, 1881-09-16
MoRMoN1sm AND poLYaAmY.

DIG SHTTtCG 10 tlI0 Ellllb9 VI HQlleSt kOfETll-
,nent In an article Oh Mornonisn1, which Is
published I'll tlio September humber of tho
International Rcutc,e. There has been Il
good .lcn1 Of luosc n,oralIzlng in tho religious
and secular press Of tile United Suites coi,-
corning the religion of Mormon, yet 1t Is no
more nnsellable to ecclesiastical or political
censure, save In ono Of Its features, than a
hundred other false faiths. UnQuestionably
1t Is a form of superstition and inposture,
but 50 Is sNloltnnlMetnntsn, for example. A
community Of holsammcdans TINT should
conform to the customs and obey the laws of
the United Stntcs could not be lntcrfegcd
with, md the A1ormoIs would ba entitled to
the same privileges nnd protection II they
should agrce tomorrow to abandon polyg-
amy.
Alormonism Il n fraud. The Mormon bible
WIS dug up iii New York Stale and palnled
off OIL q credulo,ts people for Divine reyeia-
tion. Fraudulent character is not, however,
n cause for interference with religion In tho
United States; and, but for tho Institution OF
iolyganly, Which Is n sort Of appendix to tile
original Mormon revelation" tile morality
Of tlat Church Is as pure rs that Of Chr1stt-
unity itself. 1t is, III fnet, borrowed from tho
Founder OF Christianity, Tho Mormons be-
lcye In Christ. Their doctrine Of the ntoile-
inent is more orthodox than that OF DR..
Thomas. They boldly nyow their obligation
to oChrsttanity for the mnfn articles OF their
creed. They hclloye IN God the Father,
tho Son. anl tho uoly Ghost; III saliva
tion by fnIth nnl repentance; baptism
by fmlnsrsioni the laying OIL Of llnlitls; III
tho organization of the primitive Church:
the gtft Of tongues prophecy, visions. mid
hcalLrg; that the Bible Is tho Word Of God;
lit tho personal reign Of Christ upnn tic
earth; tho worshiping 0f all mon according
TO tic dictates of thoir conscienccs; ln bc1ng
honest, true, chaste, benevolent, ylrtuous,
nnd doing good to all men. Tho rules Of the
order condemn profanity; enjoln morning
and evening psnyer; declare the Sabbath to
be n holy day; urge personal cleanliness aud
chastity upon NIL disciples.
polygn,ny Is MI excrcscence OF Alormonts,1,.
1t was added to tho body Of doctrine by
Joseph Smith. who widowed In scnsunllty.
and needed some sucl, personal revelation to
cover his manifold Violations of tt,e nrtfclc
concerning chastity. But there IL now, and
l'as for long time been, npoworful sect of
Mormolis, known Ms tho Josephttos, who rc-
lnva Il yyItbf, their nowcr tn cru.I mt tbo
acc,,rsett instttutInn nt INV Tins srhsrn nro
1a4. .ty)o Mormo,,s In I1fn,, nf thosa. lmro,v
1900 males ami :. on, fennlcs. n,nst n thom,
| old people. Rre living In state OF polyg-
amy. Tho institution Is not popular
viii, the yn,nror ocnorntton n is too nv.
wnslyn. 1,rsitles tha yo,,np ,yomrn win
I hnye nuv oxnerlence nY h In their o,y,,
families uttsrly ah,,or II. Tho n,nroj w,vcs
nra chlruv rncrnltcu from tia lowar clasa
| Of Scandinavian Immigrants who wo,,ll
rotbpr s,,orn tha fuvnys NJ n wiro 'thom
ACCEPT t1e lowly station of q domestic, Thcy
hive little Knowledge of martial oblioat,ons.
and l,aye not learned to respect then, highly.
ItIsmanlfest thatthls ctass OF polygnm,sta nrt,
not 10 deserving of sympat,y "a the natlys
women who aro drawn Into unlawful rela-
tlons through mIsrepresontatlons. Thu nun.
her of tho lntter IL comparatively yun,l.
Tho Initial States (toyernment Inns nlaln
anu solemn duty to perform with referonce