effective law against Mormonism, and Utah not? What is the Idaho law? 
The Idaho statute, of which I have a copy here in the last report of Governor Murray concerning the affairs of Utah, reads as follows in its second section: 
"No person under guardianship, non compos mentis, or insane, nor any person convicted of treason, felony or bribery in this territory, or in any other state or territory in the Union, unless re-stored to civil rights; nor any person who is a biga-mist, or polygamist, or who teaches, advises, coun-sels or encourages any person or persons to become bigamists or polygamists; or to commit any other crime defined by law; or to enter into what is known as plural or celestial marriage; or who is a member of any order, organization or association which teaches, advises, counsels or encourages members or devotees or any other persons to com-mit the crime of bigamy, or polygamy, or any other crime defined by law, either as a rite or ceremony of such order, organization or association, or other-wise, shall be permitted to vote at any election, or to hold any position, or office of honor, trust or profit within this territory." [Applause.] 
Governor Murray, who has been six years at the head of the territorial government of Utah says in the document which I hold in my hands: 
"An organization exists in Utah that holds alle-giance to an authority over and above that of the United States. This is the great evil to be cor-rected. Polygamy, debasing as it is, is secondary, in importance, although a main prop to that organiza-tion. There is little hope for the completion of national supremacy here without a continued prose-cution against offenders by courts with increased facilities and penalties, and by further and decisive legislation by Congress. Therefore, Congress must assume a more direct control of the territory, rather than the negative control heretofore exer-cised. I commend to your consideration what is known as the 'Idaho Statute.' If Congress will enact this for Utah, the end hoped for by all good citi-zens will be the result. This law was born out of the necessities of the situation in Idaho, is founded in reason and justice, and has been sustained by the only court in which it has been tested."—("Report of the Governor of Utah to the Secretary of the In-terior," 1885, pp. 12-13.) 
On a former occasion I have defended on this platform the plan of governing Utah by a ter-ritorial commission. You are not to understand that I am receding at all from the position taken at that time. Governor Murray does not recede from his recommendation on that point, nor do the foremost men of Salt Lake City. The plan of a legislative commission was originally rec-ommended for Utah by Stephen A. Douglass, and seconded by Frank Blair. Recent decisions, especially of the Supreme Court in the Dakota case, show that the power of Congress is as complete over Utah as over the District of Co-lumbia. Governor Murray in this report of October last, defends the plan of a territorial commission by arguments which a year ago were emphasized here and in Salt Lake City. That plan has a precedent in the District of Columbia. It has a precedent in the Louisiana statute, and in the great enactment made for the Northwest territory. It had a precedent in Elorida. Necessity appears to be sufficient jus-tification for the appointment of a legislative commission for Utah by the President and Sen-ate. Nevertheless, Governor Murray, in view of the present exigencies of the conflict with Mor-monism, is extremely anxious that the Idaho statute should be extended to Utah. 
A vigorous letter has just reached me from the Rev. Dr. McNiece, at whose house it was my fortune, on my last visit to Utah, to meet a gathering of some of the foremost Gen-tiles of Salt Lake City. He is a leading Presby-terian preacher, and one of the most effective opponents of Mormonism in Utah. He defends still the plan of a territorial commission. But he is exceedingly anxious to have incorporated into Senator Edmunds's bill, the substance of the Idaho statute, and believes that just at present there is more prospect of carrying through Con-gress such a proposal as Senator Edmunds's last amendment than the whole plan of a territorial commission. In these positions he is in full agreement with the leading Gentile citizens of Utah, as they are with the Governor. You will allow me to cite somewhat in detail this fresh and authoritative testimony from one who writes face to face with the Mormon menace; 
SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 22d, 1886. Dear Mr. Cook:—Let me urge you to call public attention to one fatal mistake our Government has made, from the very first, in dealing with the Mor-mons, or rather, with the priesthood; for the Mor-mon people would be all right if the political despot-ism of the priesthood were broken. That mistake consists in legislating in regard to these people as though they were Americans, when the fact is, they are anti-American in all their controlling ideas and practices. 
