The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1858-08-12

rance on any point, no HatteF now UNi-
al, before his subjects. Among educa-
ted men of mind and mark, stripped Of
the glitter with which his position of
prophet and priest surround him among
his deludcd followers, he would sink to
the level of quite an ordinary man. El
der Taylor, of New York, formerly edi-
tor of the Mormon, is far his superior in
personal appearance, and in intellect.
EVILS OF PoLYGAMy.
I am quite satisfied that all we have
heard of female misery and degradation
as the result of Polygamy, is true. | do
not mean to say that every wife who
shares her lords affections with lslfa-
dozen others, lives a life of conscious
misery-but that the general tendency of
the system is to make woman an inferior
being, deprive her of the courtesies ac-
corded to the gentle sex under more for
tunate circumstances, and to make her
a soulless vassel instead of the refining
element and pleasing ornament in the
social circle, diffusing cheerful radi-
ance and genial warmth. How can il be
otherwise when her natural affections are
constantly stified, crushed or outraged,
and she finds herself one of several SER
wants rather than the companion and help
mate of man ? | have conversed with
quite number of the bretheren here at
Provo upon this subject They talk
about it with the utmost coolness, chal-
lenge us to present scripture proofs
against the propriety of Polygamy, and
argue its advantages with enthusiasm,
claiming it to be a religious duty to raise
up children to the Lord, and enforcing
this duty in their public discussions and
sermons in language which would dis
grace brothel. | do not believe that
they are all insincere in this. That many
of them are | must believe, so long as
know them to be men of strong sense in
regard to other matters but the masses
of the people whom | have met rather
seem to me to have been willingly blind
ed-to have schooled themselves into the
belief thatthey are performing religious
duty in carrying out the disgusting sys-
tenn of Polygamy.
The same remark will apply to this
people III many other points. As a class
they are Industrious, they pay their debts,
seem honest, brotherly, and full of reli-
gious faith and ZEAL Upon one of these
points we have, just at this time, str-
king illustration here. Mr. Fl. Med.
McElrath, member of New York dry
goods house. arrived here about a month
ago, to see whether he could possibly
collect debt Of nearly forty thousand
dollars, due by a Mormon citizen of Salt
Lake, who failed some time since. Al
ready he has arranged satisfactorily for
the settlement Of the entire debt for the
full amount. There is no question that
there is peace and good order among the
people themselves, SO long as their
Church is not offended, nor the ire of
their prophets excited by some act of re-
sistance TO their will. The good order
which reigns is the good order of despot-
ism; !; an Ecclesiastical despotism, more
thorough in its hold upon this people
than any which France or Russia ever
saw-because its hooks fasten in the con
science of its victims, while the evil
dences are only too decided that these
influences are enforced, when necessary,
by violence, blood, or oppression.
To return to the subject of polygamy,
i find il is admitted that there is a
great deal of contention among the plu-
rality wives. Mr.. Candland, the keeper of
the Globe Restaurant, mt which | board
rejoces in four wives. His testimony is
that OF many others, who are strong in the
faith. They say that the husband of
many wives must be very crcumspeet,
taking care that he shows no preference
for one over the other, else there is the
Old Harry to pay. They argue with
much earnestness that Polygamy checks
sensuality, and that the children of
polygamous community are greater in
number and healthier than among monog-
amists. 1t was not true of Mohammed
and his disciples, is not true of the
Turks,-and is clearly false so far as this
people is concerned, as the notorious facts
clearly show. In speaking of their do
mestic economy the Polvgamists here
say that each wife is left TO magnify Ler
office By display of the virtues of pa
tienee, meakness and economy. Each
in turn is made the stewardess of the
household for given time, and thus each