The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-08-12
Mormon Women.

3u Mr.. BOwleS, OF the Springfield Mass. J
Republican, who accompanies Mr.. Colfax
in bis western trip, writes from Utah the
following account of the Mormon women !:
/" How do Mormon women like and bear
polygamy is the question most people ask
as to the institution. The universal testi-
mony of all but their husbands is that it is
grievous sorrow and burden: only cheer.
fully submitted to and embraced under a
religious fanaticism and self-abnegation
rare to behold and possible only to women.
They are taught to believe, and many Of
them really do believe, that through and
by it they secure higher and more gIori-
GUS reward in the future world. Lord Je-
sus has laid heavy trial upon me- said one
poor, sweet women, "but mean to bear it
for his sake, and for the glory he will grant
me in his kingdom" This is the common
wall, the common solace. Such are the
teachings of the church; and / have no
doubt both husbands and wives alike often
honestly accept this view Of the odious
practice, and seek and submit to polygamy
as really Gods holy service, calculated to
make saints of themselves and all associat-
ed with them in the future world. Still a
good deal of human nature is. visible, both
among the men in embracing polygamy and
in their wives in submitting to it.. d.iihsa
:. Mr.. Young's testimony on this point
is significant. Other signs are not wanting
in the looks and characte Of the men most
often annointed in, the holy bonds of matri-
mony, and i'll the we'll known disagreement
Of the wives in many families In some
cases they live harmoniously and lovingly
together; oftener it would seem, they have
separate parts of the same house, or even
seperate houses. The first wife is generally
the recognized head Of society, and usually
assumes contempt for the others, regarding
them as concubines, and not wives. But ii
is dreadful state of society to any one oil
fine feelings and true instincts it robs
married life Of all its sweet sentiment and
companionship ;and while it degrades wo.
man, brutalizes man, teaching him to des
pise and domineer over his wives, over all
women. 1t breeds Jealousy, distrusts, and
tempts to in6delity but the police system
Of the church and the community is SO
strict and constant that tits claimed and
belived the latterivice is very rares lss7
lnaT The effect upon the children cannot helT
being debasing, however we'll they may be
guarded and educated But is chief fail
ing, even scandal to the Mormons, that
| plentifully as they are providing children
who swarm everywhere as did the locustS
of Egypt, they have organized no free
school system: Schools are held in every
ward of the city, and probably in every
considerable village, in buildings provided
for evening religious meetings under the
direction Of the local bishops, but tuition
fee is exacted for all who attend, and the
poor are practically shut out. The anti-po
| lygamists should agitate at once and earn
estly to- reform this eyil-it is a strong
point against the dominant party and is 6
weak proofin the welfare ofthe territory. L
is point good and encouraging sign tC
learn from intelligent sources that as the
young girls, daughters Of Mormons, grow
up to womanhood, they are indisposed tc
poligamy, and seek husbands among the
Gentiles rather than among their own faith
f5a The soldiers at Camp Douglas neal
this city, are illustrating one of the ways
in which poligamy will fade away before the
popular principle. Two companies who
went home to California last fall took about
twenty five wives with them, recruited from
the Mormon focks. There are now, some
fifty or more women in the camp who have
fed thither from town for protection, oil
been seduced away from unhappy homes
and fractional husbands; and all or nearly
all find new husbands among the soldiers
Only to-day a man with three daughters
living the city, applied to Cok George
for leave to move up to the camp for q res
idence,, in order, as he said, to save his
children from poligamy, into which the
bishops and elders of the church were ur-
ging them. The camp authorities tell ma
ny like stories; also, Of sadder applica-
tions, if possible, for relief from actual pow
erty and from persecution inotown. The
) Mormons have no poorhouses and say they
have no poor, permitting none by relieving
all through work or gifts, But the. last
winter was SO long and SO severe, with wood
at thirty and forty dollars cord, that there
was much real suffering, and the soldiers
yielded to extensive demands upon the
charity that the church authorities had
neglected to fulfil or absolutely denied.H5s