Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-11-13
MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.
A REMARKABLE ADDRESS FROM THE UTAH
WOMEN. ~. S#

women of the u. s.: 1t is more than
80 years since polygamy was planted
on the shores of the great Salt Lake.
During these years congress has utterly
| failed to enact efficient or to enforce
existing laws for the abolition of this
great crime, and we believe that more
of these unlawful and unhallOwed al
| liances have been contaminated the
past wear than ever before III the his
! tory of the Mormon church. EndOW-
ment houses, under the name of tenn
pies are being erected in different parts
of the territory, costing millions. 1t is
impossible to ascertain the exact num-
Der of polygamOus marriages, tor they
are consecrated IN these endowment
houses, an institution no gentle IS per-
mitted to enter, where brotherhood and
sisterhood are sealed and bound by
oaths so strong that even apostates Will
not reveal them, and to mention which
witnesses on the witness stand unblush-
inglv perjure themselves, and on jury
violate all considerations of oath and
duty. Considering all our sur
roundings, polygamy has never
taken such a degrading and debaslng
|
pie above the conditions of barbarians
as in Utah. 1t is degrading to man and
woman. a curse to children and de-
structive to the sacred relations OF fam
| ilv upon which the civilization of ma
tons depends. and there are things that
! cannot be repeated or printed that re-
duces the system to the lowest form of
| indecencv. That it should be practlced
! in the name and under the cloak of re-
ligion: that an apostle polygamist WITH
four acknowledged wives is permitted
to sit in congress-only adds to the
enormitv of the crime and makes II
more revolving to our common christian
| principles. Our legislature is composed
almost entirely of polygamists and
members of the mormon PRIESTHOOD
and they have thrown around polygamy
every possible safe guard III their
power, and right of dover has been
abolished to break down the distraction
between lawful wife and concublne.
The Mormons are rapidly extending
their settlements into Arizona, Idaho,
New Mexico and Wyoming. They have
the balance Of power in two territories
and are without doubt plotting for it IN
others. We call upon Christian women
of the United States to join us IN urg-
ing congress to empower Its courts to
arrest the further progress of this evil
and to delay the admittance of Utah
into the stateshood until this is accomp-
lished: and we ask you to circulate and
publish our appeal in order to arouse
public sentiment which should be
against an institution that peculiarly
Expresses and stigmatises women. 1t
is our purpose to ask names to a ,pet1-
ton designed for congress, and we hope
also that every minister Of the gospel
will commend it to the women of his
congregation, and that all Christian as
sociations will do what they can to OBJ
tain signatures. With the cordial
co-operation and concerted action of
the Christian women Of our land we
may confidently hope that the great sin
of polygamy may be abolished.
A. T. STEWARDS GRAVE BoBBED.
A New York dispatch Of November
9TH says: The police head
quarters was informed, to-day, that the
body of A. T. Stewart was stolen from
the family vault Of St. Marks Church,
early this morning; the casket was
broken open. Inspector Dilks, when
informed of the robbery, at once sent
out the following general order to all
the precincts:
The remains of 4. I. Stewart were
last night stolen from the family vault
in the St. Marks churchyard. The cas-
ket was broken and the body removed.
The decomposition of the remains is so
offensive that they cannot be concealed;
this is apparent from standing at the
opening of the vault this morning, con-
sequently it cannot be taken across the
ferries without discovery. Cause dill
gent search to be made in your pre-
cincts, as the remains were evidently
stolen in hopes Of reward. Early on the
morning Of Oct. Z, just month ago,
the assistant sexton Of st. Marks
church> discovered that the Stewart
family vault had been tempered with,
the stone slab had been removed from
its position, and the earth disturbed for
severel feet, but as the slab was not
over the opening of the vault the thieves
did not get at the body. The sexton re-
ported the matter to Judge Hilton. who
ordered the slab to be placed few feet
from it's true position, in order to de-
ceive anyone attempting to steal the
body; watchmen were also engaged.
and patrolled the graveyard every night
until very near morning. The discov
cry of the outrage was made at eight
O'Clock this morning. The robbers had
removed one stone from the opening to
the vault, broken open the three cof-
fins in which the body was enclosed,
and carried away the contents, it is sup
posed, in a sack. The robbery has
caused great excitement in the neigh
borhood of the grave yard.
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE IN ST. LOUIS.
Says st. Louis dispatch Of Nov. 9TH:
Flames broke out early this evening In
the carpenter shop of Christian Moelier,
on Cerre street, near Eighth, and
spread with great rapidity among the
tenement houses with which the local
ity is crowded. On the arrival of the
steamers the scene was one that beg
oars diScrintiOn The fire had SDread