The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-04-08
WHY LOOK so FART

q Methodist conference was hello
at Newark, n. j., last week, in whict
considerable time was devoted tt
denuuciatious OF polygHmy and tht
Mormons. Some of the speakers
fairly boiled with rage when they
we're speaking of the marital prac
.ices of the Utah church people. A
committee whs appointed. headed By
q venerable reverend, DR.. Porter, tc
suggest plan for dealing with the
polygamic question. Some of tn,
newspapers have burlesqued Oh
spoken lightly OF the conduct of the
conference in the premises, bul
the New York Sun lets the following
rays shine through the business. uu.
der the editorial hesding of "Why
look so far for work TO do?"
The Methodist con ference at Newark
was much sgitRted on Wednesday over
the polygamy of Utah. 1t appointed S
committee on the subject and was greatly
stirred by q speech in denunciation Of
the system.
We observe that the churches very
generally are becoming excited over the
marriage customs Of the MormOns. One
clergyman lstely remarked that the
whole community ought 10 be blown up
with nitro-glyceTine, as the Gar was de-
stroved the ether day.
But why do these religious bodies take
so much pains TO denounce polygamy,
and spend so much time in venting their
indignation against it? 1t Is q system
odious in our eyes, and nowhere Ia the
country except in Utah is it tolerated by
nubIic opinion. Even there it must be
practised by evsdil & the law against
bigamy, and by keeping the plural mar
rage a secret with taa Mormon Church.
Will the application of nitrc-glycerine
expose to view the mysterious ceremonies,
SO that they can be legally proved?
And. moreover, polygsmy Is 8 minor
evil compared with many which con-
front the Christian Church in these days.
Il is 8 waning system in Utah, and its
destruction altogether must come before
long under the operation of natural
causes. Further legislation may BE-
necessary to hasten its overthrow, and to
save its victims from ruin; but violence
of speech or conduct will not help to de-
stroy pOlygsEy.
Moreover, there Is 20 evil example
proceeding from Utah over the country.
Because the Mormons pretend to think
or really do think that they are obeying
God in taking many WIVES the rest ofthe
people are not becoming tolerant Of
svowed poiygsmy. Nobody proposes to
change our laws so as to let men keep
harems filed with wives at their pleas
ure. Even the man who marries q wife
when he has one other living commits q
crime punishable with long imprison-
ment, unless he has gone through the
formality Of divorce.
WHY, then, does not the Newark
Methodist conference devote its attention
rather 10 the immortality which abounds
in its seiohborhood? Bad as polygsmy
ie society here suffers from evils Of its
oun which are even worse. Because Of
tbsir failure TO deal with them, the
churches are losing their hold on the
n,bIic Whv look afar for reformstory
Tori To DO. when right st home there Is
so much need of genuine Christianity
The time expended by the Newark con-
ference In denouncing polygamy Wouio
have been better employed IN devlslne
means for curing our own society OF
evils whose continuance ana growth are
leading so many men to reject the cur
rent Christianity as spurious and I'M
potent. n-...s CT.
disease easily cured and Of little conse-
ouence IN comparison with many other
moral and social malsdies which demand
the attention of the church.