Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-24
A MORMON WOMAN
Believes that POlygamy COnduces to the
Physical, Moral and Spiritual
Elevation of the
Human Family-There is Perfect Mutual
Confidence Between the Husbands
and Their Wives.

/ = :
terday afternoon had a long conversation
with her in regard to her experience amonl
| the MOrmons, and her views and opinions II
reference 10 them as a people, Church ant
! q community. Mrs. Ferguson is an enthusi
! astic believer in all the tenets and practice
of the Mormons. In regard to her EARL
| history, Mrs. Ferguson said: My HUSBAND
and became convinced Of the truth Of Nor
mOnism by reading the books published By
the Church and hearing their elders preach
| became convinced that they had the trutl
more than Any other body OF christians
ever met. Shortly before the death OF Presi
dent Young, and at his request, We removed
TO Salt Lake City, where l practiced medi
cine and taught music. For two years | wa
director Of the conservatory OF music. Abou
a year and a half ago | lost one Of my chill
dren and my husband died, and six months
ago | came East. | shall return iniabout two
weeks to Salt Lake City"
Have your opinions in regard to Nor
monism undergone any change"
''Not in the least, unless il is that ! am
more than ever impressed with a belief IL
the truth of the:doctrines of the Church, and
that the revelations OF the gospel given by
Joseph Smith, and continued by God
through those who have had the presidency
of the Church, are true. l believe these
things with all my heart, and | have testi.
mony of my own that they are true"
"What is the general condition OF women
in Utah?D
81 have found in Utah a society that is
purer and more elevated than that | have
ever met with in any other community. Our
women are earnest and God-fearing, and de-
sirous of promoting erything that will
tend to elevate both man and woman. We
are not slaves, as DIR. Newman and Others
have represented us 10 be. We think for
ourselves and form our own opinions indie
pendently of anything anybody may tell US
What we do and what we believe is from the
conviction that it is right. We have the
right of franchise, and We vote according to
our opinions and judgments, and / do not
know of any instance where a woman has
been coerced to vote contrary to her judg-
ment."
"What about the domestic relations OF
people?"
60 am not personally interested in that
question, having never myself been a men,
Der OF a polygamOu5 family, but | know OF il
from intimate association, both professions
ally and socially, with those who are living
in that relation. The proportion of those
who at the present time practice plural mar
riages is only about one-tenth of the popula-
ton. They all believe in it, but it is OPP
tional with them whether or not they practice
it. No one is forced to practice polygamy.
My experience with those wo are living in
that relationship is that it conduces to the
physical, moral and spiritual elevation of
the human family. In reference to domestic
happiness, OF course there is more or less of
wrangling and disagreement in all families,
owing to differences in temperament; but
taking the same number of families, find
no more but rather less, want of harmony
among families living polygamists than
among those of monogamists. There is
perfect mutual confidence between the hus-
band and his wives, which is state of affairs
| hardly think exists in any community out
side of Utah."
"Has there been, or is there now going on,
any change in Utah in regard to this partic-
ular doctrine"
"There has been no change in the opinions
OF the people OF course, Congress may pass
laws to prohibit us the practice OF our prin-
ciples, but do not believe there will ever
be any change in the opinions OF our people.
l do not believe God will change. He has
given US this revelation for our good, and
our people will stand by their principles to
the end. 1t is really matter that Congress
has nothing to do with, and it is with us a
peculiarly religious sacrament and ordi-
nance"
"What have you to say about the dispatch
from Salt Lake City announcing that in the
closing speeches of the legislature, which ad-
journed on Friday evening, there was a tacit
recognition of the fact that the day of poly
gamous legislation was forever passed."
"The papers | get from Salt Lake City do
not indicate any such feeling as that there.
| have never read since have been here a
single true statement in the papers here of
our position or of our practices. They seem
unwilling TO publish anything from our peo-
pie. The clergy here seem to be united to
manufacture public opinion against us, so as
to influence Congress to oppressive and I'M
constitutional legislation. But in my social
and professional intercourse with all sorts of
people in New York | have found that a
truthful statement by me of our beliefs and
position reveals to them the fact that they
have been misled by constant misrepresenta-
tions and misstatements Of facts by our OPP
ponents."
What is going to be the result OF all this
agitation"
THAT is question which will require a
wiser head than mine to answer. OF one
thing, however, l am quite certain, and that
is that one result will be to more firmly unite
us as a people and make us more determined
to stand by our principles. We have always
been loyal TO the flag and constitution, and
we take our stand on the constitutional guar
antees of religious liberty"
"WiIl the Mormons leave Utah?"
Leave? Where would they go?"
"Will they resist the enforcement of legis-
lation against them?"
Suppose the United States should send an
army to drive the people of New York from
their homes. Would they resist? We own
our homes, and have bought and paid for
them They may drive us out or murder us
in cold blood, but if they do they will only
get a mass of ruins for their pains. / for
one would burn everything l have before it
should fall into the hands of the United
States authorities. Resistance on our part is
lust what the United States authorities in
Utah want. They are DESTROYS of getting
their hands on the funds OF the Territory,
which have thus far been administered
honestly by the Mormon authorities. The
men in business there-outsiders, | mean
do not desire this agitation. They deprecate
it. They live on good terms with our peo-
Pile and are satisfied"
"What are the educational facilities OF the
Territory"
ave have district schools in every ward
in the cities and in every settlement. We
have three high schools-the University OF
Deseret, the Brigham Young School at Pro
vost, aud the Logan Academy, in the north
ern part Of the Territory. These are all ex.
cellent schools, in which pupils have beer
prepared to pass examination at West Point
at the Polytechnic School in Troy and at the
School of Mines, where they have graduated
with high honors"
'How in regard to the rights OF property? p
"The rights of property in Utah are JUS
as sacred and absolute as they are here. My
house belongs TO me, and l did not buy i
from the Church either. Property issbough
and sold there just the same as anywhere
else, and titles descend in the same way.
heard Dr. Newman lecture on Mormenism
He said that President Taylor was the riches
man in the world because he owned al tbs
| property in the Territory. Now, he knew
| thai was false when he said it. The rea
| animus OF Dr. Newman's hostility comes from
| his discussion with Elder Pratt, in Salt Lax
| City, in which he was terribly worsted, anC
ever since that he has thought it religion
duty to lie about US. But the keynote to hi
whole position is TO be found in his prayer
| in which he said: % Lord, we want to re
| deem those fertile valleys and rich mines.
| Yes, that is just what they want"
"How do the women OF Utah look upol
! this proposed legislation of Congress-"
The women are the very last persons ii
| the Territory to wish for any legislation il
| their behalf. 1t would not be for their ben
| eft, but to their serious detriment. 1t woul'
break up their family ties, separate then
| from their husbands, whom they love dearly
! and leave them and their children uupro
| tscted and uncared for"
N.r--f