Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-12-17
MISS CLEVELAND AND THE MES
SAGE.

Ever since the appearance OF rreSiueht
Cleveland's message there has been more
or less conjecture as to whether he wrote
it all himself or not. Many have thought
that they saw the hands of the various
Secretaries in it, but it remained for the
New York Sun to introduce Miss Cleve-
land as a contributor The Sun thinks
that Miss Cleveland wrote that part OF
the message which relates to the Mormon
question, and says that the style in which
it is treated is as distinct from the rest of
the message as would be the inser-
ton of a dozen paragraphs from
Victor Hugo's writings into one
of DIR. Samuel Johnson's essays.
The part of the message which relates
to polygamous households is as follows ::
''The strength, the perpetuity, and the des-
tiny of the nation rest upon our homes, es-
tablished by the law of God, guarded by
parental care, regulated by parental author
ity, and sanctifed by parental love.
''These are not the homes of polygamy.
''The mothers of our land, who rule the
nation as they mould the characters and
guide the actions of their sons, live accord
ing to Gods holy ordinances, and each, Sc
cure and happy in the exclusive love of the
father of her children, sheds the warm light
of true womanhood, unperverted and unpol-
luted, upon all within her pure and whole
some family circle.
"These are not the cheerless, crushed, and
unwomanly mothers of polygamy.
';The fathers of our families are the best
citizens of the republic. Wife and children
are the sources of patriotism, and conjugal
and parental affection beget devotion to the
country. The man who, undefled with plu-
raj marriage is surrounded in his single
home with his wife and children, has
stake in the country which inspires him
with respect for its laws and courage for its
defense.
"These are not the fathers of polygamous
families.
's1here is no feature of this practice, or the
system which sanctions it, which is not op
posed to all that is of value in our institu-
tions.n
The style here is elevated and there is
certainly display of feeling that is
almost intense. The Sun finds in this
great similarity to peculiarities of meta
phor and other rhetorical figures, and the
fervid, indignant and impatient thought
which characterize the writing of Miss
Cleveland, and in proof of this great
similarity quotes from Miss Cleveland's
essay on Joan of Arc, and also from the
reply to DIR. Howard Crosby The fol-
lowing are the extracts:
''All the energy and devotion and credulity
and constancy and jealousy and consuming
passion and triumphant worship that goes
into a woman's love for one man and makes
it the thing it is, went from Joan's soul into
the cause of France
mother who to-day being pressed on every
side by the aggression Of King Alcohol, con-
fronts American men, the infant in her arms
her only sceptre, the motherhood on her
brow her only crown, and cries to them for |
protection of her kingdom, the home, carries |
in her cry an argument"
''God sees in the fearful cry of the bruised |
and baffied mother, sister, wife, His own |
argument for the suppression, root and |
branch, of the liquor traffic.
If Miss Cleveland did pen that part of
the message which relates to the Utah
matter, it is to her credit, while it in no
way detracts from the Presidents reputa-
ton. Miss Cleveland has made for her.
self an enviable reputation, although that
was much enhanced on account
of the elevation of her brother to the
That President Cleveland
holds his sister in great esteem is we'll
known, and if he requested his sister to
express his views upon the Mormon
question he has paid to her that homage
and distinction which John Stuart Mill
SO loved to bestow upon his wife, and it
was to her, he said, that he owed the
best thoughts in his Liberty" Miss
Cleveland may yet be an American Wit
toria Colonna.