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Show I MOCH IMMORALITY II is yintfliiiir H';'i! Young Boys and Girls Take Hi Their Cue From Law-Break-ing Church Leaders. B) ! , PRO VO DEMOCRAT OUT IN SCARE-HEAD STORY i M Sheriff of Utah County Given as Bpj'i Authority for the Condi-El Condi-El 1 lions That Exist. Ki H ' Kjl PEOVO. May 6. Tho Dcmocrnt of H3 ibis city publishes a scare head article Hif. i today on the mora status of Utah tiounty. Tho artielo docs not cxac- K? jj Rorate; in fact, it does not tell the B i half. I have talkod with tlio city V-, ' ofliccrs of Provo, and more especially Kf. i with the Sheriff of tho county and his R ' deputies, and, from what thoy tell me, BIfl''j conditions arc simply appalling- I At ono time there wore seven cases EHI'j of illefntimacy in one 6mall town, fif- Mpf ' teen in another; in fact, many cases Hfrjjlii' in overv town in tho county. Tho courts HSjli have been resorted lo and young rnon ft$u: have been lined, and in somo instauccs Hsjlji. cent to prison, but the immorality in- Bfin Ureases. tt8f! In the artielo above alluded to it If3'j! spoaks thus: "Immorality has even j lISS u been noticed in tho largo schools, and ' mfm )f only a few days ago three boys were ex- isjji i pelJod from ono of the largest schools I Urt1 an tho State on account of unbecoming1 Isfo i - uctions. ' ' KSflj) The B. Y. University. Bug The school alluded to is the B. Y. Wk$ university, tho church school, of which that arch-violator of law and chas-Wtii chas-Wtii tity, Joseph F. Smith, is prcsidout and m exemplar. Tho girl in the case.' with Hfft , whom theso three boys consorted, and iyfcal who is now in a delicate condition, is riff 't'10 daughter of a polygainist, by ono mMl or his plurals, I think, the third or BR! fourth. Tho man is now in southern ffijj Utah with one or more of his many B i concubines, probably with tho one whom ' ho took to his bosom about five years ago. One of his wives lives in Provo, Wf.l 4 and her children attend tho B. Y. U. Tho daughter i3 only 17 years old, Kj( - and the sliorilr informs me that sho E? I acknowledged to him that she had con-Hiy con-Hiy ' sorted with four different students, and .4 she made the admissions without tho Wk?'' I, least shame, was oven brazen in the telling. I asked tho sheriff if he could if expect aiything else, when her own ; father has been setting her the cxam- !plo. Ho has been iu aiding sinco tho Ecod Smoot investigation at Washing- . ton, and whenever ho visited the mother of the girl ho only camo after dark R !, and left before other peoplo were astir in the morning. The girl knew all R&l , about her father's illicit relations; she Iff'..' knew that it was against the law, and I knew that it was contrary to . moral IV I ethics, but if he could do such things, Ifr. j. why should she refrain from the samo Ev' course? to' j Story of Two Young Men. iv I; Only n short time ago a story was , ' published in The Tribune of two young men, whoso homes are ia tho southern , part of tho county, and whose parents , -i looked upon as devout saints, while intending the University here, seduced r.wo young girls of the same faith. ( and were arrested, ebarged with a statutory crime. Ono of them was ar- J rested here in Provo, tho other one in i ISalt Lake, whore he bad gone to cvado j process. One of these young men evaded prosecution bv marrying the girl: the other one went before tho I . court, pleaded guilty, and was Oned $00, which was paid. , Provo is a hot-bed of polygamy. B.j There are plural wivc3 living in every ' ward in the city, and in every caso, flfc- where age docs not prevent, children l.p are born to these women just as often '' os nature will permit, pj,! i Ex-Apostle John W. Taylor has two &W plurals living in the same ward as the Kg family above referred to; both of these rjr women have given birth to children IL v within tho last six months. There are Iff' J many such cases here, with examples mi liko these. Can you wonder that tho fift young people arc going astray? They jjaif ure only following in the footsteps of SfWf their tile leaders, and whoolrrs. too. B A NONSMITHITE. j Um ' The Democrat's Story, rjlj ;i( -Tho article alluded to in the Utah rcS' -j! County Democrat follows: WL M 1,1 am startled at the Immoral concll- ja ! Hons that arc existing In this county among the young people. The sherltt'B office Is unuule to nandlo the conditions ami what will become of the young peoplo of this county morally la hard to Bay If the present conditions continue The opldemlc of Immoral actions la (sweeping over the county with unchecked speed. Wo must hnvo help In stopping It. So far wo have failed. The luw has fallod and It Is now a question to bo solved by tho parents In tho home. Parents who do not know where their children aro at night should find out," Tho statement made by Sheriff Harmon will bo a surprise to many of tho peoplo of this county. It will bo an eye-opener to many of tho parent. A man In tho position of shorllf of a county Is In a better position to judge theso matters than any one else, and his statements can not help but bo recognized. Air, Harmon has made a special Investigation of the affairs and ho says that too strong language can not be used In stating tho deplorable conditions that exist. Mostly Among Young Pooplc. The epidemic of Immorality Is especially especial-ly noticed among tho young people. Boys and girls ranging from 16 to 20 yours of ago, arc those who arc moBtly Implicated at this time. At this ago the young peoplo are "head strong" and in many cases do not take the advlco of the parents. Thoy attend dance halls, cheap theaters and other places wliero they got into company that Is not very desirable, and ns a consequence undesirable companionship com-panionship Is formed and crime results. Tho notlcoablo. condition among these young people Is what makes tho matter so Impressive. ' Tho crime Is not only notlcoablo among the young peoplo In oortaln localities, but It Is spread all over tho county. Provo being tho largest city, has tho largest number of cases. Immorality has ven been noticed In tho lurgo schools, and only a few days ago three boys were expelled ex-pelled from ono of tho largest schools In tho State on account of "unbecoming actions. Tho girl In tho caso Implicated four young men, and others. It Is said, are ulso on tho reprimanding list In almost all cases, when thf matter Is brought to the attention of the Sheriff, several of the leading young men of localities lo-calities aro Implicated. Salem has somo bad cases, as ha3 American Fork and Lehl. Reports from SpringvlHo show tho samo conditions prevailing. The conditions which are so aggravating aggravat-ing must have a cause. Tho SherlR' gives It as his opinion thut the cause of tho wholo trouble Is that the parents of tho children do no know what their children aro doing. Scores of girls will nock to tho danco hall unaccompanied and thoru court company which Is questionable. In many cases these young ludlcs will bo escorted home by young men who have never been In the lady's homo, and con-yeiiucntly con-yeiiucntly they do not have the respect ior mem uiut iney Glioma nave, ui) .inc other hand, If tho boys had met the father and mother of tho girl and been In her homo they would havo had much more respect for the lady. Tho soda fountains also camo In for their sliaro of blame. Provo and American Ameri-can Fork have had two cases whoro young ladles have boon tho victims of the "wink drink." Young men havo taken ladles to drug stores or soda fountains foun-tains where they have been acquainted with the clerks, and the boj'3 have given tho clerks "tho wink," which moant that liquor should bo put In their soda. U has been done and the girls, not being used to the "dope." havo suffered sorely for tho company that they have kept. Other methods havo been used which wcro entirely unbecoming for respectable young people. Can the Condition Be Bettered? Wo do not want It understood that this county Is any worse than others. Tho fact Is that this county has been fairly free from the conditions that aro now prevalent, which Is the main reason for the notlco of tho conditions at pres- ent. I Every effort will be made to cope with the evil by the Sheriff's office, but, as j has been said, they aro hardly equal to I tho occasion, owing to the startling con- dltlons. Tho Sheriff says that ho will ! present tho matter to all tho churches ! In the county and also ask the fraternal organizations lo take hold of the matter 1 that a fair warning may be given to the j parents of the young people. It Is qulto 1 evident that tho parents of tho youni i people can better handle the evil than J any ono else, as they are acquainted with , their children. If the fathers and mothers ; of tho children know where their Mill-i Mill-i dren are, much of the trouolc will bo ; averted. No rrlrl or boy should 'o a. j lowed to attend a dance hall of ques- tlonablo repute. When they nttend 1 place that Is ald tc be respectable, ihey should have the right kind of escorts and company. Parents, where are your 1 children tonight? |