The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-09-07 00:00:00

AMONG TIIX MORMONS.

A eorrespondent of TA. Field describes "A week in
Mormondom." He says :—I think it may he boneetly
conceded that the Mormons strike strangers favourably
at drat on the whole, although the hang-dog look, toe
averted glance of so many of them, is very noticeable.
Up to a orrtain point they treat strangers well, bat re-
genre guardiall their communications, and the better
clue make no secret of averring that this has been
caused by the ingratitude and misrepresentation of
literary men, especially the journalists of the United
States. Many are evidently sincere in the religious
part of their beliefs • the same would be a very rub
assertion to make of Others. They will, however, defend
polygamy when talkie( with those who discuss the
point quietly. Their ugurnents, boiled down, just
amount to this there are wore women than men in the
world; polygamy prevents neduation and proetitutioo ;
they have been oornmanded to be fruitful and multiply.
"Is not • good wife a good thing and can you have
too much of a good thing"—to the former of which we
cordially assent; while to the latter we answer, "It
is quite possible to have too much of • good thing.
however excellent In itself." They exert's, much oom-
mine:stifle for us wretched outairiers, who will in the
next world, even if married here, wander about with-
out one single mate "sealed to us.
The fact is, however, that the larger part of the
women of Sait Lake City are of a very common origin,
quite frequently musb the inferiors of the men, of ten
unable to read or write. A glimpse at them in the
etreets, at the theatre, or at the tabernacle, will settle
that polul in the mind of any good judge, and I say it
deliberately, knowing, notwithstanding, that there are
a large number of refined and intelligent Wise in the
city. It must be remembered that • Mormon will
usually, like anyone else, put his best foot forward, and
show those of his harem of whom be is mixt proud.
Furthermore, the city itself naturally aggregates to
itself the superior women, and the 0111111131 A visitor does
not usually inepeet any other part of Utah. But I have
heard of much discontent among them. I have met a
lady who had abandoned the Mormon faith, and had
married a "Gentile." She yes simply expelled from
the church. That lady assured me that hundreds would
soon follow her example when the coast warn dew for
them.
. .

--
The polygamie system —permitted, as we know, under
the Jewish dispensation—may not be of so black • hue
salt is commonly painted; but its effects on any ems
munity ado?ting it are sufficiently injurious—first,
under that system the magic influents, of borne, as we
understand it, it is nearly impossible; secondly, it
degrades the women who take part and lot in the faith
of the Saints to mere concubine', As wife No. I • lady
may be happy; but how is it when she is reduced and
superseded—a common occurrence? Furthermore, the
Mormon system has led to a vast number of so-called
marriages between near blood relations. This subject
is of too delicate a nature to be treated to any extent
here. The writer hen the proofs before hint of dozens
of such injurious and immoral alliances. There are
many cases of • man having 'sealed both mother and
daughter; uncles and nieces have married. At one
time it was common for fathers to exchange grown-up
daughters. The daughters now-a-days are said to look
upon polygamy with disfavour; and it is difficult to see
how any woman can do otherwise. The whole ten-
dency of the evil is to lower wornsn's pleat in society.
In Mormon establishments which I visited, three-parts
of the wives were virtually household servants. Young
Mormon women, attending, as they sometimes do (under
penalty of being cut off from the church), the balls and
entertainments of "Gentile.,' seem astonished at the
deference shown them. That • man should bow to
thern--should consider it a favour to be allowed to "go
for to fetch for to carry" any trifle for them—is • new
thing to them. There loan old reprobate of an English.
man there, who is famous, when in a good humour, for
imitating and burlesquing the civilities of us outer
"(Jentile." to ladies. Most of the Mormons speak of
their wives as "toy women." That such • state of
things should exist cent door, as it were, to California
and Nevada, where the most ordinary women is treated
as a "princess in her own right," is perhaps the moat
remarkable feature of all, and does not say much forth.
information of the Mormon women on current topics.
Brigham Young, awarding to a late visitor, pro.
fences not to know bow many wive,' he bas. Sistysfour
children are usually attributed to him. Salt Lake City,
which ought to be one of the healthiest in the world,
stands the lowest in the United States, not excepting
New Orleans, in a general death rate. The mortality
among children is greater then in any other city, ex-
cepting New Orleans.
Without polygiuny, the Mormon community should
be • very happy one. They are undeniably temperate
in the use of stimulant', industrious, and reasonably
prosperous. liat there is • something evidently
wanting; in a household where I was freely admitted,
where the father was • man of the world, end generally
very enlightened—the very individual, by-the-bye, who
sheltered Captain Burton when he was on the trip
which resulted in his work ''the City of the Saints"—
I observed much of that listleeeneas ("111:1001114101111
melancholy," as Kr. Mike willed it) among the ladies of
the house. My aermaintanoe, while introducing his
first wife as Mrs., always used the term "Mice" 80-asid-
e* in regard to the other indite'.