Show SO NO ANSWER RECEIVED that letter from which the above is is quoted was handed personally by me to your secretary last thursday night dinst und and by tile the way reverend sir I 1 have lave received no answer to that letter though I 1 urged an immediate reply as it was a matter of sorn some 0 import importance anee to me as affecting my movements call yon von that christian courtesy christion etiquette it may lie be for you are a christian clarg clergyman lly man of high standing 01 andI and I 1 will not presume to judge of your you r conduct now gentlemen I 1 havo have written mn my page in the history of your parliament the world knows news of your four treatment in pirt at least of the he mormon church what will von rou say to justify your conduct will vill you say that mormonism N is such a new arrival in the religious beligio us field and so email a society that you yon could not give it a place I 1 would reply first that you once agreed to give it a hearing bearing in the parliament and second I 1 ask you to think of the come five or six hearings given to then the representatives of the brahma comaj of india a a sect which sprang into existence about the same time that the mormon church was organized and mer after its sixty three th roe years vears of cak cx numbers but or 7 0 followers follower sas as against L over people in the church I 1 represent and the brahma I 1 somas while I 1 admire the ability with which its claims have been set forth by its eloquent and learned representatives does not occupy so important a position io in relation to the reli religion conof of india as doe docs s to christianity that you fulfilled your agreement to 0 give five me a hearing by offering M me e the privilege of reading my paper in a small side hall ball where I 1 might have from a score ton to a bundred hearers bearers you ventured to insult me and my people with such eualia a proposition dont insult alie intelligence telli 0 gence of the public by making maling such a statement expecting that they will accept it will you say that I 1 represent a polygamous people I 1 would reply what if I 1 do do not the gentleman who have so ably represented the faiths of the orient in your parliament also represent polygamous people but I 1 explained to you that since the mormon church had officially discontinued con tinned plural marriages that subject need form no part of the presentation of mormonism to the parliament except to announce the fact of its discontinuance look at the paper I 1 prepared for tile the parliament a copy of which you hold there is not a word about poly polygamy gamy were you really afraid that I 1 would all announce bounce the position of the church on that subject gentlemen you von should have extended a hearty invitation to the mormon church to participate in your parliament and given her r representative a full and fair hearing in 0 not in some out of the way corn corner er but in the general parliament you should have done that if for not nothing hinl else than to have had the joyful news proclaimed poly polygamy gamy had been discontinued by the cormons mormons Mor mons if you thought us in in error as christian ministers you should have been anxious to learn and have tho the world find out wherein we were in error that you as lovers of human souls could find out where wo we were profir wrong and then III in kindness and for our good show us 0 our ur error and what could have been better for you christians than to have opposed our error from our own statement of our faith and then reclaimed us but you have missed your opportunity I 1 hold the smiling benevolent mask of toleration and courage behind which the parliament lias has been hiding in my hands bands and tho the old harridan of E ec bi bigotry 0 try stands uncovered and her loathsome visage 11 distorted by the wrinkles of narrow mindedness intolerance and cowardice is to bo be seen once more of all the world Gent gentlemen leme n where you should have been lions you have been hares where foxes foxe q geese g c ese turn which way you will and you will be confronted by tho the facts which proclaim that you have shrunk before the fear of public se sentiment within your churches all unmindful of that greater public sentiment 0 outside ut ide of your churches which demands demanda generous open and fair treatment even for mormons cormons in such a gathering M as your parliament why tile the political parties of the country have outstripped your churchmen in generosity when plural marriages marria es were discontinued by official I 1 reclamation proclamation of the church the gentiles of utah accepted it as a settlement of the question that bad been at issue mormons cormons and non mormons cormons ceased ceas sed the strife that had ra raged ged for years in utah individuals dropping tho the local issues stepped within the republican or democratic party lines arid and sent mixed delegations of the mormons cormons and non cormons mormons to the great national party conventions where they were received and given seats scabs ond votes equal with other delegates but you gentlemen who should have been the first to welcome even the slightest cliance chance for the better as you look at it in mormon affairs you have stood shivering if in terror of public sentiment gentlemen I 1 have taken an appeal from your parliament to a greater one the lie parliament of an enlightened N public opinion and I 1 challenge you to appear before it anil explain your conduct very truly and respectfully yours ELDER 15 II 11 ROBERTS |