Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-06-14
The Women's Anti.MOrmOn Petition
SALT LAKE CITY, June 5th, ls3a

Editor Washington Star:
Sir: In the Deseret Nescs of May Both there
appears an article, purporting 10 awe beea
copied from your paper, with reference to the
wemanis anti.state petition, which was for
wardt to Congress from this place in March
last. The article IN question contains several
mis-state ments, and impugns the veraeity of
many ladies in this city-ladies who are the
wives OF well-known citizens, who have reside
borne an unbltmished reputation. L am willing
to believe that this article was published by yOu
in ignorance Of the real facts, and therefore
ask !on, in justice to those who signed and cir
culated that petition, to give the present letter
place in your columns. The petition was for
warded to Washington by a committee consist
ing of Mrs. j. b. Kimball and Mrs. II. W. Law
city; Mrs. o. p. Miles. sister OF
one of these ladies, and for many
years member Of the Mormon church;
many years; Mrs. b. A. NJ. Froiseth, who With
her husband is well known in Washington, and
myself. do not think that any paper on the
co cont th except the Dsserst Mes, would ac.
parties 10 fraud. The article copied from
your paper states that ''since the publication of
the petition with the names appended thereto,
the Salt Lake papers are teeming with afi-
dayits and denials of ever having signed any
such document" Now the facts in the ease are
simply these: The Mormon teachers who are
appointed to supervise the private affairs OF the
inhabitants of each ward, visited every Mormon
woman whose signature was found attached 70
the petition, and informed her that she must
choose between withdra wing her name and
pelpg cut of from the church, and some eioM or
ten women to whom ex- accommodation would
bring serious consequences, were induced Ito
sign sign ,,p previously prepared card stating
petition without understanding its contents.
The great majority, however, stood firm, and
as the reward for their frmness, were publicly
buffetings of Satan for tho Isand years." The
next mis-statement which 1 wish to correct is
that So large number Of the signers were chill
dIen between the ages OF eight and fourteen"
in the circumstance that in one solitary Instance
where the petition was signed by a mother and
all her daughters, three of the daughters were
between the ages of ten and sixteen but in this
case the petition was read in full to the assem-
bled family, and the names OF the girls ap-
pended at their own and their mothers request,
the mother saying. % The youngest OF my chill
dren is old enough to understand at least that
part OF the petition which relates to polygamy,
and wish all my daughters to unite with me
In protesting against system which has brought
so much misery upon the women OF this terri
tory" The statement made by you that "the
Salt Lake papers contain denials, ETC." should be
amended TO read =" The Dessret Netys," as that
is the only paper in the city which has published
cards from individuals who have been induced
TO reeant That sheet also published at the
same time various charges of fraud, which we re
imme diately and abundantly ret ted in the Salt
Lake Tribune As further refutation OF these
charges, may mention tina. since they were
made more than twenty ladies, belongin to the
me st respectable families in S alt Lake, who had
not previously signed the petition, have pub
hshed card in the Tribune fully endorsing the
said petition and its object. This card, with the
accompanying signatures, has been forwarded
10 Washington. The first persons to sign it wer,,
Mrs. Orson Pratt, ST., and Mrs. Fanny Stem
house-ladies who are certainly as capable as
any one i'll Utah of giving testimony with regard
TO the facts stated in the petition.
very respectfully, MRS. A. G.. PADDOCK,
Salt Lake, u. Il,