Show AN unwarranted MOVEMENT ON MONDAY july at leth bridge alberta northwest territory a meeting of an unusual character was held so we learn from the news of that town the gathering had been called by posters and advertisements and appears to have been fairly well attended the object of the assemblage was its most peculiar feature it was to take into consideration the advisability of adopting measures to prevent the granting of a charter applied for by five residents of cards town lees creek mormons cormons Mor mons to enable them to conduct a manufacturing aej nd mercantile business with a capital of under the laws of the dominion from what could be gleaned fra from the published account of the proceedings the reason for the movement to obstruct the granting of the application made in due legal form there being no claim that any lawful requirement had been omitted was that the persons applying were latter day saints no other basis of objection was presented and no claim seems to have been urged to the effect that the mormons cormons Mor mons on lees creek had deported themselves in any other way than as good peaceable and law abiding citizens hence the anomalous character of the meeting which at this distance appears to have been simply an effort to pro pre vent certain citizens from enjoying a common right exercised in every civilized community to do ordinary business under the law regulating matters of that kind such a movement as that referred to is incompatible with the genius of free government and fair play for upholding which british subjects are everywhere noted the view we now express was evidently shared by some soine of the prominent gentlemen who took part in the proceedings among those thus impressed was mr haultain who presided in assuming the chair he gave the assemblage to understand that he was not in sympathy with the object of the meeting A gentleman named reach took a prominent part in the furtherance of the movement he offered a motion for the appointment of a committee of three t to circulate a petition asking the lieu lieutenant ten ant 0 gover over nor to defer action on the application for the charter referred to until a further and fuller explanation of the reasons why it should not be granted could be forwarded to him the gentleman read a paper in support of his position that he had recited at a former meeting of a similar character strange to say his extraordinary motion prevailed A mr hollies who was opposed to the reach motion offered another which was to the effect that it was the sense of the people of macleod district distri ct that a mistake had bad been made in rendering it possible for mormons cormons Mor mons to purchase blocks of land and hold them and that a representation of that nature be forwarded to the minister of the interior and the lieutenant governor of northwest territory mr hol lies position was but feebly supported while tile opposition to it was strong consequently and fortunately for the good judgment of the gentlemen composing the meeting it fell through several of the gentlemen present took a common sense view of the subject and were disposed to be fair among these was a mr leeds who in opposing the hollies motion said interference with people in the exercise of a right common to all citizens of the country would establish a bad precedent the remarks of the gentleman who was selected to preside but who after the disposal of the reach beach motion was relieved of his duties as chairman were particularly forcible and consistent the following being what the lethbridge newa reported as the substance of what he mr haultain took the ground that provided the law was complied w with ith tile the lieutenant I 1 governor had bad not the power to refuse the charter even if the uncertain fact of the applicants being mormons cormons were sufficient grounds upon which to refuse the charter who was there who could say these five applicants were mormons cormons Mor mons objection to the granting of this charter on the ground that the applicants were mormons cormons would have to be supported by affidavits to that effect and who was waa there at the meeting who was prepared to swear that these five applicants cants were mormons cormons Mor mons mr hollies amendment now a motion mr haultain said we were goi going n g to the government with a number of misstatements the mormons cormons had asked the government for the privilege if settling under the hamlet system provided in the dominion lands ladds act and they had been refused the government refused to sell the mormons cormons a block of land and they were settled as other settlers were on alternate sections the only block of land they had purchased was from the N W 0 N co and that was not settled on this block was purchased cha not b by y the mormons cormons who are here now b but u t by others who might co come e in mr haultain did not wish to me be misunderstood on this question he felt as keenly as any one in the room that an extensive immigration of mormons cormons threatened us with a graveran gr grave avedan danger and be thought the government should should be asked to take the steps they considered necessary to overcome this danger but he be did not believe in taking the bull by the wrong end and he did not consider the means adopted at this meeting the proper way of bringing the matter to the attention of the government 11 the gentlemen who are working up this auti anti mormon crusade in alberta should consider well the grounds upon which such a movement is founded it is not on the basis of any misconduct on the part of the saints in that region they are not charged with any conf contra ra of the laws on the contrary they infringe upon the rights of no other class of people in the dominion they are peaceable industrious and law abiding therefore a desirable element in any community where they locate it is evident that the agitators have been influenced by evil reports concerning the co religionists of the Cards town people in utah if they knew the cause and origin of the slanders landers Ea they would not be affected by them the mormons cormons Mor mons are overwhelmingly in the majority in utah and active political conspirators belonging to the have manufactured and circulated infamous falsehoods concerning the cormons mormons Mor mons 11 that under cover of the prejudice thus created they might obtain special legislation that would enable them to aeike the reins of local government ern ment protected by a manufactured anti mormon sentiment they themselves have created the minority have resorted to trickery and a process to make honest men blush for them why then should honorable men in northwest territory territory suffer themselves to be influenced by malig talAt slanders that have been spread broadcast for the purpose of aiding the consummation summation coli of a nefarious political plot if the people of macleod district wish to act fairly aud and intelligently they have opportunities of taking that course they should governed by prejudice created by absurd and false stories let them go among the mormon settlers examine their conduct and course of life and thus get an insight into the true character of the people from whose presence they apprehend a purely imaginary danger an any y other course savors of persecution in which liberal minded men never participate to proceed against a people on the basis of some apprehended fut future 06 0 6 contingency is not founded hi an reason being too much like punishing a person on the ground that he e might at some time to come be guilty of an offense in colorado and new mexico and other regions where there ig 19 no object to be gained by depriving the mor mons of their political rights and privileges the latter are esteemed at as the very best and most valuable citizens of those districts in which they are settled As the saints axe famous for building up and redeeming new country wonderfully increasing its value and relatively that of the regions contiguous to it the good people of northwest territory will do well even in their own interest to let them pursue unmolested the even tenor of their way so long as they conform to the laws of the country they are entitled to this treatment tn common with all other people |