Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-02-07
already discovered in paying quaint

aio"uJ uiSCONeIeu III paying quantl-
ties.
The marvellous wealth of Utah has
been well understood by the Mormons
from the first. This was the main rea-
son why they resisted so desperately the
immigration of "Gentiles." In 1850
Brigham Young raised his followers
and hunted the Judges appointed by the
United States Government out of the
Territory, and in 1854 caused mob to
drive out Colonel Steptoe, appointed
Governor of Utah by the President of
the United States, saying:
" am and will be Governor, and nc
power can hinder it until the Lord AL
mighty says, Brigham, you need moi
be Governor any longer"
The saints have resisted and denied
the United States Government from the
beginning. In 1856 armed Mormons
entered the United States District Court.
room and forced the presiding Judge,
Drummond, to flee. In 1857 force OF
$500 soldiers was sent to protect Gov
ernor Cumming, who had meantime
been appointed. Brigham Young issued
proclamation denouncing the United
| States army as mob, and forbiddine
it to enter the Territory. The difficulty
was settled after fashion by the seem.
ing submission of the Mormons. Ques
tiOns of politics, which disturb the rest
of the United states, are unknown in
Utah. Therei is only Mormon and anti
| Mormon.
One great advantage the Mormons
gained over the Gentiles was the grant.
ing of suffrage to women. Under the
patriarchal system it is desirable that
the female sex should be kept in ignO.
rance-the greater the ignorance the
better the system. The polygamous
wives of Utah are no exception to the
rule. Many of them do not know how
to read. Mormons who have aposta.
tized say that on election day the Nor.
mon patriarch reminds his female flock
that they must go and vote. Every
WELL" is the answer, "whom must we
vote forP" The tickets are put into
their hands, and they go obediently tc
the polls. Polygamy can never be abol
ished without Federal Intervention as
long as the women are allowed to vote
No polygamous wife will ever vote her.
self concubine, her children illegiti.
mate. The position of anti-Mormon
ladies there is a painful one. They are
not numerous enough to form a society
of their own, and while utterly cut Of
from intercourse with their own sex on
the one hand, on the other they are in
danger of insult and injustice from pa
triarchal husbands.
The worst injustice of the multitu.
dinous marriage system is that the
plurality is all one side. The Mormon
patriarch may have as many wives as
are willing to support themselves and
children; but ifa Mormon wife ventures
to prefer more than one husband the in
evitable only penalty is death. Strong.
minded ladies who defend woman suf-
frage in Utah should consider this
point, it being not at all in accordance,
with woman's rights. Polygamous
wives are subjected to a certain cere-
monial called passing through the en-
dowment house." In this initiatory rite
they are bound by oaths of nature so
awful that it recalls the ancient BEAM
gericht, never to reveal the secrets OF
this dread house. For that reason,
when called to the witness-stand, they
usually prefer to periure themselves,
deny their marriage ceremony, and al
low themselves to be considered as liv-
ing in fornication, rather than incur the
doom which will be meted out to them
by the Mormon priesthood if they tell
the truth. The ignorance and subjec-
ton in which they are kept is eminent
ly favorable to the Mormon side, in
trials for polygamy. 1t will be OBJ
served that few, if any illegal wives
have ever acknowledged in the United
States courts that they were married to
the men they lived with. The anti
Mormons in Utah are, therefore, trying
to have "a law passed by Congress max
ing the fact of living in polygamy a
sufficient evidence of that crime, with
out ii being necessary to prove the tax
ing place of the marriage ceremony.
Few Mormons will acknowledge that
such rite was ever performed.
In word, the Mormon question
narrows itself down to a square fight
for possession of what both Mormon
and Gentle believes to be the richest
territory in the United States. No
nonsense of religious sentimentalism
enters into the subject. The anti
Mormons are determined they will
share the future wealth of Utah; the
Mormons are resolved they shall not.
The hostility between the two parties
is bitter as only such struggle can
cause. The saints, through their dele
gate in Congress, George Q. Cannon,
an oleaginous Mormon with six wives,
are moving all forces at their command
to have Utah admitted into the Union
as a State, polygamous woman-suf-
frage and all. Beside they are
silently and insidiously stretching
out their line, over neighboring terri
tories, and establishing Mormon colo
nies therein. Why notP If polygamy
is lawful in Utah, it is lawful in Arizo-
ma, Idaho and Wyoming. This was the
point the anti-Mormon ladies called at
tention to especially in their memorial
to Mrs. Hayes.
The monOgamists of the territory,
though in the minority, are making a
brave fight. Their leader is John G.
Young, a young man of remarkable in
telligence and force of character. He
is nephew of Brigham, and one of
the editors of the Salt Lake Tribune.
He is himself polygamous child, and
that fact adds to his hatred of Nor
monism sense of personal injury.
he has from time to time made such
exposure of the secrets of the saints
that for some years his life has been
in danger. Two years ago four Nor
mons endeavored to assassinate him as
he went home from the Tribune office
one night. Since then he always walks
in the middle of the street after dark.
and goes armed. A few months ago he
was again set upon by mysterious as
sailants, and nearly beaten to death.
The last attack upon him was because
of his letters in the Tribune, revealing
the dread mysteries of the endowment
house. Cincinnati Commercial.
A Detroit Game.
Frbfo 80 t6n =, 4. A