Show misjudging AN aix ELDER ELDER charles charies 11 neilson is laborin laboring as a missionary in wisconsin and through his preaching sever several al additions have been made to the church among the converts is a young girl who has embraced the gospel of her own free will and choice believing in its truth A number of people in la crosse where this conversion occurred have been greatly exercised over the incident evidently judging from their own standpoint of morality that the elder had ulterior designs upon the xoung young woman which was entirely without t foundation the convert herself called personally at tile the office of a newspaper in which various ani upon the elders had been published and repudiated ted them stating that her baptism into the church of jesus christ of latter day saints was au an act of her own volition and independent of any other consideration than her convict io ion lon of tile the correctness of the religious doctrines she had adopted the la crosse republican and leader publishes the following sensible article in relation to this incident some considerable feeling is being evidenced over the presence in la crosse Cros of an emissary of the mormons cormons who has been at work here for several weeks past so far as is known he has captured but one convert to the faith falth 1 a girl giri of foreign birth who hasan lias ilas announced h her or own f free ree will and deed as the controlling influences of her conversion the mormon has not married the girl giri and if he should he is not go ing beyond his rights until it is proved that he has been previously married gu it is surprising and much to be deplored that there can be found those in this city to advocate tar and feathers for a missionary in behalf of any belief and especially when the work of such missionary has been so barren of results as have the labors of this mormon lormon in lacrosse la crosse that such sentiments exist correspondence received by this onice bears evidence and it is only on account of such correspondence that the publican Ite ide and leader treats of the matter which it holds is of no concern to this community while the disgrace to the city attendant upon tile the 11 tarring and feathering leathering of anybody certainly is something to bo be decried ill in advance and prevented if possible by every good citizen with pol poi polygamy gamy in utah the people of la crosse kave have nothing to do with mormonism as a religion even iu in la crosse the people of this tills city have no right to interfere so long as the laws of the land are not violated in the preaching or practice of that religion in this place the girl in question is not alleged to be insane her friends who are the ones best capable of passing judgment have interposed no obstacle oo stacle stacie to her counsel and have made no complaint of the treatment accorded her if the saint from utah jivis awishes hes to preach joseph smith and him inspired and the girl wants to believe that is their privilege religion is a privilege not a compulsion and in this country it cannot be otherwise so lo 10 long iong as the mormon observes the laws in wisconsin la crosse people can be better occupied than in a disgraceful attempt to avenge the outrages committed in utah the elders go into the world after the manner atthe of the authorized ministers of christ in ills nis church of former alin times es deliver their message and it is ther their duty to baptize believers who offer themselves as candidates for that ordinance the gospel is for all who have reached an age when they are capable of think thinking ia and acting to for foz themselves without respect to sex the world has become so generally corrupt however that if a youns young woman elects to become a lat ter tei day saint the messenger who merely happens to be tile the instrument of her conversion is accused of immoral in intentions the fact is that there is no more pure and exemplary men in the world than the elders of the church as a class almost without exception they keep their covenants and abide in the instructions they receive to preserve themselves unspotted from the prevailing corruptions corrupt ions |