, 1869-06-25
tFrom the San Francisco Chronicle.l
AN INSIDE VIEW OF MORMONOOM.
MORMON DEFENSE OF poLYGAMY.

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Polygamy, Mormon will say: "Tho Prophe
revealed 1t, and we are commanded to do i
for the salvation of ourselves and the women
But their religion teaches them that tht
highest duty Of man is To become a father
aud the more times he repeats himself or
earth the more glory he will receive in heav
en-. Women are instructed that to become
mothers and 20 raise up children to the Lord
Is but the duty assigned them b. their
Maker. And many of the ladies are so ia
natlcal 10 their creed that they can sink or
forget all the finer feelings in their nature,
and, In this life of degredation, find com.
fort In the though. that they are serving the
Lord or following the precepts OF Him who
said unto the woman, go and sin no more" "
DO WOMEN BELIEVE IT RIGHT?
But few women, however, indorse this
doctrine of pOlygamy, and then only through
religious iervor. The balance merely sub
nit. Indeed, what else eau they do? When
the Elder in the Church, or the correspond
ent imbued with Mormonistic prejudces,
tells you they are happy. don't believe them.
Take reason first, and afterwards talk with
the women, it you can obtain an opportunity
to do SO. Ask the woman who has been a
wife for many years-who gave her first love
to the husband of her youlh-ask her if she
believes it right to have tho place she has
heretofore held in her husbands heart and
home usurped by younger, more cnticing
woman. Think you she will say that it is
right, that she is happy, when she beholds
the dream Of her girlhoOd- which, increas-
ing with her years, had become q reality
dashed to the ground, and herself left in the
position of pensioner Oh her husbands boun>
ty-a reproach to his new found love
Think you, when sitting in her now lonely
room, pondering over the loss of her fond.
est hopes, weeping bitter tears over her be-
reaVement-think you that she can forget
her outraged womanhood and say that she
is happy-that such is in obedience to Gods
law! And when she strokes the golden
curls of her little daughter, and sadly re-
fleets that the same fate awaits her when her
budding beauties shall have attracted some
lecherOuS old vampire whose loathsome pas
slcns can only be aroused by youthful
charms-think you that she is happy then,
when she reads the same sad future reserved
for her darling oftspnOg No reasonable
man can suppose it or expect it. Talk with
them and they will tell you, as they have
told others, aud they would rather that their
darling'S soul would wing its way to God
who gave it than that the loved one should
live aud suffer as they have suffered, in the
destruction of the hearts best and hottest
affections. All this, and much more, can be
learned By conversing with those in whom
tanaticism has not destroyed womauhood.
WHY MORE COMPLAINTS ARE NOT HEARD.
1t is extremely difficult for Gentiles to oh
tain interviews with Mormon ladies, or to
gain admittance to their family circle. The
reason given for this by the Mormons is very
sound and good as far as it goes. They will
tell you that men have often come among
them, and after remaining for time would
marry one OF their young ladies, and by and
by he would leave her, often after she be.
came a mother, and they would see him no
more, aud the mother and child would be
left for them to support. This is the reason
assigned for their cxclusiveness Women,
too are forbidden to talk of their plurality
system even among themselves, and they are
taught that it is the height of impiety to
rebel against this custom. One of their best
informed ladies made the following remark
regarding it: when wouan can disabuse
her mind of all former teachings, when she
can tear from her heart all love for her hus-
band and the father of her children, she
may be comparatively happy in polygamy,
and not before"
WOMEN NOT FORCED TO MARRY
The Mormons say that women do this of
their own free will, that they are not forced
to become the additional wife. Let US see
if this is true. Literally, they do not drag
them away and marry them, but their situa
lion is forced on them none the less. The
teachings of the Elders, the ceaseless per-
secutions of the Saints, from which there
is no escape, compels them to yield. Be-
sides, the great preponderance of women
renders it probable that if they do not mar,
ry man who already has one or more wives,
they must remain unwedded. The teacher,
the Elder, the Bishop, and the Prophet, all
urging woman to marry a man, with the
penalty of expulsion from the church if she
refuses, would be considered moral force in
most places elsewhere, and Genties consider
it equivalent to physical force, even in Salt
Lake City.
WOMEN FREE TO LEAVE THE CHURCH.
Such is the assertion which you hear on
every hand when you talk with the Mormons
regarding their women. They will say, "if
my vile is dissatisfied, she may 60. 1 would
not try to prevent it. Our women are the
freest on earth" Let US look into this also
In the first place the assertion is utterly
false, the refutation of it being patent to anv
who inquiries into their life. Women have
no rights, no property. Heretofore there
has been no chance for them to escape Ex-
amples are numerous where they have tried
to escape and have been brought back,
though generally the fact does not come be-
fore the public. viii call the attention Of
the Mormons themselves to one ortwo cases
which it would be very hard for them to
deny.
A WIFE's DEVOTION REWARDED WITH
TREACHERY.
of ho -