I have just been reading a copy of their long "Declaration of Grievances," prepared by a com-mittee of twenty-two, appointed by the Mormon Conference, last April. This copy was sent me by a member of Congress, who supposed that a similar copy was sent to every other member. It complains that the Government and its friends have persecuted them because of their religious belief, and denied them their rights. It complains, too, of all sorts of arbitrary power and tyranny on the part of the representatives of the Government here. To one not familiar with the facts, its plausibility would, doubtless, carry considerable weight; for it is well-written. 
But there is one answer to it so complete that it utterly destroys the power of the whole document. The answer is this: There are now living in Utah, Baptists, Catholics, Congregationalists, Methodists, Presbyterians and Josephites. Nobody ever heard of any trouble between any of these denominations and the Government or its representatives. Why? Simply because they are law-abiding friends of their country, who do not undertake to exercise ecclesi-astical control of civil affairs. And what is this great hardship which the Government is imposing upon the Mormons? Simply this: that they shall obey the same laws which the other religious denom-inations are required to obey, and which are in force in every other territory. 
Now the proof that the Mormons are not Ameri-cans, and should not be dealt with as such by the Government, is this: They have lived in six other communities besides this; namely, in Kirtland, O., then successively in Jackson, Clay, Caldwell, and Davies Counties, Mo., and in Hancock County, Ill.; and in every one of these six communities there was the same hostility on their part to the laws and gov-ernment of the land, and the same tumult, strife, and bloodshed which have marked their entire his-tory in Utah. They were so lacking in everything that constitutes American citizenship, that the Legis-lature of Missouri actually appropriated $2,000 to aid these pretended friends of liberty, morality, and the constitution, in extending the peace and happiness of the State of Missouri, by getting out of it as soon as they could! (Howe's "History of Mormonism," Chap, xiv.) This led them to take up their abode in Hancock County, Ill.; and they made themselves such a social and political nuisance in Nauvoo, that the legislature was obliged to revoke the charter of their city. (Ford's "History of Illinois," p. 396.) 
What is the cause of all this trouble? Simply this: That their leaders are determined to set up a priestly government of their own, independent of the laws and government of the land. The only local government that has ever existed in Utah is the government of a priesthood that hates and op-poses everything American. For the past ten years, the Americans here have been paying about two-fifths of the taxes, but have been shut out of all representation in the government which levies the taxes, by an arbitrary consolidation of the election districts of the territory and the municipal wards of the towns. The only representation the Americans have ever had in the Territorial Legislature of Utah is at the present time, when they have barely one member. 
To maintain this priestly government, and set aside the laws and government of the United States, the priestly leaders of the people have resorted to massacre, assassination, perjury, and falsehood, while all the time assuming to be the special cham-pions of piety, virtue, and liberty. Their worst deeds are prefaced with prayer. John D. Lee tells us, in his dying confession, that he and the fifty-one other Mormons who participated in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, spent a portion of the preceding night in a prayer-meeting, asking the guidance of God in the wholesale murder of 121 men, women, and children. ("Lee's Confessions," Sun Publishing Co., St. Louis, pp. 233—4, 1882.)
Then take perjury. In the trial of young Clawsen, in the fall of 1884, his father, Bishop Clawsen, testi-fied under oath that he did not know whether his son was married to Lydia Spencer or not, although they both lived in the same house. Lydia Spencer's mother testified that her daughter lived at Clawsen's house, and that she repeatedly visited her daughter there, but did not know whether she was married to Clawsen or not. Geo. Q. Cannon said that he did not know whether any record of plural marriages is kepj or not, although we learn from apostate Mormons it is considered one of the most important books they have. Judge Zane had to dismiss one case ow-ing to lack of evidence, stating to the jury his belief that the lack of evidence was due to false swearing. As a rule, although there are honorable exceptions, a thorough Mormon cannot be believed under oath in any contest between the Mormon Church and the United States Government. 
