The Mormons foster education and educational institutions. "The glory of God is intelligence," they tell us, and intelligence for women as well as for men. Women, in the Mormon estimate, occupies a very high position, both in Church and state. You are surprised? You thought her subjected to all sorts of humiliating treatment, and that polygamy held her hopelessly in subjection? Ah! why not let polygamy rest as the dead issue that it really is? Why be always dragging it out and dangling its supposed horrors in the face of every advancement! Its practice was limited to but three per cent of those who believed in it as a principle; but even though an "Angel in Heaven" should declare the truth in the matter prejudice would stop its ears and refuse to hear. Why fill our minds with the blood-curdling tales of yellow back literature, when all the riches of the master minds of bygone centuries are at our disposal? Why not show to those whom we considered deluded a manner of living that will win them to us? Let us hear no more of the divorce courts and the brothel, before we cast the first stone at our brothers. Divorce is practically unknown among the Mormons, and when we assail Salt Lake City for morals we must remember that half her population is "Gentile," and that for the last twelve years the head of her city government has been drawn from that source. In forming an impartial estimate of a people, we choose for our consideration neither the class that is designated as the upper stratum, nor those whose worldly possessions place them it the bottom, but go rather to the great middle class, those who hold a position between the two extremes. The Mormons profess to have no upper and no lower classes. They aim to meet on common ground, whatever their worldly inheritance may be. Their young men are called upon to give two or three years, and oftentimes more, of their life to the spreading of the gospel as they believe and teach it; and rich {196} and poor, they go cheerfully, away from home and friends, amid unfriendly strangers, without other recompense than the consciousness of a duty performed. These are the much talked about and much dreaded missionaries, against whose "pernicious" influences we are warned. Considering the fact that these same Elders are in many cases beardless youths, is it not strange that contact with them is so feared, and discussions looked upon as so dangerous? Surely Christianity in all the nineteen hundred years that have elapsed since its establishment, has given us sufficient knowledge with which to defend ourselves. Why then all this flurry? Are we to be forced to believe ourselves on the weaker side? But, you say they are such "smooth fellows." True, but is the smoothness to be all on one side? Let us mass our forces and meet them on even ground, and who knows whose may be the victory?