The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-02
Tentative Anti-POlygamy Lsglsla'
tion.

/ apentiles" in the Mormon province IN
| dulge themselves in the rosy anticipation
of those effects of the measure which
| true believers in the omnipotence OF leg
lislation, in happy obliyiousness OF all
the lessons of experience, appear to
expect. About the only provision OF
the measure which the unsanctified
think will come to anything in effect
is that which excludes women from the
electoral Office. That, undeniably, is n
sensible and eommendable limitation,
not for Utah alone, but for every place
in the country where the immoral bur
Iesque called female sufferageshas been
introduced. 1t is measure of law that
can be executed without any difficulty.
But. exclusion of females from the cleo
toral office and exclusion of them from
the matrimonial system of MOrmonism
are two very different matters.
The new suppression of polygamy
bill aims rather to corral polygamy than
to abolish it; to restrict it within pres
ent dimensions than to break up the
polygamous families already formed I;
leaving it, under arrangements to pre-
vent any further increase, to die a natu-
raj death. The act sanctions severe
penalties for adultery or cohabitation,
under any pretext of more than one
woman and one man, and provides for
prosecution and punishment in the mode
Eof all other crimes, making the parties
lawful witnesses against each other, and
authorizing the court to compel them to
testify on pain of imprisonment for re-
fusal to do so. 1t declares that every
marriage shall be certified in writing
and be recorded, the records to be open
at all times to official inspection. 1t
abolishes Mormon immigration societies
and transfers any funds in their poses
sion to the public school found. A
clause puts a certain limit (nominally)
to church property, and the act con-
tains Il device which, it is imagined,
will effectively destroy the political
power of the church by requiring its
property to be vested in a responsible
board of trustees.
Yet, the unsanctifed jewellers in
| Utah regard the measure as merely
another tentative absurdity, that in effect
will come to nothing. The registration
of marriages provision is considered as
worthless. Mormon marriages are never
publicly celebrated, nor any evidence of
them recorded anywhere. They are in the
nature of secret religious agreements,
entered into in the presence of some
self-constituted commissioners of
Jehovah, in an establishment called the
observation-disclosures" which appears to
correspond in the Mormon mode of
heathenism to the temple in which were
anciently celebrated the Eleusinian
mysteries of kindred heathenism. In
deed, among the many features of Nor
monism that invite a suspicion that its
inventors borrowed many of their notions
from the accounts of heathenism among
the primitive Greeks and Hebrews, there
is none more striking than this.
The very name, Eleusis, signifed try
sting place, where only the initiated
were admitted to participate in the
mysteries of-the devil and his devoted
priest and priestesses only knew what
character. Borrowing its plural-wife sys-
tenn from the primitive heathenism of
such venerated Hebrew characters,
mythical or historical, as Solomon and
David, Mormonism passed from the ira
ditions of Palestine to those of the Greek
peninsula to borrow its endowment
house" mysteries from the story of the
rape of Proserpine and the founder of
the shrine of Demeter. Within the
sacred interior of that westinghouse
are seen the things that none but
the Mormon Epoptoe can look upon, and
they are sworn not to reveal, are
sealed to the stalwart male Saint such |
number of the opposite sex as may wish |
to gain entrance to the celestial abode |
by means of the excess of his admissible |
ity-for it is Mormon idea that seems |
to have been borrowed from the conven-
lent theory of the Arab prophet that the |
only passport to heaven of the woman |
Is certificate of ownership of some
fractional part of the sanctifed man.
The Latter-Day Saint of the male gen.
der, like the luxurious advertising agent
of the travelling circus, can admit to
witness the angelic hosts in brief tunics
that joyfully pirOutte on the backs of the
celestial Arabian steeds Of the true
breed OF HdynlaT, any number Of his
female friends who without such pass
port, must wander forever on Stygian
shore without hope of getting over.
Unluckily, this Epeculiar tenet of the
Mormon religion is not provided against
N the new suppression-of-polygamy bill.
The Eleusinian mysteries of the Cen
dowment-house" cannot be suppressed
by any legal direction concerning the
registration of marriage contract.
Nor is there good ground for the
opinion that the Mormon prosecuting
system will be broken up by it. There
- nothing in it to prevent the immigra-
ton fund from being transferred to an
other church account before the meas
IRE shall take effect. How then can il
prevent the annual exodus of a swarm of {
Mormon missionaries, who, distributing :
themselves over Europe, will continue 9
% forward to the holy land shiploads of !
gnorant and superstitious converts .
% increase and multiply a much-marry-
ng people? At this moment comes q s.
Message from Germany saying that the =
authorities Of that empire care much c
Igitated over the energy and success of 9
american Mormon emissaries in making Il
'roselytes in Thuringen and other parts q
4 Prussisn Saxony." They do not g
penly preach the beaut1tudes of the Il
endowment-house" They ~depict the II
gricultural and other advantages Of
JJtah in terms that probably answer ty
be Thuringian peasants notion az fho CT
etter world. They thus obtain, among q
ei9-Work1ng maids of Germany ship. q
,aos OF proseiytes OF ssthe poor and ie- Z
oIant classes that viii most readily q
ccept all that Mormonism implies. rat
a - added that the authorities of b
axony have started crusade against d
le 4ormons, which will probably Re. pl
alt IN their expulsion from the province eC
pa possibly from the whole eupire . 81
{ least, i he should undertake II. Bis- 3
arg would pc apt 70 deal more efTec-
Vely with the Mormon problem than
e American Congress has done m. "
g the lingo candidate should IS meda e
and dispatch the invincihIs | g
merlcan navy with orders Ia snnr,rsss I'll
81 Herman autocrat. for intarfesr1s,, =. 50
ltn an unalienable right of Amer;ran "
t1zensa performance that would - e.
Lactiy IN the line Of the plnmed Rn;o.4,tss
'rObatic foreign policy.
IS Y
-A1aIi{ tl1FtF years have passed rinca &
e governing agencies of this courtr~ pt
glslatlxe, judicial and executive ~, 50
e t0oling with the Mormon nrohIar, !, lns
uK.ng the greater part of tie ner;e5 el
{ distinctly avowed purpose hsr kee:n' X
extlnguish that relic, s.. rafl1er fIct
ylyal, Ct baThsgiaa, the Eorni1o31 ~. n,es
flaA system. IS not exfineusshsa IA "a
enormousIy broader, fln1sI st l..,'s. 81
pre- Aggressive and au6aefnslr ,s.s.. "a
an y WIS when the und ertak inc I,eas,, 81
hss been st any time intern,el5 80 80 Sd
a the latest legislative roTonr $780, w
onlses e Be more elIIeaciions. 1900, sr.i, I'll
lion than TIE dlsi '''.ss -
Success donsn' hammer !, Il -.
iid cnna1Slon ~ - e = eiSl ~