Then take assassination. I have never heard the number of persons who have been assassinated and put out of the way in Utah, for being friends of the Government, estimated to be less than 500. And the recent attempt on Nov. 28th, to assassinate U. S. Dep-uty Marshal Colin, as he was going through an alley to his home, at seven o'clock in the evening, shows that the same spirit still exists. Colin's revolver, which he used in his defense, brought down one of his assailants. And when the lantern was brought, behold, it was a member of the priesthood, standing high in the Church—Joseph McMurrin—a man who, I am told, had not very long ago been sent on a mis-sion to preach the Mormon Gospel. 
Then take falsehood. The Deseret News is the organ of the Mormon Church, and is edited by men who hold high official positions in the Church. These editors have used the News to make the Mor-mons believe that McMurrin was going quietly home from a religious meeting, and, without cause, was assaulted and shot by Marshal Colin, concealing from them the fact that Colin was attacked by four ruf-fians, who lay in ambush for him, and was acting purely in self-defense. And the masses of the Mor-mons still believe this mischief-making falsehood. 
There is hardly any misrepresentation or slander which the Mormon leaders have not heaped upon Governor Murray and Judge Zane, although these men have the hearty support of all Americans here, Democrats as well as Republicans, for their integ-rity, patriotism, and efficiency. Let any man stand up here prominently for the enforcement of the same laws that are in force in other parts of the land, and for the establishment of the authority of the Gov-ernment, and he is sure to be singled out for Mor-mon abuse and falsehood. 
And then, to crown all, an Elder in the Mormon church, one Brig. Hampton, has just been convicted in the Third District Court of bringing prostitutes here from California' and making a contract with them to open houses of prostitution, in order to en-trap Gentiles. He is now serving out the penalty of a year's imprisonment, although in "good and regu-lar standing" in the Church. 
But the special point to notice is that, according to Mormon ethics, none of these things are wrong when done in behalf of the Mormon Church. In other words, the people are taught to believe that assassi-nation ceases to be wrong when a member of the priesthood prays to the Lord for guidance, and then goes out and assassinates a faithful representative of the Government, in order to benefit the Church. And so the Mormon papers commend McMurrin, the News referring to Colin's defense of himself with his revolver as the "dastardly act by which a young, well-known, and esteemed man is stricken down." For two or three days the News left nothing undone to stir up mob violence, simply because the Church assassin got a bullet-hole through him while assault-ing a faithful United States officer with a club. 
Now, in view of these and hundreds of other facts, I maintain that for the Government to continue to treat this people as though they were Americans, and continue political power and privileges in their hands, is to turn just government into a farce, and is treating the real friends of the Government here as though they were enemies. 
But this is the fatal defect of the new Edmunds Bill. It is good and strong, as far as it goes. But if it should become a law, it would still leave the local civil power of the territory in the hands of the priest-hood. The more than 2,500 civil officers in the twenty-four counties of Utah would continue to be filled, as now, with the more than 2,500 men who swear allegiance to the priesthood rather than the to the Government. 
What sense or justice is there in disfranchising the Mormon women, and leaving the franchise in the hands of the Mormon men who induced the women to become law-breakers? A band of rattlesnakes has taken possession of the great central highway across the continent. Why should Senator Edmunds, or anybody else, undertake to destroy these reptiles gradually? Still less, why should Congress under-take to disarm the little snakes, but leave the big ones in possession of the road, and compel Uncle Sam's children to go out of their way to get round them? We Americans here say: Let Congress dis-arm all the rattlesnakes and open the road. 
How can this be done? With one little amendment of the Edmunds bill now before the House. Turn to Section 7th. Amend that so as to put in the sub-stance of the successful Idaho statute. Then it would read thus: "Sec. 7. That it shall not be law-ful for any man or woman who believes, teaches, or practices bigamy or polygamy, or who belongs to any organization or association which believes, teaches, or encourages the practice of bigamy or polygamy, to hold any office of honor or trust, or to vote at any election hereafter held in any territory of the United States for any public purpose whatever, and no such vote," etc., etc. 
