The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-03-20
New York, February q, 1879.
Further Testimony Of Wife Number
Nineteen.

Further Testimony Of Wife Number
Nineteen.
Ann Eliza Young has written from
Appleton, Wisconsin, a letter to Mrs.
r. b. Hayes, which, by her request, il
published in the Tribune She alIudes
10 a recent call on Mrs. HAYES by two
Mormon women as being eutangled in
the tolls of system which is the de-
stroyer Of home. She urges that Mrs.
Hayes use her entire influence to bring
that system to an end. She says: EN-
incline Wells aud Zena Williams came
with pathetic pleading to touch your
heart with the picture of what would
be the cruel condition of the women and
children if the law against pOlygany
should be enforced. ] recognize the in-
justice of the law as il now stands, and
admit that it would be inequitable and
produce great suffering But these two
women came TO you with falsehOOds in
their mouths. POlygamy has no bright
ness such as they described; no excel
lencies such as they claimed. / could
show YOU picture out Of the pOlyga-
nous lives of these very women which
would make you shudder aud turn
heart-sick. / knew both of them intf-
mately for years, and know that they
both have experienced their share Of the
evils Of pOlygamy-the envy aud ieal-
ousy aud heartburning which are insep-
cradle from this system Your
late visitors and George q. Cam
non, the husband OF six living wives,
assert that there is entire harmony in
pOlygamOUs families. The assertion is
absolutely false. There is not a polyga-
mist husband in all Utah who does not
have favorite among his wives whom
he favOrs far above the rest His time,
means and affec ion are expended upon
her, while the other poor souls are left
in loneliness aud usually in d.stitution.
This fact alone furnishes one Of the
strongest arguments against the sys-
tenn"
She draws pitiful picture Of the desc
lation and uuhappiuess Of the two
Mormon women above namei. She
continues; "NOr did these women speak
the truth when they said that p0lyg-
amy gives all children fathers aud all
women husbands. As rule, the men
care only for the children Of the favor
ite, and those of the other wives look
wistfully OF jealOusly on seeing all IA
vOrs and caresses bestowed upon the
Others. This partiality awakens the
most bitter aud vile feelings in the
hearts Of the slighted mothers aud chill
dren, and fosters a feeling OF superiority
aud arrogance in those who are favored
Can IL be a holy system which fosters
such vile feelings as this sytem Of pO-
lygamy does ? If propriety permitted,
tales could be told that would turn ev-
cry pure-minded person sick with hor-
ror and fill them with pain to- think
that 10000 people are 50 deluded and
demOraliZed. Has this system kept
women from the insane asylum and the
suicides grave? Has it made women
cheerful, happy, healthful wives and
mothers, and kept despair and utter
hOpelessness from creeping into their
hearts ana faces To these questions
can say no; and thousand times no.
and know that what | say is true in
Gods sight. IL has utterly crushed the
lives aud broken the hearts Of thou
sands Of women, as / can speak from
personal knowledge, having barely es-
capped being one Of the general ruin"
She declares that right OF suffrage only
rivets their chains 10y causing them to
vote as their masters dictate. She con-
cludes: "Polygamy desOlates every
home which il enters. Surely il will
neither be improper nor unwise for YOU
to exert your influence against that vast
and increasing crime. Il is opposed to
all that you prize IN domestic and So
cial life. IL makes the civilized Chris
tian home impossible. Even if you can
only do but littlei though you can only
speak words Of sympathy, such words
will speedily be waited westward to
thousands of aching hearts, aud will be
refreshing as the dew OF morning 10
many a weeping Hagar wandering I'm
worse than desert lands"
I Bret Harte, since his consular ap-
I polntment was bestowed upon him, has
been twice in England. Last summer