Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-11-30
HOW To STOP POLYGAMY.

That prophets are without honor IN their
own country, ia once more proved by the
character the Salt Lake City Tribune, Of
Saturday, November 23d, gives of the gentle
men who are in the prophet business at that
place. From "a to lizard it accuses the
whole of them of trickery. The Tribune
supports the charge of trickery by showing
that the Mormon prophet business was
started on moDogamic capital. The Book Of
Mormon eDioins one wife. The Book Of Doc
trine and Covenants requires in marriage
that both parties keep themselves for
each other, "and from all others during your
lives The same section states that the
church had been accused of polygamy, and
adds: 1--WE declare that we believe that one
man should have but one wife, and one
woman but one husband, except in case of
death, when either is at liberty to marry
again" At length. it is asserted, Joe Smith
and some of his partners in the prophet busi-
ness became entangled with certain attractive
lady converts to degree that was causing
scandal; then the polygamy revelation
appeared at Nauvoo in 1843. In TIE spring
of that same year, the Mormon official paper,
Times and Seasons, March Is, 1913,
officially stated: 1--WE are charged with
advocating a plurality Of wives, and
common property. Now this is as false as
the many other ridiculous charges which are
brought against US. No sect has greater
reverence for the laws of matrimony or the
rights OF private property; and we do what
others do not, practice what we preach" In
February, 1874, Elder Hyrum Brown, who
acknowledged that polygamy was going on,
was communicated; the document, signed
by Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith, "presi-
dents of the said church, states that there
is creditable information that 'Hyrum Brown
has been preaching polygamy and other false
and corrupting doctrines, in the county Of
Lapeer, State of Michigan" In 1850, Apos
tie Taylor, in public discussion in France,
with some Englishmen, denied the existence
of polygamy, although he himself had FIVE
wives at the time One and a half years
later polygamy was avowed publicly. 1t is
said that the Mormon question is delicate
one, and difficult to deal with, as the
privileges the United States constitution
comedies to the free exercise of religious OBJ
servances. When India was given up to the
English, the latter nation covenanted not
to interfere with the religious practices of the
natives. Among those practices was widow
burning, which the English desired to abol-
ish, as we desire to abolish Mormon filth
ness The letter of the treaty stood in the
way, and humanity was powerless. AS the
Europeans advanced in 'sanscrit learning,
they discovered that burning widows did not
originally belong to the native paganism, but
was an abuse introduced later; and widow
burning is stopped there forever. The way
is open for the United States to follow the
same course. The constitution protects re-
| ligious obscrvances, but polygamy with the
Mormons is an abuse, introducing vicious
| practice the original church denied, and the
| original practice and rites of the church con-
tradicted. There is sufficient ground to give
the Mormons the protection the constitution
requires, but to forbid an abuse ingrafted at
later period in opposition to the original
teachings and practices of the church.