tions will cease, and our joy will be eternal. Life here is but brief, and our suffering of short duration. Sisters, let no obstacle of a personal nature be sufficient to keep any of you away from your meetings. You will gain a blessing if you go with one in your heart for others. She that would be greatest let her be servant of all. The following song, composed by Sister Lilly T. Freeze, of the 11th Ward, Salt Lake City, was sung at the last, the sixty-sixth, anniversary of the founding of the Relief Society in the Church, and I take pleasure in recommending it to the societies in the European Mission. It can be sung to the tune "My Maryland": We're organized throughout the land For charity, sweet charity; The prophet of the latter-days, Inspired by truth's enlight'ning rays, Oh! come and join our worthy cause, For charity, sweet charity; And help fulfill our Father's laws, For charity, sweet charity; Soul hunger they may never know, With charity, sweet charity. The poor need more than poet's rhymes They need our pennies many times For charity, sweet charity; So freely give with loving hand, The widow and the fatherless Our charity, sweet charity. The members of each branch or ward They're striving hard to serve the Lord, In charity, sweet charity. So let us sing a joyful song, And help the glorious cause along, And write our names among the throng ROMANIA B. PENROSE. THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MILLENNIAL STAR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1908. ANTI-"MORMON" INTOLERANCE. THE spirit of intolerance which was rampant in mediæval times is still existent and active, although this is the twentieth century of the Christian era. It springs chiefly from ignorance, but is fostered by bigotry and inspired by malevolence. In Christendom it is directed mostly against that which is called "Mormonism." Modern methods are an improvement upon those of the middle ages, so we do not hear of the employment of the rack or the thumb-screw, the fagot-fire or the dungeon as means of vengeance or compulsion, but the same bitterness of spirit is in evidence in the measures adopted against the Latter-day Saints, commonly called "Mormons," as in those against the former-day saints and others who were denounced as heretics. These remarks are prompted by recent occurrences in Ireland. On September 2nd, 1908, arrangements were commenced for the semi-annual conference of the Latter-day Saints in Belfast. For some years past those gatherings were held in the Whitehall Assembly Rooms, but the neighborhood was not satisfactory to people of the more cultured classes in that town, so efforts were made to obtain finer quarters. President T. J. Bennett of the Irish conference had succeeded in securing a neat hall of rather small dimensions for the regular services of the Belfast branch in Donegal Street Chambers, and this had proved very beneficial. He went, therefore, to the Corporation authorities in the famous Town Hall, and engaged the Ulster Minor Hall for "religious services" at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., September 27th. A deposit was paid and very large posters were printed and placed on boards in front of the hall, announcing the services and inviting the public to come and hear what "Mormonism" is. Circulars to the same effect were printed and sent around town by thousands. Many business people promised to attend. The final payment, amounting in the aggregate to £3 10s., was made September 25th, and the Town Clerk's receipt was given. Meanwhile the elders, eighteen in number, and the saints from all parts of the Irish conference, were requested to attend, and for the President of the European mission and Sister Romania B. Penrose from Liverpool to be present. It was expected to be a more than ordinarily interesting occasion, and hopes were high for a large attendance and much good both to members and investigators. But there was an influence at work which was not exhibited openly until 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 26th, when the annexed notice was served upon President T. J. Bennett: 66 With reference to your taking of the Ulster Minor Hall for the purpose of relig ious services, I have subsequently ascertained that the subject of the meetings is to be 'Mormonism,' and I am directed by the Sub-Improvement Committee in charge of the hall to intimate to you that such a subject is not one for which they can let the hall, and as they are of opinion that if the services in question are held they are likely to lead to a breach of the peace and general disturbance, they are compelled to cancel the agreement for the letting, and return you the money paid by way of rent-£3 10s.-which I have herewith enclosed. Please acknowledge receipt or return the ones given to you.-Signed, Sir Samuel Black, Town Clerk.” The money thus returned was refused, and visits were made to the Town Hall to find the persons responsible for this amazing breach of contract and of common equity. But neither the Town Clerk nor his deputy could be found, as it was Saturday afternoon, and no one would give information as to the home addresses of these functionaries. Then the Ulster Hall was visited, where the organ the brethren had taken there was locked up, and the big posters were defaced by printed notices signed by the Town Clerk, that there would be no meetings held there on Sunday as announced. The caretaker said he had been told not to admit anyone, but he would not say who told him or where the officials lived. A member of the sub-committee was found at his place of business, who was also dumb as to the addresses of the Town Clerk and his deputy, but he argued that somebody having appeared that morning before the committee and given testimony that a breach of the peace would probably be provoked by holding the proposed meetings, the course to be taken was that pursued. The locality of Sir Samuel Black's residence having been traced, a messenger was sent on a cycle, in a pouring rain, to go out of town three miles and hunt it out and serve personally on that gentleman the following notice: "I have this day (Saturday), at 1 p.m., received a notice that I am not to have the use of the hall contracted for on September 3rd, and for which I hold the treasurer's receipt as rent paid for Sunday services, September 27th, at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The notice came too late to be of any legal value or of service to me and the society which I represent. Our notices have been printed and posted at the Ulster Hall for two weeks. Friends and speakers have come in from distant places. The arrangements cannot be changed. There is no ground for the notion that mention of 'Mormonism' will cause a breach of the peace, but if it is desirable that it should not be named at the meetings it can be entirely omitted. We demand the right to hold religious services at the place and times named, and will hold legally and financially responsible those who hinder the fulfillment of your contract.