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Show IllKTWKKN WASIIIMiroX ,H I OMAHA. Work In Iba Minion 11.11.- lion tbn ' Vtrmons" are Misrepresented. My late trip through Ihe mission field, or that part of It between Wash Iriglon aud Omaba, was one of great Interest to myself and, I truil, of pro tit tu thucouft-rences which comprise tbu Northern Hlatea Minion. Three excellent ex-cellent conferences were held, nnd about fifty discourses delivered un the principles of Ihe Oosl, The meetings were well attended, tnd in time Instance! the halls were crowded tooverllowlng. A great ileal of Kood Instruction was glveu end much In formation Imparled by the l.hltn I resent ritpecllng our peole nnd doctrines. The work ol (Jod It steadily gaining gruunj throughout Ihe mis. Ion; much Investigation Is going en, many out-tldera out-tldera attend our meetings, and much of the old'llfoo prejudice Is being removed re-moved from the publlo mind, l'.s- dally Is thle noticeable among Ibe more Intellltent clawet who read and think for themselves. The great trouble all along has been caused by the Iguorauieof the peot.e reelecting the Latter-tiny Heinle, and Ihe false rumors set atlost concerning them by their illtlcal aud rsllglous loos'. A somewhat general Impression has I revslled that the "Mormons" are n Mint'liarbarfiua race not more enllght euMor Iu toi ItiHteil than the hiBlhen, and when we go among the farmers farm-ers of Pennsylvania, West Virginia Vir-ginia and Indiana even now, some of tin in hardly know whether to believe our descriptions of "Mormon" life ur not. Borne still clluir to their former notions alout us, until after a while a more Inllmslo acpitliitnnce wllti thu l.ldsrs springs up and l-ccomes Iu many Instances a lasting friendship for them and our people. One man Insisted In a convir sallon with nib lately that he bl ew It would not be aafe to go Into Halt Lake City, unless hecoubi show a cettlDcate signed b a "Mormon" ofltc,UI. to Bene htm as a pas-port. This had beeillm pressed ou his rulhd by some so-called "doctor" w hu clslmed tu hare been to Utili. 1 asked the farmer If Ihe "doctor" had told bow hu hlintblf went thero anJ eiroe away agtlu? Hut he hat not donu this. I had an amusing exirlencu while ou Ihe II. A O. "limited," between Chicago and Washington, A blue Coaled olllclal wot Ulng legalcd Ilia neighboring seat lo mine tilth a Munchausen slury abuut the "Mor mous.'Muwhlch tho narrator asserted that they weru nut regarded Iu Utah aawhltutieople, 'They ulwajs say," hewint ou, "lusklligofMalt Lake affairs, so many 'Mormons' and so many 'whites.' " I took out one of my tardsand wrote on thebtokof II, "Call noun me when ViHl are In Halt Lake aud see If wo are while!" The ofll clal lo whom 1 handtd the card looked BiirrrlMHl, and winked at me with the other eye, Pntty soon the narrakr of fanciful Isles left the Pullman car and uever returned The olllclal did, however, and, ttl 1 lie, "Well, I just asked that gentleman what he meant by 'while,' fuasiuuih asou looked lome lo le at white as Ibe lest ol u.t" and he addid "he htsn't answered that question yet." Ills such laopln at Ihli who du the In lury whkh it afterwards hard lo repair. Ihe reslctable palseligers travellug on the lluitted Iralus fniuenlly ilsteii to the grossest misni rvsentallous about our tcople; tait when 1 am within hearing tbelr ttorlea do not gu long unconlredtiti't. I have been unablei to disabuse the nilndt of many lutein, gent travelers while on thla and other flm-clast roads. The farther wist we go the ottsucr we meet w tth those who try lo poison the minds of the traveling public agslnst the Balnts. The l.saiern man looks t Ibe question more disjiaislonately, because not wrsonally luu-restid lu a contest bstwteii "Mormon" and anil "Mormon." The eastern teople fcru Incoming much more Interested nuw than formerly, however, becauseof the "Mormon" dividing up acourdlng to Individual retllieiiioii betwieu the two great national turtles. There Is some surprise ex pressed at tbe nuiutvr of llepubllianslu Utah, as It was sup js)ed the "Mormons" were all Dsmo i rats, and held lu lullllcal bondage by their leaders, ilul In this at In many other matters our eastern friends are gelling better Informed. They will jet rind that the "Mormons" are at I tide iieuJeht, Individually, lu ibelr political Ideas at they are lu thilr religious principles. prin-ciples. Ciiai. W, BiAinr.li. WADiumiTOM, D. (!., October no IStll. |
