Show 1 A DEFAMER DEFEATED sturges miss aug 1897 last winter or some eight or months ago a rev M L oswalt A out a pen picture of mormon which has been and is being as ay circulated as the facilities t author will admit in the ad ants which are inserted in sev newspapers shapers the author says he fc whereof ve beof he has written what be considered the historical part te little book consists of extracts tat lons from other books pur W to expose the dark deeds ot in the fact act is of which athor or knows nothing mormon el eing pretty widely distributed the state and having made ink go ads on 01 0 orthodoxy in various places ministers of this same ort orthodoxy hodoly to cast about for weapons to wl 1 and trumped up charges that I 1 4 an been exploded time and again ww unearthed So mr oswalds Os walts book w blaw y made up of such extracts stations parties tae facts in the case were led re that hat all the charges made in k against the mormons cormons were dafid hence its tendency is to en tf mo socratic bo cratic spirits spirit the better in the surrounding country tegan tp tip denounce the main the th book as untrue this coming to his ears from time to time he threw out a bold challenge to the elders to prove publicly his mistakes to call them by no harsher terms or hush up A day was set at sturges to take up the matter and he was invited to be present and defend it the good citizens of sturges forced the mater on four days earlier than was anticipated thus not giving the elders time to thoroughly digest its contents so on saturday august 14 at 3 there was quite a crowd assembled to hear the discussion elder F T pomeroy took up the little book and for an hour and a half handled it without gloves yet in a mild christian spirit to the sixteenth page his array of evidence was so overwhelming that mr oswalt in his reply made such a poor defense that all could see how it would end if carried ont seeing this one of his friends made a motion to close the discussion cus sion which was carried by a few of his friends no one voting on the other side as they considered that when enough was announced it would be cruel to press him further it had been decided before in the morning that this discussion should close the meeting and hence the elbers and their friends withdrew however obnoxious mormonism may be to the masses it is sheer nonsense to try to uproot it by an array of false witnesses however respectable they may appear in the eyes of the multitude if no more powerful weapons can be used than mr oswalt uses against mormonism in his little book somebody is going to believe the elders who are pr preaching eachin g the truth and indeed the honestly disposed part of the community when they can be induced to listen to what the elders have to say are willing to accept their teaching as bible truths Os walts book and all others of like character to the contrary notwithstanding H P DOTSON |