Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-18
MORMON WOMEN.
What They are Under the
POIygamic Principle.

From The Chic1go Times, OF Monday.l
Every stranger meets with the sam 3
open mouthed reception and, II in-
| clined, can lead RstrRy nearly every
Mormon woman in the community.
It Is well known and conceded that,
from church, the thester, or the
public streets, almost any OF them
/ will accompany a man whittier ne
Wills. And only the fear Of q terrible
punishment in case of discovery pre-
vents this city from being the abode OF
the most liberal communion as to the
sexes. The inclination among the Wo-
men is certainly not wanting. THESE
! lustful practices among Mormon women
and Gentiles are already quite common !;
and, with the influx Of the rOughs aud
| degraded characters who have mad the
! ephemerai towns along the line Of the
/ Union Pacific Railroad for stamping
j ground, we may expect that not only
| serious consequences viii how, as threat
| ened, to them, but that they, in turn,
/ will do much for the overthrow OF Mor-
| mon institutions.
! 1t is not even pretended that nature
| sanctions pOlygsPuy, nor thst their
sacred book OF prophecy ineuicates III
out, because they are not expressly COM
manded 20 take one wife only, they con
slder themselves justified II taxing q
acore. Bat this practice OF polyg amy is
by no means universal among them.
Sumo there are who have had tie cOUr-
age to cry out against it. And is Ia IA
very different institution from what l
had supposed it 70 be. The wives are
not placed upon the same equality; the
same rights are not granted 90 all alike;
nor does the same respect attach 70 every
~ al Al val
the same rights ss wives IN other COM
munities. 5he is introduced to strangers
as the G0i}e, and, alone with her husband
and children, occupies her position at
the table; and il every way Is shs looked
upon As the superior 70 those who would
usurp her position.
Rere, in the very midst OF Mormon
ism, this fact is forced upon the mind CT
every careful ohseryer-tne veIie5E ur-
chin upon the street prcclaims il, and
those who indulge ia its practices con-
cede it-thst pOlygamy ls but licensed
prostitution.
The subsequent wives, who are &C.
CURED by the sealing process, are in No
sense looked upon as wives, but only So
mistressss, kept to satisfy lust.
The children Of ths first marriage are
the lawful issue the children Of the SUBJ
sequent marriages are viewed as b2st2rds.
These things, reiyerste, are evident
here, and my information on the sub
ject was g,eaned from Mormons them
selves.
A stigma attaches to the second, third,
fourth, fifth, and all subsequent wives,
as well as to their children.
Nor do tie wives as a general rule
and especially when they arc numerous
all occupy the same dwelling. Ihey
have different apartments, separate anu
apart from the uiain hCu2s. These habi-
tations are the long, low buildings which
are seen at fiequeut Intervals upon the
streets, sometimes containing dozen
tenements. This Is q wise provision fer
it is Whispered that these Mormon
women are very Ike some other dear
creatures whom we know, VINO have
fingsrs With nails upon them, and mus
cIes, and, upon occasion found, dare to
use them.
Again l say that the separation is
hAneticial, ana tends greatly TO the good
order II society. Think Of forty women,
with forty wills Of their own, occupying
the same house, snd oGly 0Ae man 10
preserve the proper balance betWeen tue
opposing elements