| Show persecution AND misrepresentation A GREAT deal Ls is being said enst ast now by the press of the country about the elders engaged lir in missionary work in the southern states more mor e especially io in georgala and south Carn carolina caralina lina the way in the facts in relation to their doings are distorted is but a repetition of the ordin ordinary apy treatment received by latter day saints faints peacefully I 1 Y en engaged aged in the performance of what they understand to be their divinely enjoined duty na one of the most palpably absurd charges in relation to the persecution of the riders eiders is the late statement that elder joseph thorup was the agg assessor resor in the use of violence it has been telegraphed broadcast over the country that he surrounded by converts made an assault upon a methodist preacher A straightforward stai statement ement of the whole affair obtained from the elder himself who has since returned home appeared in the news of saturday brother Tji thorup who vrho was at the timed time of the trouble afflicted with aith a fever was the victim ot of maltreatment and vindictiveness throughout as is universally the case in affairs of this character A letter in this issue from elder spencer gives some particulars ot of similar events in georgia geoegia which have through the press of the country cou atry been subjected to tho the same process of misrepresentation hobt of the journals our nals which treat upon such occurrences appear to be careful to thrust before the public an unmitigated felse falsehood hood they keep on r reiterating the conspicuous untruth that ohp elders direct their principal efforts io ward the conversion of women li it is unnecessary to state the effect ot such assertions upon the popular mind and they are evidently made fox for the purpose of creating it the proclamation of the gospel carried bythe by the elders is con confined tined to no DO sex age or nation it is to all people in every part of the habitable globe without distinction tio they are simply engaged in preaching the gospel of preparation as a witness to all the world before the advent of the redeemer they give the strongest evidence of sin centy ty inand in and devot devotion iop totham labor that can be given by mortals they take their bivs in their hands bands suffer contumely buffeting slander and vivid cation of the vilest sort without hope of earthly reward for their self denial in the of the abuse to which they areef are often ten subjected the elders are not only sustained by the spirit OX of callings but also by the success of their labors persecution raises up tor for them friends and not infrequently causes converts to flock around them this appears to bave bees been the case ot of late both in georgia and aud so south uth Cg carolina rolina while many man journals our nals do not openly applaud the application ot 01 mot mob it vio lenco to the bl armon mission anta num berst of if them app apac ar to be only to ready to wink at it and apologize tor jor all those who ano resort to it the chicago times appears to be an exception lathis regard in commenting menti fig upon recent events in south carolina and georgia that paper condemns the conduct ot the moto crat and offers a novel suggestion stion to take the place of violence against the el tiers it facetiously suggests that the chicago denominational pi preachers eachers summer holiday excursion to to the south and lift up their voices in an effort to convert the people no mormon elders would be found raising a protest against tile the practical tica carrying out of such a suggestion it is mum much more pleasant in every way lor for tamm tOeD to engage gage in polemic warfare than that kind of contest in guns and clubs are used with the weapons wielded exclusively by one side in the of sti buggle they nave have a lair showard sho show waud and invariably come off best especially if the bible is adhered to as tie the standard weapon wa wielded elded by the contestants but tile the times was evidently pointing a joke at preachers the of toe the great city of chicago knowing full well that a summer holiday excursion of the kind it suggests would involve too much hard work wak to be acceptable with no hope of success even if their best efforts were put forth I 1 |
