Mormon Bishop in California

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 129, 21 November 1885, Page 6

Mormon Bishop in California

The Mormon Church has its eye on Cali fornia. At least, H.B. C'a-vson, one of the thirty-one I ishops wh » preside over the Mormon ward- in Salt Lake City, ia so much taken with the advantages of this State that he is a confessed advocate of the migra'ion thifcher of the Utah followers ot Bnghani Young's faith. Mr Clawt-on— he drops the title of bishop in his every day intercourse abroad —said that the idea had occurred to him as he was coming here through his State. His purpose in coming, he stated, was to attend to personal busi ness. The removal of the Mormons to iome pi cc where th y would be more leniently treated than in Utah has however, been eeriouely entertained for come time by the dignitaries in the Mormon Church. Mr Clawson said thab Mexico was one of the spots looked favourably upon, The bishop being a» authority in 'he Church, and having as a matter of course inside knowledge of any contem plated movements on the part of the Mormons, his .statements, suggestions and hints were accepted by his hearer as representing <he opinions that the Mormon ruler** enter tain The information that he gave as to what was intended so far as California is concerned, followed his warm utterances -tgainsfc what he called the persecution to which adhe ents of the Moitnon cieed are now Rubject by the Federal officials in Utah. He condemned the policy now being p'irj»ued there to stamp out polygamy as a mistaken one. " Politicians ought to see," he said, " that the time has come when a different course should be pursued. California ought tD extend a helping hand to us and invite us to come and locate here. It would be a trood thing for this State What it needs is new colonies of industrious, peaceable settlers. California should invite us to come here." 14 But why ea» you not come without an invitation ?" " And be subjected to the came treatment as we're receiving now ? No ; that would not do. W hat we are looking for is to come with a promise that we wiil be dealt with fairly. We don't want to be liable after removing here to be hounded, pursued, and arrested after removing to California " How is the invitation to be extended?" •• By the Legislature or the people in some way. We will have more right in the State than a Territory, as you are aware, and the migration of 150,000 intelligent, well-be-haved people as the Mormons would go very far towards building up California." The feeling between the Gentiles and the Mormons, he stated, has been much intensified by recent occurrences in Utah. They never mingled together to any extent or had many interests in common, but now they are'at sword's point. Regarding the placing of the national flags at half-mast on the Fourth of July, he declared — "No insult was intended to the flag. I say that positively, because I am in a posi tion to know. Neither was the Church responsible for the lowering of the flngs. The flag was raided on the theatre in Salt Lake which I own, but the man in charge ! afterwards lowered it without my knowledge. When I heard of it C ordered it raii-ed at once Still, that signifies nothing, as the theatre theie ia regarded as neu ral ground, where none of the bitterness and difference that exist, in the- Territory is given expres.-ion. The reason of the half-ma-ting was that we felt we had nothing to rejoice over. We folt we had oauae lor sorrow instead."

Mr Clavpaon went on, with an occasional burst of indignation, to demonstrate that by making the Edmunds law apply to Mornuong, who . already have Hevoral families, and compelling them to forswear all but the first wife and her children, -..the, Government, instead of winning the rising generation from Mot monism, is iucrea'rdng their hatred for the o entiles. % *lf' the system is wrong/ he eaid, " it will die out by itself. If it is not wrong, laws like that Cdnnot wipe it out " Mr Clawpon is now nnder indicttrfent < in t Salt Lake City for polygamy, and says that when he ig tried in • ctober he' will not fight the charge President Taylor and exDelegate Cannon are also to be 'indicted when enough evidence against them is obtained. "The idea," exclaimed Mr Claw»on, "of arresting and pronecuinga man 80 years old, as Taylor is, for polygamy !" Bishop Clawpon whs one of the earliest Moimons, having settled in Salt Lake City

"So the Missis is to be married, eh?" said the gardener to tha conk. 'Yes ; and in illijjant Btoyle, too. She's goin' for tei have a dhress thray yarrudd long, and. four pali-pearera ter kerry it." * 4 Lenny, you're a pie 1 ," paid a farmer t'd his son, who was five years old. '• do you know what a pij; is, ?' "Yep, 'arher," answered. Lenny, " A wit; is a hog's little boy." *