| Show FROM SCHOOL HOUSES the news to Is in receipt of a letter from elders IF R hayes and W H petty dated florence station mccracken Cra county kentucky in which la in enclosed a newspaper clipping of an official communication addressed to the school chool trustees of the county by J W hushes hughes superintendent of common schools for mccracken county in which the trustees are instructed not to permit mormon elders to hold meetings in school chool houses it was published in the paducah news ne ws and the first firs part rt ot of the fulmination is in here reproduced an A there are quite a number of mormon elders in our county at present 0 ho o are trying to proselyte and convert people to the faith of joe smith I 1 deem it my duty to notify you u and ask ak your operation cooperation co in hi preventing them from preaching in our public school houses as they usually secure them from the trustees to hold their services in much discussion has haa come up in some of our districts over their preaching already 1 I desire to call your attention to me ec no 6 corn com school law which says ays that no sectarian infidel or immoral doctrine shall be taught in our school houses 1 I am of the opinion that mormonism can well be classed under two of these heads see sec 78 places the charge of the school building during vacation in the hands of the th chairman airman and lie he is liable for any damage oc euall on account of neglect I 1 have incurred some little enmity on account of my action in this matter but I 1 dont care as I 1 believe that my stand will be endorsed by all law abid ing citizens AU all persons that censure me for trying to prohibit the teaching in our school houses a religion which our government liberal SA as it to la in religious religions freedom has to restrict are welcome to do so as aa I 1 know that they are weak minded persons who will see the folly of their ways and when their Mor monistic frenzy has subsided they will become reconciled some few intelligent people are professing to believe in this doctrine the document goes on to attribute corrupt motives to those who receive the elders and speaks slurring ly of the latter it then proceeds with a criticism on the prediction of the prophet joseph smith foretelling the war of the rebellion in which an attempt remarkable for its feebleness to is made to discredit that revelation and concludes with a general denunciation of mormonism hism as a religion that should be kept out of our school houses taken as a whole mr hughess communication is a remarkable document it purports to come from a public officer and to be addressed to his subordinates for the purpose of instructing ting them in their duties as an prescribed by law but it to is in reality a diatribe assailing a religion and as an official paper is entirely out of order and makes its author appear in a ridiculous light but it if its purpose was to prevent the people from turning out to hear bear the missionaries it is producing an effect exactly opposite that for which it was designed for elders hayes and petty say we have been laboring in the county since january first and are meeting with grand success converting many and making hosts of friends the action of the county school superintendent has caused a great stir among the people and while hile the school houses are closed against us the people have opened their houses and we are holding family meetings the prospects for a greater work in the future look favorable we are enjoying good health and the spirit of our labors the indignation the action of mr hughes has created on the part of some of the people and the curiosity it has aroused in others will on strictly natural principles give the elders access to a larger number of auditors than they could easily have reached but for the unwitting and unintended cooperation of that official thus do the enemies of the truth overreach themselves |
