The Mormon Question.
The visit of Miss Tichenor at Burlington, Vt., noticed in our column of church news, has called out the following from the Free Press and Times, of the 80th instant: "It is greatly to be hoped that Miss Tichenor's addresses may not fail to awaken new inter-est in the vexed Mormon question and in the cause of Christian education in Mor-mondom. It is a favorable time to exam-ine the subject. Mormonism is increasing in the number of its victims and in political power. It controls two of our Territories and has great power in a third. It is no un-likely thing that it may yet hold the balance of political power. There is certainly dan-ger of it, unless it is speedily checked. An alliance with one of our political parties would give us a Mormon State, which no national authority could interfere with. Now is the time to pour in light. Miss Tichenor made the point that Christian ed-ucation alone could solve the problem. It is true. Congress cannot change Mormon opinions and convictions. For the victims of its power, it is a religion. The leaders may be rascals, but the people are deluded. Con-gress cannot legislate delusion out of exist-ence. Light and life are what that opaque, dead man of moral manhood and womanhood need. There is good opportunity now for the people of Burlington to have some share in that work." Let not the Christian men and women only of Burlington, but through-out New England, make the coming of Miss Tichenor among us the occasion of consider- ing more practically what they can do to de-stroy this evil that cries out to God against us. Let all citizens in their civil relations, and as voters having connection with the government at Washington, and through it with that of Utah, consider no less their duties to the State and the families that compose it. Guilt will fasten upon us as upon them, if we do not do what we can to heal this festering plague spot upon the Re-public. The Mormon priests act as court judges, and try civil cases as well as teach in spiritual matters. This, as a correspon- dent of the New York Tribune says, is a pretty plain admission of the charge of con-nection between the Mormon church and State. Nor is this usurpation of civil func-tions of recent date. It was one of the rea-sons which led years ago to the passage of the so-called "Poland" bill by Congress, which took away their general civil juris- diction from the Probate or Common Judges and transferred it to the District Courts. But, notwithstanding this legislation, the habit continues, and only judicious legisla-tion, combined with faithful teaching, will break it up.
