Show NOT CONTRACT LABORERS ay am emigration commissioner at new york who rejoices in the american name of has set himself to the task of achieving fame or at least notoriety by excluding mormon immigrants from landing on the atlantic coast his pretext for this is that they come under the contract labor clause of the emigration laws it is well known that the pauper pretence predence pre tence has been tried repeatedly and signally failed if but a fair hearing bearing is granted on the contract question it will surely meet with a similar fate the latter day saints who come to this country from abroad are not under any contract whatever they come with their own means means of their own free will and for their own benefit as settlers upon american soil some of them may have received contributions from relatives or friends to help make up the sums necessary to pay their way but when received that money became their own just as much as though they had saved it themselves out of their earnings and they are not assisted emigrant within the meaning of the law nor are they under any contract to repay it in labor or in any other way when the perpetual emigration fund was in 0 operation pe ration many years ago people assisted by its funds were required to sign notes for the repayment of the means advanced as soon as they were able to return it that the funds might be used again for the benefit of other emil grants even that was not in opposition to the spirit and meaning of the law governing emigration to this country but the P E fund ceased its operations years ago when the receiver took possession of the assets which were popularly supposed to be enormous they consisted merely of a safe and a few notes and account books the fund has ared in mormon emigration for a long time neither does the church advance money in this way chere are no church means on hand or in use for this purpose the common idea concerning this is entirely incorrect and has not sis as much foundation as the notion about the millions of dollars in the he perpetual emigration fund for that company did have a safe and some books and some outlawed promissory notes whatever action maybe taken in regard to the company of I 1 mormon 9 immigrants expected in new york today if the facts are permitted to appear as they must in time it will be clearly established that people who come to theland the jand to loin their friends in utah 41 xe rov pauper immigrants 11 nor are they under any labor contract neither do they leave their native lands ands for any unlawful purpose polygamy has nothing to do with their emigration faith in god and a desire to keep his commandments do figure largely in their gathering but up to present date these theme are not forbidden by the law however obnoxious they may be to godless emigration agents and infidel editors in this connection we caution our readers as to crediting press accounts of interviews with mormon elders relative to this matter it ts Is very rare that a reporter in the east gives the language of jofh h is victim buttonholed buttonholes button holed for an item and very often these luter interviews views are manufactured entirely out of a vivid and abundant imagination the person alleged to be interviewed having never given the writer a word on any subject whatever may be done in the present instance we will hazard the prediction that the gathering ot of the saints from the four quarters of the earth barthi will go on for it is in the pro gramme of the latter day work and the master has decreed it and no puny hand band that lifts itself to thwart his purposes will either ao com much towards the end desired or reap honor or abiding reward for his effort |