| Show RELIGIOUS persecution from a special to the new orleans times democrat of aug 1 it seems that the yazoo county Miss people have prevented mormon elders from holding a conference near mechanicsburg Mechanics burg threatening bloodshed if the conference were held elder ben rich gives to the correspondent of the times demo dema crat a graphic description of the proceedings ce of the people he says in part As we were riding out through the country to mechanicsburg Mechanics burg I 1 noticed men all along the road some of them having guns and was told by the driver that they intended to break up ormon conference and had been gathering thir forces for two or three days I 1 asked him who were the men engaged and he mentioned mr a baptist minister and two or three deacons of that church As we ne need neared ed the place appointed for our conference I 1 suppose there must have been men with shotguns and rifles T asked them to step out of the road and let me pass which they did but when I 1 passed through their thedr ranks and reached one of the houses where a but in doing so I 1 desired it distinctly understood that I 1 regarded the mob as a set of cowards who were unwilling to allow to others the religious liberty which they themselves enjoyed 1 I 1 told the moto mob that a great many federal officials had come from that county to utah and with whom I 1 had a personal acquaintance naming ying hon prank frank dyer united states marshal appointed under grover cleveland E W exum chief deputy under two united states marshals and judge A G norrell all of these had come from yazoo bounty and I 1 felt confident that if their former respected fellow citi zens sens were present they would the die in their tracks before they would see us ua run out of df the county in such an unlawful manner but it was a lawless crowd who refused to listen to reason and we finally consented to leave with the distinct understanding that two of our elders who were sick should be left behind and be protected we ahn ply bowed in submission to ito brute force for such it was we have come here to the capital of the state abate to continue our conference there are thirty three of our elders who came with me from utah and idaho and we have the names of thirty or forty of the mob whether we shall institute proceedings will be determined in the future all we want la Is the right due to an american citizen under the constitution of this country the good people of mississippi should be as anxious to give that tha t even to a mormon as they are willing to send their sons to fight for the same principle with the cubans the religious press of the country should it ft seems to us feel called upon to enter a vigorous protest pra test in their own interest against the ministers and deacons directs directing ig armed mob against peaceful minds of the gospel it Is well known f the spiritual and intellectual of many denominational st stan bearers are inadequate even W strengthened by slander and c perversions of truth but powder lead can impossibly be considered m of any theological system churches need to be reminded of ringing declaration once made kia meeting of the evangelical adlla all that though the victims of Per persecute perse cut sometimes have been wrong the pel tutors always axe are wrong fiu but i they protest or will they rather cho by silence to give sanction to brutal lawlessness that so often 1 put a martyr crown upon the bro brow latter day saints |
