The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-09 00:00:00

NO BRIGHT SIDE.

Miss Dickinson has recently paid a visit to Utah,
and, as was to be i-xp.cted, she has lost no time in com-
municating to the Gentile world her impressions of what
I-he saw at the Mormon heaslquartio s. The fair
lecturer na.nrally took special interest in the con-
dition her own sex, and in the f echoes which
they entertain towards the institution of polygamy.
The opin on which she was led to formic not flattering
to the Mormons (remarks a leinien Contemporary).
Since the completion of the Pacific Railway they
Lave been unusually hospitable to stringers; and
knowing who Miss Dickinson was and what her
errand would probably lead to, they were particularly
anxious that she should only see the bright side of Mor-
mon life. But so far as the influence of polygamy is
concerned, there is no bright side—there could lie none.
Domestic life at the City of the Salt Lake there is and
can be none, in the sense in which it is understood
among Christian and civilised communities. Miss
Dickiniein gives us a glimpse of a Mormon household
in which the system—if t had the least good in it
—might be expected to work well. The Elder was
a rich man, who had the reputation of being the
head of a particularly happy and united family, and
who was, moreover, the owner of only two wives.
These unfortunate women did not complain of harsh-
ness. If happiness consist in good living, kind treat-
ment, and an ample supply of the world's goods, they
had no reason to be discontented with their situation
in life. But their manner and appearance indicated
an absolute joylessness of disposition ; and a conversa-
tion which Rim Dickinson had with the first wife re-
vealed the fact that she was keenly alive to the humilia-
tion of her lot. Both wives were Englishwomen ;
and the first one declared that when she married her
husband she had no idea that he was at liberty to
marry again, but he did, and thst only a year after-
wards. We wonder how many women of English
birth are in the same wretched plight. The emissaries
of Brigham Young continue to be far too active in
the Midland Counties and in the Principality of
Wales to make this thou,iht a pleasant one. It
would be well if some effective steps were taken
to put foolish young women on their guard against
the machinations of wandering apostles, elders, and
saints.

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESS.
A writer of the article entitled " French Politics," in
The Times, remarks :
Paris is beginning to breathe more freely, and we have
some hope to be rid soon of the Kinck and Tranlimann
nightmare. You must be nearly as tired as we are here of
that loathsome tragedy; I will not, therefore, dwell upon it
except to state that it has afforded a strong argument in
favour of your mode of public inquiry in criminal matters,
and against the much-boasted French principle of secret
examittation. If the examination had been truly secret,—if
the newspapers, urged on by ardent competition, had not
taken the wind., affair In their own hands, sending reporters
and hourly publishing their reports—it is most likely that
the murderer would have escaped, the crime would be still
clouded in mystery, and, what Is still worse, the names of
the victims them,elvea stained with unfounded but indelible
suspicion The united exertions of the press anti the public
have done all, from the arrest of Traybinann at 'Jaime down
to the tardy discovery of the eldest soil in that very field of
Patitin which the police had so strangely niglected and
surrendered to the mob as worthless for further inquiry
Thus far our " 11,erary " press has done good service, and
atoned in a certain measure for its criminal noveh and its old
habit of feeding exclusively on crime.

The Journal des Debate contains a leading article in
which that paper proves the immense use the press has
been in bringing to light many circumstances connected
with the Pantin murders which would otherwise have
escaped the notice of the police. The press, writes the
&hots, has acted the part of a police magistrate of
public opinion. The press has been accused of interfer.
tog with the action of the police. This is utterly false.
A similar accusation was laid to its charge on a
recent occasion, when it was said to have
meddled in military operations by sending out
special correspondents to follow the movements
of armies in the field. These special comapon-
dents were ungraciously received at head-quarters.
They were even forbidden to make reports that did not
coincide with the official despatches. However, the
correspondents were not discouraged, and on many
oii asions the publicc appreciated the service they ren-
.l. rel. During the ('r mean campaign, for instance,
remarks the Delmts, was it not the correspondence
in The Times which, by reavealing the pitiless
frankness the vices of a superanuated organisation,
contributed to save the English arniy? The hideous pic-
tures of battlefields, carefully omitted from the official