The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-08
salt Lake Women ON Salt Lake Poly
Kamy.

Salt Lake Women ON Salt Lake Poly
gamy.
SALT LAKE, November THE following
was adopted ut meeting OF the non-mor
mon women OF this city to-day:
To Rutherford b. Hayes andM Homen Of HI
United States:
1t is more than thirty years since paly'
gamy was planted on the shores Of th,
great Salt Lake. During these years Con
gress has utterly failed to enact sufficient
or enforce existing laws for the abolition oI
this great crime, and we believe more oj
these unlawful and unhallowed alliances
have been consummatcd in the last yeai
than ever before in the history OF the Nor
mon Church. Endowment houses under
name Of temples are being erected in dit
ferent parts OF the Territory, costing mil
lions. 1t is impossible to ascertain the
exact number OF palygamous marriages,
for they are contracted in these
endowment houses-an institution tha,
no Gentle is permitted to entcr-wherC
brotherhood and sisterhood are sealed and
bound by oaths so strong that even
Apostles will not reveal them, and to men.
ton which the witnesses on the witness
stand unblushingly perjure themaelves
and iuries violate all considerations OF
oath and duty. Considering all our sur
roundings, polygamy has never taken
such degradation and debAsing form in any
nation, or among any people above con-
Litions OF barbarianism, as in Utah.
1t is degrading TO men and women,
curse to children and destruction
to the sacred relation OF family OH
which the civilization OF nations
depend, and there are things that can't be
repeated or printed; that reduce the sys.
TEN to the lowest form of indeccncy.
That it should be practiced in the name
and under the name and under the cloak
of religion, and that IN apostle polygamist
with four acknowledged wives is allowed
to sit in Congress, only adds TO the enor.
nifty OF the crime and makes II more re-
voting TO our common Christian prlnci.
pies. Our Legislature is composed almost
entirely OF polygamists and members OF
the Mormon priesthood, and they have
thrown around polygamy every safe.
guard in their power, and the right
OF dover has been abolished in order to
break down the distinctions between n
lawful wife and concubine. The Nor
mons are rapidly extending their settle.
ments in Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico and
Wyoming. They have the balance OF
power intwo Territories and without doubt
are plotting forit in others. We call on the
Christian women Of the Unites States to
join us in urging Congress to empower
its Courts to arrest the further progress OF
this evil and to delay the admittance OF
Utah into Statehood until this is accom-.
plishod, and We ask you to circulate
and publish our appeal in order
to arouse public sentiment, which
should be against IN abomination
that peculiarly opprcsses and stigmatizes
women. 1t is our purpose to ask for
names to petition designed for Congress.
and We hope also that every minister OF
the gospel will commend 1t TO the women
OF his congregation, and that all Chris.
tian associations will do what they can to
obtain signatures to this petition. We
confidently hope that the great sin Of po-
lygamy may be abolished.