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Elder D.H. Grow, a self-styled “Mormon from Utah,” was hissed at Simpson auditorium last evening at the close of an address by Dr. Thomas C. Iliff on “Utah and the Mormons — The Menace of Mormonism.”
Grow gained the attention of the audience to announce that the statements made by the speaker would be answered by himself next Monday evening.
He would have been hissed from the stage, but Dr. Iliff, the speaker of the evening, raised his hand for silence when the hissing commenced, and after shaking hands with “The Mormon from Utah,” requested that he be heard.
Dr. Iliff had just closed an intensely entertaining address . . . when a handsome and studious appearing young man stepped to the rostrum and whispered to Rev. P.H. Bodkin, chairman of the evening. . . .
Grow . . ., apparently laboring to control his feelings, hesitated a moment. Then with earnestness he said:
“I take great pleasure in announcing to you that one week from this evening, at 108 North Spring street, the statements made from this platform this evening will be answered by your humble servant, a Mormon from Utah.”
For a second, the house was silent, and as Grow paused, hisses came from every part of the house.
“Here, here, you have deceived me,” said Rev. Mr. Bodkin, laying a hand on the shoulder of Grow. “I thought you said it was an announcement for this church.”
“It’s a trick,” called a voice from the audience .. . . several men started toward the stage, when Dr. Iliff rose hastily from his seat on the platform. . . .
“Hear him,” said Dr. Iliff. “It is only fair.”
The audience was quiet in an instant.
The address of the evening had teemed with rebukes and satire aimed at the leaders and founders of the Church [of Jesus Christ] of Latter-day Saints . . ..
Grow again faced the large audience:
“I stand here as a man of God,” he said, “and I desire to offer my humble testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet inspired by God.”
Again hisses greeted the speaker, but . . . the disturbance was stopped by Dr. Iliff, who stood and commenced to sing “America.”
A woman’s voice took up the strain, and before three bars had been spoken, the audience was on its feet singing the national anthem. . . .
From the Los Angeles Herald, March 10, 1902
TWO MEETINGS OF SOCIALISTS
Under the direction of the Socialist party, Walter Thomas Mills, A.M., principal of the International School of Social Economy, . . . Girard, Kansas, spoke yesterday afternoon before large audiences at Blanchard hall.
Dr. A.J. Stevens presented the speaker to the local socialists, prefacing his introduction with a request that the ushers pass the baskets for a little of the “recognized medium of exchange,” which the socialists hope to get along without when they come into power, but which they find absolutely necessary under present economic conditions. . . .
[At a second meeting, Mr. Mills] thought that if the present system is continued, one trust will absorb another until the is one productive trust, which will be operated by the people.
Then, he said, socialism will be reached.
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The Rev. Thomas C. Iliff
(From Golden Methodist Episcopal Church)
From the Los Angeles Herald, March 10, 1902
ELDER GROW ON MORMONISM
Replies to Dr. Iliff — Polygamous Marriages are Discussed
Elder D.H. Grow of the Mormon church . . . had his say last night at Knights of Pythias hall. . . .
Taking up one by one the statements made by Dr. Iliff, he attempted to prove their falsity by quotations from the book of Mormon and facts and figures from the history of Mormonism in Utah. . . .
“… he must admit that the boy prophet, Joseph Smith, was either the smartest of all men or a divinely inspired prophet, to be able to evolve the great system of theology and church organization that he did.”
To the assertion that the Mormon church is inimical to the government of the United States, the speaker answered: “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
He instanced the records of the Utah battery in the Philippines and the Mormon batallion in the Mexican war as showing conclusively that the faith of Brigham Young does not inculcate anything but loyal patriotism in its followers. . . .
Passing to the question of polygamy, the elder . . . relinquished the floor to Joseph E. Robinson, president of the California Mormon conference, whom he introduced as the offspring of a plural marriage.
Mr. Robinson stated that polygamous marriages are no longer sanctioned by the church and have not been since the Supreme Court declared the Edmunds-Tucker bill to be constitutional.
Those men now living with more than one wife, he said, are those Mormons who refused to give up plural relations entered into prior to the passage of the federal law in 1890.
The speaker told of his own home life and with much feeling asserted that the Mormon church enforces and teaches purity and chastity and clean living.
He pointed to figures to prove that the Gentiles [non-Mormons] of Utah are the greatest offenders in the matter of temperance and crime.
In conclusion, he prophesied that the system of polygamy will die out with the passing away of the few older men now avowing plural wives.
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