The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-29
NUMBER 4.
Polygamy Unsatisfactory.


The papers in the case of Ann Eliza
Webb Young, praying for a divorce
from Brigham Young, were personally
served upon the Prophet, on the 18th
ult. The following are the main points
in the complaint: The plaintiff AYERS
she is the wife of defendant; was mar
ried on the 9th of April, 1863; has two
children by a former marriage; has no
personal property or means of living;
for one year after marriage defendant
lived with her; since then he almost en-
tirely deserted her; defendant sent her
and the children to live on farm four
miles from Salt Lake, where she had
for an only companion, her mother;
had to do menial work, dressing coarsely
and faring badly; defendant visited her
occasionally, and never remained over
half an hour; treated her with scorn and
contempt; eXacted the earnings of the
farm; in the fall of 1872, by direction of
defendant, plaintiff took up 4 residence
in Salt Lake City, which she had been
compelled to leave from want of support
and fear of violence from defendant; has
called upon defendant frequently for
maintenance, but has been refused.
She is in feeble health and under medi-
cal treatment, and has been obliged to
sell her furniture to meet current eX-
penses. She sues for q divorce on ac-
count of neglect and bad treatment, and
states that her husband has an income Of
100000 a month. She prays for law
yers' fees of 10000, of which SC, 900 is to
be paid down as q preliminary fee, and
the balance on the termination of the
suit, she meanwhile to receive 81, 900 a
month for support. She finally prays
S200,000 to be set aside from the defend
ants estate and paid to her as alimOny.
The reply is set down for August ;.
Judge Emerson will probably hold the
Court. Meanwhile Brigham Young is
attempting to quiet his domestic diff
culties by threats. In one of his recent
sermons" he said: 81 wish my women
to understand that what / am going to
say is for them as well as others, and
want those who are here to tell their
sisters-yes, all the women in the COM
munity. l am going to give you from
this time to the 9th of October next for
reflection, that you may determine
whether you wish to stay with yOur
husband or not, and then L am going to
set every woman at liberty, and say to
them, Now go your way And my
wives have got to do one of two things,
either round up their shoulders to endure
the afilictions of this world, and live
| their religion-that is, polygamy-oI
| they must leave; for 1 will not have
/ them about me. / will go to heaven
alone rather than to have scratching
and fighting about me. l will set all al
| liberty. What, first wife too? Yes
! liberate you all. | want to 90 some.
where or do something to get rid of th,
whiners.n Upon which the Chicago
! Post makes the following Indignant
I comment:
''To the thousands of miserable Nor
mon women whose youth has beer
passed in the seraglios Of the saints, ant
/ who are now faded, worn and spiritless
encountered with children, destitute
and without employment or prospect o
/ honorable marriage, this is very mucl
as if he had said: There is the lake; i
you are dissatisfied with your life in the
| harem, quit it. Go drown 1t is evi.
dent that Young has resigned all
thoughts of maintaining pOlygamy, and
when il finally has to be abandoned
will get rid of it as indicated, simply by
turning the plural wives out of doors.
No laws, il is obvious, need be aimed al
polygamy ITSELF 1t is now entirely
dead. But this wrong against the vic
Tins of the system which, in view of its
destruction, is being planned by the
Mormon leaders, should be prevented.
The least compensation that they should
be forced to make to these women is the
payment of precisely such sums rs, in
case of divorce for adultery OF the hus-
band, the courts would order paid to the
wife. An act of Congress should be
passed authorizing Judgment therefor
on suit of any Mormon wife, and the
judgment should be lien not only on
the property of the husband, but of
Brigham, who, as the church personi-
fled, has amassed millions from his tith-
ings, no small share of which were the
fruits of the labOrs of these wOmen.n