St. Paul daily globe., 1885-03-29

SENATOR EDMUNDs.
son is in every way fit to enter upon this
state, that he is able to support second wife
or third as the case may be, and that he is
fit in every way to assume the increased re-
sponsibility. 1t is high privilege which few
men obtain, and it is never granted outside
the home of the church.'S
''You speak of the rapid increase OF the
membership of the church, Mr.. Caine. Is
that because of the addition from the out
side. or the natural inereasew
Both. We have large numbers of mis-
sonaries in all parts of the world, but the
most Of our increase comes from natural
causes. We are, you know, marrying peo-
pie. We look upon it as
DUTY TO MARRY,
and not only to marry but to beget children.
Our families are very large. Instead of one
or two or three children, as is the case in the
East, it is not unusual for our families,
where there is but one wife, to consist of ten
or twelve children. Marriage is considered
one of the religious duties, and the rearing
of children the same. There is no infanti-
eide among US in any form or stage, no
matter how rarely it is considered murder.
The result is that we have very rapid in
crease in population"
"And do all who are sons and daughters
of Mormons become Mornons themselves!"
''Not all, but very large proportion
There are occasional cases where they do not,
and there are cases where those who accept
the Mormon faith renounce 1t, but they are
rare.''
"They have that privilege without re-
straintr'
Certainly" he said with an amused
smile. ''They are as free as anybody in
this country to do as they like in these mat
ters. Take my own case, for instance. l
was not raised Mormon. l went there
from New York city over thirty years ago,
having accepted the Mormon faith after an
examination in New York. have always
had
PERFECT FREEDOM OF SPEECH
and thought, and have never had any re-
straint about speaking my mind, even to
Brigham Young himself, for l was much
with him in his lifetime"
"What do you think of the published state
ment few days since that the church was
thinking of doing away with polygamy!"
Il think there is nothing in it. 1t would
be impossible. 1t is part of our religion,
and part Of the church faith. 1t is not i'm
possible that polygamY may be dropped as a
matter of policy, but the Mormon church as
long as it exists will hold as one of its vital
principles that it is right, under certain cir
cumstances, for q man TO have more wives
than one. We believe it is so, that it has
always been so, that Goo has always counte-
nanced it, that the great social evil, which is
the greatest cancer that society has to con-
tend.with, shows 1t to be so, and that the
world would be infinitely better off and
happier and purer in every way if our
way of thinking and our practices
were general. You will admit,
everybody admtss that the social evil is
productive OF the greatest harm to society. 1t
makes outcasts of women, waits of children,
breaks up homes. makes violation of the
marriage vows n thing Of common occur
renee, and is the cause of more suffering
than any other feature of the dark side of
life Well, we do away with this. BY our
system we have none of it. 1t is absolutely
unknown with us.
CHASTITY Is As SOLEMN A vow
with US and is as reigiously kept as with a
nun or priest. The violation of this is con-
sidered q crime next to murder. The evil
which breaks mp homes with you, and makes
thousands of other homes unhappy, which
causes so much misery in every form, is ab-
solutely unknown with us, and might be un-
known everywhere If our system were
adopted.
Senator Edmuuds and the Edmunds law
are the object of anything but affection on
the part of the Mornons. They pronounce
his law tyrauuica and unconstitutional. 1t
Is, they say, ex post facto, 10 that ii in
cludes in its workings all VINO have
ever lived in polygamy, no matter If they be
now widowcrs without a single wife or
widows. The manner in which the law is
enforced, they say, is tyranny. Whether the
new administration will give them any more
satisfactory administration of the law, they
say, they are not able 10 determine. Mr.
Edmunds himself is understood to be of the
opinion that the law will gradually work great
benefits, and with some additional legisa-
ton and the strict enforcement, may work a
FINAL DIsAPPEARANCE OF PoLYGAMY.
Judge Carleton, one of the members of
the Utah commission, is here. He says OF
the recent supreme court decision; ''It is
substantially in favor of the commissioners
and validity of the law. The court has held
that the atfidayits required of voters prior to
registration are invalid. Therefore some
other means Of discrimination between
those who are polygamists ard those
who are not will have to be devised. The
Mormous in Utah have been expecting that
the court viii hold the law, or most of it, to
be demonstrations and invalid, and trust
that this decision will show to the people of
Utah the futility Of longer continuing in de-
6ance Of the laws of the federal govern
ment.n
In 4 few days the other members of the
commission will be here for the purpose of
comforting with the president aud other Off
GERS Of the executive government prepara-
tory to resuming operations in Utah early in