The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-06-23


From an interview with Elder Musser, pub
lished in the Philadelphia Times.
"There are no people on the face Of the
earth who live purer lives than we do. We
have no abortionists In Utah. We think
that every child that comes puts one thou.
sand dollars In our pocket. W.. had no
houses Of illtame, no bowling alleys, no
billiard saloons, no gambling dens until the
anti. Mormons came. We believe In enjoy
ing oil legitimate pleasures. We are .
great people for dancing. We opened cur
dances with prayer, and prayed before the
theater until the anti MOrmons came
among us. There are many Gentiles In our
country. at least seven per cent Of the
population Of Utah not embsscing the Nor
mon faith, and great many Of them are
gentlemen. but then there are the ms and
outs. and they make the Mormon the bone
Of contention, o, the negro was between
the North and the South The carpet-bag-
ger 10 the source Of oil the trouble. Out OF
the appointments TO places Of trust made by
ex-Presldent Grant during his incumbency,
he was obliged to remove forty.fve Of the
appointees because Of their dishonest, un-
lawful and rascally acts. The list includes
governors, acting governors, secretaries,
judges, land officers, district attorneys,
marshals, special mail agents and the like.
sour converts are taken from the hard
working, reliable class of people, mainly
farmers and mechanics. They are not
taught that 1t 10 their chief duty and high
privilege TO marry and have children. They
are taught that it is their chief duty to 30
to Utah and make living. We are not
here to advocate the practice of Dolygamy,
but to defend 1t. To attempt Its advocacy
in country where soul.de.troyipg imi-
tation and its twin sister olyandry already
prevail to a fearful extent would be work
OF supererogation. We are not, as Is alleged
against US, sensual people. II 30, we
should follow the example set US here In
Philadelphia. 1t is cheaper, 1t does not
necessitate the appearance OF children, and,
if we Lracticed 1t, then we would be ad.
mitted in the Union. Besides, that Is no
hue to raise against US, because, before we
advocated polygamy, you killed our pro-
phets and elders. Understand another
thing, polygamy ia the exception and not
The rule in Utah. Scarcely twenty-five per
cent. Of our people are polygamists in prac-
iice, but we all believe in 1t and defend 1t.
A man cannot obtain even one wife unless
he 10 worthy man, hard working and
temperate. Nor can he obtain q second
one unless his means have amplifed and he
Is able to support her. We are not adul.
terers, for plurality Of marriages Is not
adultery and no people visit more severe
condemnation upon the adultertr than we,
although, unlike fhe Genti,es, we cast re.
probation upon the man and not upon the
woman, and compel him to marry her and
treat her respectfully. Why, widower
among your people who marries again 10
merely successive polygamist, but in the
future life he becomes simultaneous one.
Look at the physiological result Of the poly
gamic intercourse. Our children are ro-
bust, healthy and beautiful. In 1853, when
the mortality among children was greater
than usual. out OF ESQ children who died in
Salt Lake City and vicinity z22 were the
offspring OF the monogamic parents and
but "A were the children OF polygamlc
parents.