Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-12-19
The Mormon Pricsthood and po,ysamy.

To the Editors of the Appeal:
In Saturdays issue of the APPEAL was
brief statement aTF2pted as coming from some
throw the pricstcrnft of the Mormon Church be-
fore there could be much done in supprcsSing
polygamy.' The whole thing lies there and no
where else. After FIVE weeks in Utah spent in the
very bosom of Mormon families, in daily and
hourly communion with polygamous wives, and
free to converse with the dienitsries of the Nor
mon Church, i saw and so stated that Church rule
would have to be weakened materially before the
hydra of pol 'gamy could ever be crushed. The
Mormon women are good women, pure women,
let any say me nay, and more, they are united in
a common misery, carrying common cross and
love ono another very often with an affection far
more tender than they do the husband. Is not
this natural result? You dam n stream in its
natural flow it is diverted into many channels,
and the most touching affection and tender SYM
Pathy often exists between these women, instead
of jealous hatred. Congress cnfranchiscd the
women of L tab solely with the view of crush
ing out polysamy, reasoning naturally,
plural marriage. Every Mormon woman is a
slave; first to the power Of purse: second, to that
of the Church. Our slaves could just as easily
have used the ballot, if they had possessed it, in
slavery before the war TO vote for their own
Mormon women in their twin, aye, triple slavery.
There is way to cut (none to unite very gently
poyxamyt leave the ballet in the bands of the
women: divide the money of the master equally
own children and get started in life. 1t would
need but one election day to doom the wbale in
stitution: Such, OF course, can never be done
and the lion S share will always remain in the
condition it is. Then continue, as now, holding
all polyeamous men and women as disf-an ehised,
compel the public ceremonial of marriage by civil
law as we'll church law, the taking out Of
lsdium of American liberty, the ballot. that they
will soon cease to respect, and will come 70 de-
Pse snd rev3. rSm pe he fSe f g. SnfrcP II GgniIs &
prived of this right ofevery freeman in n republic
that has for its foundation principles that under
lie our own In every school. public or private;
in Utah Mormon theology is taught with a zeal
that beggars description. There is no need of
telling lies about the Mormons. We defeat eur
own ends by so doing and prevent the formation
of friendships and winning eonfcderates IN their
midst, for many of them are sensible me3 and
women not only are they monogamic IN their
principles, but also in action, and | dealt not
would be glad to aid in the overthrow Of c1stom
stencil in the nostrils of the nation. Mormon
doctrine is a religion, apart from p0lYgamy,
gamic lives. DR.. Seymour Young, one Of the
twelve bishops, the highest dignltar;es of the
and never has had but one; IF my womanly in
stincts do not mislead me, be never will have but
one as long rs she lives. Capt. Hooper is man
offpower, leader among them; both be and his
wife are Jealous Mormons, but oppose the plural
marriage. Senator Cane a monogamist in
their their leading % men. Mayor Jennings had two
wives; one died, and he has not again married.
the a,s" prosessors @ "' in Vest % Point Aeademy dem y
lie is monosamie in acton and view.
some people seem n,. 70 think @ mat to .,;d. ad.
toward these people is in a way to advocate their
marriage system. have long since foand that
the search for truth was no easy task, and one
offen had to descend into an abyss of error TO
drag ii forth. / not content to get in n
hack and be driven round and listen to the
hackman's version of what Mormons were. /
went around with letters of Introduction that
took me as guest into dozens of private homes
on the most cordial and fapiliar terms, ! en-
tered into their daily life, lheir heart histories,
their little round Of church duties, their multi
piled and far-reaekikg charities, and saw how sad
snd solemnly those world denied. toll hardened
slaves of purse power and pricstcran tried TO do
their duty; how their daily lives grew into long
round of self-denial and siSterly love, and
pitied them with n pity am pOwerless to express,
and while | revolt from their plural marriage,
just as | do from the same system in different
conditions among our own women, l can never
recall without pain the sad pathetic faces of those
women, nor cease 10 prize their generous kindness
sad courtesy me, nor the pathetic defense the y
tried 10 make for the Goddess knaves that held
the IA 10 bondagc-a thrall slayish ever
bound serfs in Russia, neiroes on the rice plan,
tation- thrall alike of intellect, affection aud
body. Love. as some know it and nsste il, is
sometimes more cruel bondage and ireSner
tyrant thaa brutal hatred.
ELIZABETH L. SAXON.