Now, Mr. Cook, you can see clearly that that little amendment would settle the Utah ques-tion forever. It would put this grand territory in the hands of law-abiding Americans. Ameri-can capital, enterprise, and population would flow in here, and give Utah prosperity. There is no more difficulty in disfranchising the men than the women; and the men are a hundred times more guilty. I do hope you will shake New England and the country with the advocacy of that simple, just, and conclusive amendment. Set your friends to writing to the Massachusetts members of the House to urge that amendment. It has killed Mormonism in Idaho. Why prolong its life in Utah by simply cut-ting off a piece of the tail? Right back of the ears is the proper place to cut off the tail of such mischief-making monsters. 
I do not advocate the Idaho statute because I prefer it to a Legislative Commission; for I do not. Neither do the Americans here. But I advocate it now from, force of circumstances. To incorporate this wholly new measure would endanger the passage of the bill; but this other amendment, so brief and simple, is right in the line of the bill. And then this amend-ment would be backed by that popular justice which requires that the men shall be punished with the women, especially since they are far more guilty. 
The Americans here are exceedingly fortunate in having such faithful, brave, and efficient men at the helm as Governor Murray, Judge Zane, District Attorney Dickson, Commissioner McKay (a Massa-chusetts man), and Marshal Ireland. They are true Americans, and men of the highest integrity. Yet, to read the Mormon papers, you would think they ought to be in the penitentiary. And so I say, when any set of men become so hostile to our country and Government that they single out the faithful friends of the Government for abuse and assassination, simply because they are the friends of the Govern-ment, it seems to me suicidal for Congress to con-tinue in the hands of such enemies of their country the elective franchise and the political privileges that go with it. It is like taking into our houses as free boarders the very men who robbed our houses the night before. Very cordially yours, 
R. G. MCNIECE. 
Women have been disfranchised in Utah, chiefly because under the control of the priest-hood and voting at the beck of ecclesiastical zealots who are polygamists. They are sub-stantially the slaves of the aristocracy of the harem. So are the mass of the Mormon voters, and the proposition is that, on the same ground that we disfranchise women, we shall disfran-chise men, the object being to break up inter-ference with national law. 
The latest news concerning the prospects of Senator Edmunds's bid in the national House of Representatives, is that he has recommended an addition to it. As the result of a very careful study of the matter, he has submitted to the Judiciary Committee an amendment which is more stringent in character than even the bill that went through the Senate. The amend-ment provides that, hereafter, in Utah every person desiring to vote shall be required to register, and as a qualification to registration must take an oath in writing that he is sincere-ly attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States; that he regards the Con-stitution and the acts of Congress and of the territorial legislature, as interpreted by the courts, as the supreme law of the land; that he declares allegiance to the Government of the United States, and renounces allegiance to any other power, civil or ecclesiastical; that he is opposed to any interference by the Church with the exercise of the elective franchise, by dictating to or counselling any voter how he shall vote, or how he shall perform his official duties; that he denounces as pernicious, and holds not binding upon him, any such counsel or dictation; that he is separated from the political party of the Church, and solemnly promises and swears that he will not act or be in concert with any political party acting, or which may hereafter act, to carry out the politi-cal weal of the Church or of any Mormon politi-cal party. And then the amendment goes on to provide that whoever will not take this oath shall suffer legal penalties, the chief of which is that he shall be deprived of the right of voting or of holding office until he shall take such an oath. 
