The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-12-17
The Utah Wife.

Mrs, Stenh0uSe has been lecturlng in
Denver, Col, and paper Of that city
gives the following report of what she said,
which, it seems to us, should be placed be-
fore the women of America
Mrs. Stenhouse began her lecture with a
brief sketch of the origin of the doctrine
which give rise to the poygamic evil, and
its effect upon the women in Utah and else
where. She was in Switzerland at the
time, and it was her mission to break it to
the sisters there. She felt as if she was
bringing blight upon every home, and
pointing poignard at the breast of
every woman in the land. She then de-
scribed the practical working of the system
in Utah, quoting from Brigham Young
himself to prove the deep unutterable, and
universal unhapiness caused by it. The
murmurs and tears Of the women were un-
needed. They were commanded to round
up their shoulders and bear the burden, or
expect complete and lasting divorce.
Those who complied were promised rule as
kings and queens in heaven /; those who did
not were to be damned. The terrible NAL
edictions of Young meant something. They
knew he would ruthlessly apply his doc
trines of blood atonement, if necessary and
many man and women had, for their op-
position, been buried in quiet graves,
where they would rest until the day when
they would meet their murderer, not as
judge, but as trembling culprit.
So little were women respected in Utah
that elders had said, =" We think no more
of marrying a wife than of buying COW"
But there were no wives in Utah, they were
nothing but slaves.
Mrs. Stenhouse then gave new start
ling statement of the attitude and expecta-
tion of the Mormons of the great rebellion.
They gloried in the carnage, and predicted
that the males would be killed, except a
very small remnant and that then they
would then take the Gentle women as
their spoil. They applied passage of
Scripture to that anticipated result, and
believed that seven women would lay hold
OF one man and say we eat our own bread,
ETC., only let us be called by thy name to
take away our reproach. Her picture OF
the plural wives, their lonely, comfortless,
and sometimes destitute condition, was
touching and constituted strong argument
against the infamous practice.
Brigham Young was denounced as a
stern, implacable tyrant, and his conduct
toward his wife, Harriet Cook, cited as
proof. This young, high-spirited woman
had aspired to the position of Sultana, as
having borne the Prophet the first son un
der the new system, but Young had stead
lily ignored her pretentions. Once the child
was punished by her and stigmatized as a
bastard. The sting was not intended fol
the boy, but for his father who was within
hearing. He came forward and said
"Harriet that is the last bastard you shall
ever have" And for quarter of century
she has been husbandless wife. Other
instances of similar character were narrated
The fearful practice had its female sup
porters, of whom Eliza Snow was chief
She had recently published letter pur
porting to come from country-woman, il
which the degrading vice is praised Al
beneficial to the temper and character o
woman. Mrs S. knew of one wife VIII,
went insane when her husband took anoth
er TO his home, and when he died, sooi
after, she ran out of her hovel, and will
curses and maniacal rawlings threw stone
at his coffin. The Union Pacific Railroad
came, and then Young gave woman the
suffrage, not that they might emancipat'
themselves, but because the ciphers shoulC
magnify him, the only figure recognized o
value. The horrors of the Endowment
House were then exposed, and story tolt
of Orson Pratt which, for its perfect tel
ling and the worldof woe 1t reveals, ough
to be published verbatim as tract, ano
sown broadcast over the world wherever
the disciple of polygamy seek to make con
verts.