The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-26
ELL ARP ON THE MoRmoNs.

Reasons More Biblical and Historical than
GrammaticaI-VVhy One Wife Is Enough.
Atlanta Constitution.
There is no record anywhere in any history OF
q happy married state where a man had moro
than one wife. Lamech had two. but the Scrip
lures say nothing more about him. Adam didn't
have but Que and Noah one, and they started the
business of peopling the world. Old Father
Abraham had one, and when he took another on,
the sly old Aunt Sarah got after him. and she
frailed out the second one with a thrash pole and
run her off. Jacob had two. and if ever Il man
deserved two he did; but they didn't get along
well, even though they were sisters. Moses
didn't have but one. King David had several.
but he was cuTst with 'em, and actually commit
ted murder to get one of EN-, and lived
in anguish ever after, for he said, MY
sin is ever before me-" Old Solomon
must have had an awful time of it, for he
had a thousand. and they kept him so harrassed
and bedeviled that he flew to his inkstand and
wrote that he had found one good man, but a
good woman in a thousand he had not found.
Of course not. How could a woman be good
who was only a thousandth part of a wife? But
Solomon repented of his folly, and said it was all
vanity, and advised all men to live joyfully
with the wife whom thou lowest, and to beware
of strange women" lnever think of these sur
plus wives who are sealed to the Mormons with
out a feeling of sadness and pity, for every new
one causes the others a pang of shame. They
are all in prison, and their dependence is like
that of the Gagged bird that tamely looks to its
keeper for food. There is no escape. for woman
is a proud creature, and will suffer in silence
rather than parade her folly to the world. Dit
you ever notice how a woman will suffer and be
strong, especially if she has a child or children
to keep her company
The federal government ought to amend the
Constitution, and declare that in these United
States and Territories no man should haze but
one wife at a time. This much ought to be done
for the protection of woman and for her eleva-
ton in society. There is no religion in this.
Let them fellows believe in Joe Smiths Chile or
Brigham Young's amendments, il they want to,
but / wouldn't let 'em have but one wife. Gov.
Brown says we had better let them alone and
work on them through the pulpit and the press.
We might as well try that on the M-ohammedans-
We have been trying it for forty years We
can't get at them that way. They won't
hear us. But, on the contrary, they send out
their emissaries all over the world, and
compass sea and land to make proselytes.
Why, a few years ago they took off a caravan OF
clever, ignorant people from Floyd and Poll;
counties, and still later they are working around
us on the sly. Now, | profess to fear God and
regard man. but if one Of them was to como
slipping around my house Id get nabor Freshman
and the boys and we would tar and feather him
and ride him on a rail and leave him a condition
that would make Utah a very uninterestins
place for him.
So 1 hope that Congress will fix up some bill
that will blot out this national disgrace, and
when they make it a law, then execute it, Gen
eral Cummins was sent out there once with
=, 800 troops to regulate 'em, but Mr.. Buchanan
weakened on it and advised a compromise, and
nothing was done. If our government is strong
enough to subdue the Southern States and set
1000, 600 ofniggers free, l reckon it can regulate
affairs in Utah and free those white women [
reckon so.