To  summarize the four reasons I have now given for favoring the extension to Utah of this Idaho statute, they are: 
1. It has been victorious in Idaho. 
2. It is recommended by Gov. Murray, offi-cially, under ail the weight of his public responsibility. 
3. It is supported by the experts in the study of Mormonism at Salt Lake City. 
4. Senator Edmunds himself has recommended it to the House Judiciary Committee. 
One or two journals express doubts as to the constitutionality of the Edmunds bill which has passed the Senate. But really the Senate is a better authority on the constitutionality of grave enactments or proposed legislation, than are our average weeklies, however brilliant. I am told occasionally as I travel from place to place that by and by measures like those now being employed against the Mormons may be employed against Protestants by Catholics, or against Catholics by Protestants. Whenever a religion teaches that overt acts, contrary to the laws of the land, are blameless, that religion is open to reprimand, and if necessary to stern legal repression by the civil power. We assail no man's subjective belief; but the actions to which that belief may lead must, be judged ac-cording to the experience of civilization. If the action is injurious to society at large, our Gov-ernment has a right to interfere with it. When the day comes in which Protestantism or Cathol-icism shall do anything as much against the good of society as Mormonism has done in counselling polygamy, perjury and assassination, the time will also arrive when the majority of citizens will have a right to interfere with those injurious and illegal overt acts. I have taken great pains to keep up full correspondence with Salt Lake City professors, teachers, preachers and civilians. I happen to know what the fore-most judges of Utah think on this matter, and they are in perfect accord with the Governor; they are in perfect harmony with the best educa-tors and preachers in the territory; and there is nothing they want so much, except a territorial commission for Utah, as the extension of the Idaho statute over the poisoned region governed by the American Bluebeard. 
Mormonism is in something of a flutter, but far from being in fear or flight. One of the worst mischiefs of current discussion on this matter is that we are too hopeful, and too irenical, in consequence of our being too sanguine. There have been lately in Utah, some fifty commit-ments to jail for polygamy; but probably in the time during which these commitments have been made five times that number of plural images have been contracted. And if Mor-mon leaders may have thought of escaping to Mexico and taking up their quarters beyond the range of the laws of the United States, yet, once over the line, they might have acted with im-punity as leaders of Mormons north of the line. The root of the cancer might have been in Mexican soil, but the long arms of it would have reached toward the north, far beyond the line be-tween the Republic and its neighbor. Even if the leaders were to go to the Sandwich Islands, and the mass of the Mormon people still live in the Salt Lake Valley, it would not be certain that we should not yet have to contend with Mormon disloyalty; that is, with the political power of the priesthood, just so soon as Utah should be admitted as a state. Let the chief Mormon leaders leave Utah, let things improve there, let Utah be admitted as a state, while a majority of its voters are Mormons, let the leaders come back, and we should then have Mormon-ism under the shield of state rights, and be in a worse condition than at present. 
Not for the first nor the second time—for it is ten years since I began to discuss Mormonism—I ask you, therefore, to strengthen yourselves and your representatives and senators in sup-port of stern legislation against this gigan-tic wrong. If you do not pity the poor peas-ants brought here from Europe and subjected to the degrading influences of polygamy and political tyranny, do have pity on the American population of Utah. Show your sympathy for the religious organizations and the heroic teachers who are planting schools at great expense, and carrying instruction into the teeth of the Mormon monster at the risk of life. I ask you to support the New West Education Commis-sion and the Presbyterian schools, the Baptist, the Methodist and the Episcopalian in Utah. Wherever the Church is doing its work, let us follow it up with abundant contributions, and wherever the state shows a disposition to fire at Mormonism something other than paper pellets, let us stand behind the state as vigorously as we do behind the Church. [Applause.] 
I shall have the honor before the meeting closes of moving before this assembly That we com-mend to the senators and representatives tn Con-gress the extension of the Idaho statute against Mormonism to Utah. That is a simple propo-sition, and it will test the house. If you are ready for the question now I will make the mo-tion, or, if you choose, I will postpone it to the end of the meeting. [Voices from all over the hall "We are ready." "Put it now."] 
Mr. Cook accordingly offered the motion which he had just outlined, and upon its being put by the Rev. Dr. Bates, it was adopted by an impressive rising vote, which the chairman declared unan-imous. Some two thousand people, including hundreds of ministers, teachers, students and other educated men stood up in support of the recommendation of the Idaho statute.