Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-03-23
CANN0N'S CREED.
The Views OF Utah's Piece OF Brass Ordnance ON
the Proposed Legislation for that
Territory

The Views OF Utah's Piece OF Brass Ordnance ON
the Proposed Legislation for that
Territory.
Special to the Chicago Evening journal
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. March 16.--The
recent legislation on the question of 20
lygamy has caused a great many ewes
to turn toward Mr. Cannon, the polyg-
amous claimant for the seat in the
House from the Territory of Utah. He
still occupies his old seat in the corner
OF the House. on the Democratic side.
having the right of admission BY reason
of his former membership. He is de-
determined to fight his ease through
though he has, evidently, little hope of
favorable termination of il now. He
characterizes the course of the House in
passing the Anti-Polygamy bill, without
giving Utah and the Mormons chance
to defend themselves through member
OF the House, as ''cowardly and unjust. 7
Regarding the attempts to keep him
out of his seat, he said to me TODAY in
an interview: ut is part of scheme,
concocted a year and half ago, in the
interest of ambitious, INSCRIPTIONS
men. What the result will be | do not
know. | know that am fairly entitled
to my seat, but that the sentiment of
whole country, outside of my own peo-
pie. is against me because of our pecu-
liar beliefs and practices, and with this
IN view their efforts may be successful. :
You are convinced, though, that
Your peculiar system ought not to
figure in this question:
am tbat cb ! 49, L.,
set down against us, without al least n
careful examination. We believe it is
right, and just, and decent, more SO in
every way than the peculiar habits of
many of our monogamic neighbors in
this part of the country
"Yes?"
Yes. II is the pride and boast of
polygamy that it diseourages prostitu-
ton and does away with it, while mon
ogamy fosters it. With us, prostitution
Is unknown, except it is introduced and
sustained by the non-Mormon element
that has come among us. With YOU.
where the monogamic system prevails,
it abounds, and is privately recognized
and fostered, and is breaking up fami-
lies, spreading its faint through all of So
ciety, affecting young and old, and even
the unborn, and sapping the very foun-
dations of society and of the country
itself
is that the claim of polygamv?"
That IS one of its claims. Its first
broad general principal is that there are
more women than men in the world.
and that, in addition there are many
men that won't marry, and that as IA re-
suit system of plural wives is proper,
that those women need not perforce he
deprived of matrimony, or. what is
worse, driven to prostitution. DO not
understand me that the number Of
births of females is much in excess if
males, but the number that reach the
manageable age, escaping the acct
dents and fatalities to which the sterner
sex are exposed, is greater. TO these it
offers homes, happiness, protection from
the dangers of lives alone in the world,
and the recognition of the right granted
by nature which made woman the moth
er of the race. Besides this, the system
frees the wife from many wrongs of the
monogamic system, the unborn child
from the injuries those wrongs must
- AiAS Ntllbli IT, anu Llit fNSEdittl HUH
the temptation. Not only is this the
case, but the children of our system are
brighter, stronger, healthier in every
way, than those of the monogamic sys-
tenn. We know nothing of secret dis
eases; the lives of our families and our
children are simple, and they are health
ful.
"Are your families large, MIR. Can
non?'
Yes, usually 50. We believe that
the habits which mark so great a de-
crease Of the birth rate in New England
are crime. The result is that our
families are large and healthful
May ! ask the size Of your own
family, Mr.. Cannon
II have twenty-one living Children.
They live peacefully and contertedly
together, attending private school,
which | support for them.
lis this the size of an average Mon
mon family?"
The Mormon families are not So
large as is supposed by many. For in
stance, | do not think our average mum
Der of wives is as much as three, while
the impression, you know. here is that
we average about dozen apiece.
Does polygamy increase rapidly?''
mo; there are not more than about
1900 polygamous households in Utah.
Polygamy is, you know. crime under
the laws, and those practicing ii, al
though they believe it right, and though
they practice it under this belief, are
yet liable to punishment for violation OF
this law. Then, too. it is expensive, for
not everybody can support more than
one wife and family.
What will become Of polygamy ID
this bill becomes law, and is en-
forced?n
THAT, | cannot say We believe it
was instituted Of God, and we leave il
in His hands