The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1873-05-22
A STARTLING PROPOSITION.

STA6IxlN0 16Vx VO4AAVN'
The preponderance Of the fair sex in Mas
sachusetts has Of late years been gradually In
creasing, while the women. themselves, are De-
coming alarmed. The idea of enforced celo-
acy is 50 repuguant to their feelings that they
are casting about in hope of discovering some
remedy for the evil; aud, as last resort, con-
clude that polygamy, while it may be curse
elsewhere, would prove blessing to the forlorn
spinsters of the old Bay State.
The female operatives in the Lowell factories
have taken the initiatory steps to bring this
matter before the Massachusetts, Legislature at
it's next session, and petitions are being clrcu'
lated and extensively signed by them. praying
for the passage of al act permitting plural mar
riages They state that the law which now
governs society," practically. enjoins on all women
to marry, but that the census shows it is i'm.
possible for them to do so, on account OF the
excess of women in that State: and that many
of the men are idle, vicious, incompetent, and
otherwise unfit to be the heads Of households"
to one wife is only a matter Of prejudice and
custom, regardless of justice. and is unauthor-
ICED by the great Book which lies at the foun-
dation Of all law. That nowhere in the Bible
can there be found an injunction against plu-
rality of wives, while many examples are found
therein recorded in support Of such doctrine
They desire that law should be so framed as
to permit the marriage of a man to more than
one wife, in cases where the first wife makes
no objection. and where it is evident that the
man is able to support such additional burden.
They believe that the practical effect of the
passage of such law will be to do away with
much of the social evil that now afilicts and
distresses all communities and announce that
they are perfectly willing to be the first to en-
gage in the great work of reform.
This is certainly novel proposition, bu. re-
versing the rule. as all rules should work both
ways, suppose the excess us to the matter OF
sex was the other way-that the males pre-
ponderated largely over the number OF females
then. on the same theory. woman should
be entitled to have two or three husbands. Ii
not, then large number of forlorn masculines
would be debarred the pleasures of matrimony,
and their condition would be as painful and
as that of the anxious spinsters Of
Massachusetts who, bewailing their life of en-
forced celibaoy, now advocate the adoption of
polygamy, in the hope of bettering their condi.
lion. But. seriously, the condition OF these
women is pittul; and their willingness to ac-
cept even polygamy as n relief evidences the
cherries and hopeless life they are living in
their native State. Ii some OF those humbug
religious societies that annually collect thou
sands and tens of thousands of dollars for the
purpose Of sending bibles and clothes to the
heather OF the Fee Jee and South Sea Islands,
should direct their efforts toward lettering the
condition Of the unfortunate females in their
midst. they would then be engaged in com.
nendable work, and be casting their bread upon
he proper waters. Millionaire pAilanthrops,s |
IT the East, by organizing woman's aid i'm.
migration society, through which the surplus
emale population Of the Eastern States could |
ind comfortable homes, and husbands, in the |
Western States and Territories, would be en-. |
jagged in n wholesale work Of charity that
would rebound to their everlasting credit. and
o the benefit of the country