Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-01-24
''Miss Brown Upon the Mormon
Question.

Editor Star:-One OF the most pertinent re-
plies ever made, think, was that Of the coming
woman who, when asked by her father, IN
reproof, why she persisted in talking, answerei i
"Tause, have somesing to say"
Wen, have "SOmeSing to say" also, and yet
wonder how completely will be :" Sot down
on II do say it. However, the Brown family
never finch; so here goes:
Mhen | found that Utah had sent its repre-
sehtallVeS to the WOman's Suffrage Convention
IeceHtly neld here, l wondered What motive
van and the fractions OF MeSSrS Wells and
Williams respectively owned by the ladies in
question, could have to make such sacrifice.
wien, however, both the House Judiciary COM
nttee' and the White House gave them 80 re-
spectfui nearing" then found that it was the
oid cry LET us alone' taken up by the second
OF our peculiar institutions and uttered, not
through Cannon'S mouth, as heretofore but
by these daughters of prophets and saints
Wen, when Mrs. Spencer threw down her
gauntlet, in support Of the claim that the Nor
mon system Of wholesale prostitution is superior
70 tnat, unhappily, existing in the other states
i Ielt, Ior the moment, that there might be
more truth than desirable in the statement.
SOBER second thought teaches another lesson.
though, and as the welfare of mankind is urged
as principal plea, all women are. | think. inter-
eSted In the question and may care TO listen 10
what one OF their number has TO say.
In the first place, then, il We take look at
the moral and intellectual condition or women
IN countries Where poiygamy is at home, we Will
see at once that the less there is said upon the
SUBJECT the better; woman sinks under such a
system, into a bundle of low vices of which n
lull hundred are not worth one member of our
ifee otd Maid brigade (Which counts some OF
the gfandeSt, nobleSt and most Self-Sacriticing
women among its numbers let me tell you)
IL Will be urged that the effects of Mormon
noygamy are not like those in eastern couu-
tries. And why are they not? Simply because
The masses OF brave, strong Gentle" women
In and all around Utah remain true TO their
motto CT "ForWard.' and In their progress keep
the Others at least from retrograding into that
same bea5tiy condition. Give poiygamy fun
headWay and soon the spirit and pride OF
WomanhOod will be laid low and the whole sex
on lis downward course.
Ihere may be poor specimen of womanhood
mere ard there who, rather than work hard for
small pay, would marry the One-tWentieth OF
man for her "board and clothes;n but, I believe,
nine hundred and ninety nine out of Thousand
will sanction my words when | say that they
Infinitely prefer fighting the battle OF life as
they at least believe to be wholly their OWN or
as honorable members Of the aforesaid brigade,
to living a life like that, where true
WOman'S highest and holieSt feelings are out
ragged every minute OF her life.
II is urged that inhdeutieS are matters Of
daily occurrence Eere, and that all the differ
our proceedings. Wen, ii the wife feels hurt
and lnSulted beyond endurance, there is at
least one door to Self-reSpect left open to her
she can become free by the laws Of the land:
but If Mormon wife should happen to love her
husband with that exclusive love which makes
the very thought Of not being the one woman
III the world to him an agony beyond endur-
ance, what then? But when we have the
moral and woman'S side Of the question, and
1COk at it from the standpoint Of justice, there
arises the question why man should be pun
ished for bigaIny in California or New YORK.
and be praised and called saint for the same
offence in Utah. "But,n these Mormon wives
say, 'f the laws Of the United States are exc
cuted so many of us will be widows and our
children Will be iliegitimate." Well. / suppose
they were all OF an age to know what they were
doing when they became SiXteenthly Or seven
teenthly, ION to the end Of the chapter, as the
case may be,) and had probably heard of such
thing as the GentIeS being (thank Heavenly
not quite so numerous in their legal marriages.
Besides, commonwealth which was the head
and front OF such pfou5 proceeding as the
Mountain Meadow massacre, and one OF whose
religious institutions was or is, q holy band of
mulderers, equal In deadifneSS to any sect of
Thugs, tbe DanlteS) such a commonwealth.
say, is rather calculated to make one think of
the probability OF a coming ''unpleaSantne5s. .
like that under the effects of which we ale
grOan1ng TO this day: and as such an event
would make widows on our side OF the house,
each OF whom would have to mourn an ent re
husband. while the Mormon widow has only q
fraction Of one to mourn for, it is emiuently
more just 10 let no foreign power, alien in
everything CT Importance, grow into such dan
gerous strength than to allow their children to
grow up in open defiance of the laws and the
belief that all the concession they need make
is to call their pet vices religious belief and go
ahead. But, oh, how long this has grown ard
how I'm shaking in fear OF the wrath to come!
NJSs