Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-12-19
MORMON WOMEN.
Their DepioTable Condition in the Land
of the Latter-BaY saints,

of the Latter-bay saints
A poverty-stricken Mormon is fire.
quently the possessor of three or four
wives. They all live in single hut,
aud the children that are brought into
the world are early taught an utter
disregard of moral law. The thrifty
saints, however, have an establish
ment for each wife, and can live very
comfortably off them. The wives spin,
wash, scrub and farm, and in that
manner secure enough of the worlds
goods to keep their lord and master
without work. a bishops wife did
the laundry work for my family. 81
am compelled to wash for the Gentiles
while on earth," she would often say,
"but in heaven they will be servants to
me-" Join Taylor, the president of
the Mormon church, had five wives in
1860, but since the passage Of the Ed
munds law he has put all bat one
away. AT the last general conference
of the church he was twitted about
his cowardice, and told that he should
obey Gods law rather than mans.
The women of Utah are not beauti-
full. AS class they are very homely.
The missionaries who travel, succeed
in gaining many female converts, but
as rule they get nothing but the
fools Of the village who, besides being
duh Of mind, are honely of face and
form. In Europe, however, some very
pretty peasant girls are picked up,
who, as soon as they get to Utah, are
appropriated by aged saints and tooth
less bishops. The church is doing all
in its power to get converts. John
Morgan, the president of the mission
in the South, has made the assertion
that he expected to get 100 men and
women this year in the South alone
The converts from this section are
sent to Colorado, where large colonies
are springing up almost daily. The
European victims are settled in Idaho
Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico
In salt Lake City the Gentiles are tc
the Mormons as one is to five. The
business there is almost entirely in the
hands ofthe Mormons. The munici-
pal government of the city is Nor
mon. The mayor, common council
the police force, the city courts anC
the fire department are all Mormon
The only hospital in the city is sus
tained by Gcntiles. The Mormon
poor, and there are many of them, OF
tentimes die in the streets. one
tenth of what each Mormon earns OF
raises upon his farm is given to The
church, ostensibly for the benefit of thu
poor, but in reality to be divided
among the leaders of the church. Sev
en- hundred and fifty thousand dollars
are collected in this manner annually
4 part of that sum is used to cOrrup
officers of the government and legisla
tors, while the balance goes tOwarC
the support of the twelve apostles, th'
president of stakes, the elders of Scv
enties, the patriarchs, and the mgl
priests who form what is called tn,
Melchizedek priesthood, and the bsh
OBS, deacons, and teachers who cOnSti
tute the AarOnite priesthood. The pa
! triarchs also bless children at 81 bless
and as il is all profit, make money b.
the transaction. The bishops dea
cons and teachers advise the member
of the church in temporal affairs; tel
them how to hoe their beans, max
frocks and cast their votes. Th
method | would suggest for the sup
preston of polygamy is a law compel
ing .he publicity of I'LL marriages here
after performed in Utah. Let the Ger
emony be public, and let the record
be kept in public place. AS it nov
is, the saint takes girl to the endow
ment house, and after few hours
ceremony is welded to her. Til
record of the proceedings is guarde
iealously, and everyone conHecte
with the ceremony sworn to secrecy
the penalty of disobedience being dis
embowelment.