The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-11-19
A Methodist on Polygamy.


BozEMAS, NJ. r.. October !, 1SS4.
The following was published in the
Deseret News, a Mormon publication of
Salt Lake, and is written by resident
Of this county. We reproduce it for the
peculiar views it contains and at the in
stance of gentlemen who takes unusual
interest in religious matters of whatever
complexion
have been watching the struggle that
! is now going on in the country over the
polygamy question, with some degree of
interest; hoping and PRAYING that justice
and right may be done no matter what
the consequence. Our Constitution gives
each and every citizen the right to wor-
| ship God in his or her own way, accord
ing to the dictates of their own conscicn
ces none daring to mslest or make them
afraid. 1t gives the Methodist the right
. to say amen as loud and as often as he
pleases. 1t gives the Baptist the right
to go up under the water or to stay on
dry land. 1t even gives the Dunkard
the right to wash his feet, and the Ro-
manist the right to count his beads. This
being the case should be very sorry to
see Uncle Sam tarnish his good name by
interfering with the religious rights of
any citizen male Or female. And can
not believe that he will be guilty OF turn
ing loose upon the country an army Of
unprotected babes. When God made
man the very first command that he gave
him was to be fruitful and multiply, and
that command was repeated oftener than
any other command in the Bible Lam
ech was the first that did Il wholesale
business in obeying that command. All
the account we have of him is that he
slew man in self defense, it does not
say what the quarrel was about. sup
pose likely some one was meddling with
his peculiar institution, 50 I don't blame
him at all. should have done Just as
he did. Abraham was the friend of God
and the very father of our religious sys-
tenn. tod said unto him walk before me
and be perfect, and we have no account
of anv taalt being found with him for be-
ing poygamist. Jacob the man who
wrestled with the angel and prevailed
was a poylgamist and if it had beea
wrong how easy it would have been for
the angel to have whispered in his ear
"now Jacob. before I give you my bless
ing, you must give up three of those wo-
men," But he blessed him there ana
said nothing about it. Caleb, the man
of whom it is said he wholly followed
the Lord, was polygamist' David the
man after Gods own heart, who made
the law of God mis- meditation day and
night. had a score of women, and we
have no account of his ever being judg-
ed for adultery; except In the case of Be-
thsheber, another's man wife. The psal-
mist says: ''He poureth contempt upon
princes, and causeth them to wander
in the wilderness where there is no way,
yet sitteth he the poor on high affliction,
and maketh him families like flock.
The righteous shall sea it and rejoice
and all iniquity shall stop ner mouth"
We have no account of Christ or His
apostles, ever 1nstituting or in any way
pointing out different marriage system
than that which had been practiced from
Lamech and Abraham down, we find al
so that Moses made laws regulating that
system, hence we must necessarily com
clude that polygamous system is all the
system there is laid down in the scrip
lures St Paul says in his epiSte to
o< D:ohn,, h,oro,, h..
the husband of one wife, but he does
not say how many more, and lie does
not say that John Smith Or Peter Sny-
der may not have as many as they want.
We look over the United States to-day,
We see from one-fourth to one-third of
our women in houses of ill-falne, another
third refuse to obey Gods command to
be fruitful and multiply. Then afterthe
old maids As they are commonly called.
are subtractcd from from the other third,
it leaves very small per cent. of all our
women that are trying to oer@tuate the
human race. If had flock of sheep
that did not do better than this | should
surely send them to the butcher and |
can't see how God can look at it in any
other light.
Here, in the Gallatin valley, and it is
pretty good sample Of the whole co,ln
try. there is from one third to one half