-T. J. Bennett." The Town Clerk, an old gentleman, who, it appears, takes no other active part in town affairs beyond drawing a considerable salary, declared he knew nothing about the matter, but it was up to his deputy or the committee. But as his name was signed to all the papers in reference to the affair, he was informed that he would be held responsible. The messenger was Elder Victor 0. Jackson and he returned and informed the Priesthood meeting then being held of the result of his excursion. This was not the end of the movement for intolerance, for the elders from Portadown came in charged with a similar inhibition from the Town Clerk there, against the holding of a meeting contracted and paid for, in the Town Hall, to be held on Monday evening, September 28th, at 8 p.m., at which President Charles W. Penrose would explain what "Mormonism" is. The same influence had been used in Portadown as in Belfast. The clerk offered to return the money but it was refused. He finally told the elders if they chose to take the risk the meeting could go on, but on the first sign of a disturbance from anybody, the police would be instructed to clear the hall of everybody and turn out the lights. It was decided that President Bennett should go over there on Monday with the two elders laboring there and determine upon the best course to pursue. The conference meetings were held on Sunday in the small hall in Donegal Street, a report of which will be found on other pages of the STAR. In the afternoon several elders went to the Ulster Minor Hall and personally explained, outside, to numerous respectable persons the reason why the hall was closed against us. Fully three hundred were there during a half an hour from 3 p.m. The general sentiment was strongly unfavorable to the corporation, and much sympathy was expressed for the people so unfairly treated. The facts in the case were detailed to the chief reporter of the News-Letter by Presidents Penrose and Bennett late Sunday night, and their statements appeared Monday morning prominently in that paper. Also on Monday evening a letter from them appeared in the Evening Telegraph with a portrait of Brother Penrose. The visit of President Bennett with elders to Portadown, resulted in the conclusion not to attempt to hold the meeting there, as it was evident that a plan to disturb it would probably be set on foot, and result in a failure of the meeting if not in damage to the hall, for which we would be held responsible. A deposit of £50 was demanded to be forfeited on the least disturbance at the hall, "either before or after the hour set for the meeting." But the fairminded people there were highly indignant at the intolerance displayed in barring us out, and expressed their sympathy and support of our cause. On Tuesday morning Elders Penrose and Bennett presented themselves before the full Improvement Committee at the Town Hall and were received with marked respect. The gentlemen present were about twenty-five in number, and appeared to be business men, intelligent and capable. Elder Penrose stated the case of the Latter-day Saints, in a concise but explicit address, showing that the contract for the holding of "religious services" by them was in good faith, as those services consisted of the singing of hymns, prayer to God in the name of Jesus Christ, the preaching of the gospel as it is found in the New Testament, and this was "Mormonism." In evidence of this, he produced a copy of the hymn leaflet prepared for the occasion, and a card with the Articles of Faith. That point established, he went on to show the payment of money for the hall, which was duly receipted by the Town Cashier, and the posting of placards announcing the meetings in front of the hall fully two weeks previous to the date of meeting. He testified that meetings of the kind proposed had been held every six months in another place without the slightest disturbance. He protested against the cancellation of the contract at one o'clock on Saturday, too late to make other arrangements or enter any remonstrance, or place our side of the matter before the authorities, none of whom could be found. He explained that if objection had been made at the time of application, or when the posters were placed in front of the hall, no complaint would have been entered, but elders had been summoned from different parts of the Island, and he had come over from Liverpool, while many persons had come to the hall only to be turned away, and while he did not desire litigation, he thought that as reasonable men the Committee would see where the fault lay, and that we were entitled to re-imbursement for the expenses entailed. When asked for an account of those expenses he produced it and the matter was taken under immediate advisement. The brethren withdrew to a private room and in a few minutes were requested to return. The chairman, in a very courteous manner, explained that the objection and the information that a disturbance was likely did not come to their notice until twelve o'clock on Saturday, and under the circumstances related, the Committee had unanimously decided to settle the bill as presented. All present treated the brethren respectfully and some of them asked for more copies of the hymns and the Articles of Faith, while one of them expressed his intention to attend our services and learn for himself what "Mormonism" is. The Belfast papers announced the settlement of the dispute and the whole matter has drawn public attention to the saints and their doctrine in a manner that is likely to lead to the spread of the principles of the everlasting gospel. Thus the Lord overrules for good that which is intended for evil, and the intolerant persons who started the opposition will find in the sequel that they have helped the cause which they desired to obstruct. The general feeling among business people, both in Belfast and in Portadown, is one of sympathy for the "Mormons" and of disaproval of the action taken to prevent that liberty of speech and of worship which |