Smyrna times., 1880-11-03
WHOLE NO. 1899.
MOrmOniSm Dramatized,

he play now being renrosnntod - Din
adtlphla, entitled 100 Wives. " has rn;,.
ana purpose. Different from monv IIo,..
IL IS on the side of decency and n3or p;"'
II IS dellneatOn Of Mormonism ond 49,
realistic play of decided merit lie ~o;,t
Is 10 develop the methods bv which NJ,
mohlSm Is malntained-the entranninn by
ialse representations, of poor women in otbrr
anus 10 Salt Lake City. Once there. and
Vntre Is no hope Of return. Whether thew
SINK TO the moral level Of their surronni
Ihgs' or revolt at the debased life thew arc
c"lied on TO lead, it is all the same. tbev
are prisoners for life. Death only relieves
rom lhelr degradation and misery. This il
one teaching OF the play. 1t brings ont
IN Startling ulstnctness the abominabIo
character OF Mormonism. Ifitshall arouea
PuoIlc sentiment till "A resolute. DArsi,tort
eHort Is made to eradicate the evil Il u;II
render service TO the nation. The d;g
Guilty thus far in suppressing polygamv has
oeeh TWO Told: |. The lack of snfficiertI,,
stringent legislation . The diffcnltv i,
enforcing laws already enacted. ConSrosa
mas been chary in dealing with the subject
president Grant made a resoluta oGoUt 80
enforce the laws existing, but with nn;toJ
and consclenceless Mormon ponulation i
was found difficult to accomplish ali tLot
was desired. Heavy blows were dealt ont
10 prominent MormCns, however. BRIGHAM
1oung was made to pay alimony to a rnna.
way vile. Lee was shot for the Mountain
Meadow massacre. Mormonism was made
obnoxious by the exposure of its atrocities
ana the legal prosecution Of its villainics
PRESIDENT Hayes has pretended to follow in
the footsteps OF his predecessor, but has
lacked the vigor Grant displayed. A re.
newal OF that vigor is needed.
Mormonlsm, as the play suggests. could
be starved out by shutting oil its FOREIGN
supplies OF women. Were all Norman
women sent back to the ports from which
they come as having been brought here for
illegal and immoral purposes, a severe blow
would be dealt. This can be done. We
send back paupers, and can refuse admis.
SION to those who, if not actual criminals.
are brought here for illegal purposes: Po
lyamy Is illegal, and all means used TO
! Perpetuate 1t partake Of its illegally. It
Is a threat. a danger to our political n3titu.
tlonS. 1t Is tacitly understood that if the
democracy gain power, Utah, New Mexico,
ana possibly Indian Territory will be adj
united to the Union. They will be Mormon
States. Already the Mormon authorities
have thrown out influences into those terri
tories which will politically control them.
Once IN as States, and Mormonism becomes
power in the nation and polygamy pro
lected institution. 1t will naturally gravi.
ate to the support Of the Democratic party.
admitted by that party, it will support it.
Thus three Democratic States, with all the
instincts Of barbarism, will be admitted TO
the Union. This danger is too serious and
palpable to be trifed with. 1t must be
met and to do this is to assail the crime.
Mormonism and polygamy are inseparable.
Destroy polygamy and Mormonism will
die. TO shut off the import of foreign
women is to strangulate Mormonism. But
we. need while doing this to 20 farther.
Polygamy is crime and should be treated
as such. The vigorous enforcement of law
against this crime would speedily end it,
and with it Mormonism, which is more a
political than religious power. This sub
Ject will deserve the earliest attention of
the Republican party when it regains con-
troll of Congress.-Eecniag Meas.