The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-22

mistaken IN some ideas about the Nor
mons previously entertained. / have
been pleasantly surprised IN many IN
dividual Latter Day Saints; but con
fess that a closer acquaintance with Nor
mouism itself only deepeas my abhor-
renee for it. ! am continually confront
ed with the fact that this religion, like
some cTeeds Of Asia and Africa. is a
debasing instead Of an elevating force,
and that in the grasp Of foul delusion,
well meaning people IS being dragged
deeper and deeper into the mire, often
the loftlest parts OF their nature being
used ar q means Of forwarding the devils
work. This assertion Is no rhetorical ex-
aggeration, but, unfortunately, the sim
pie unYarnished fact. \ single example
viii suffice. A good saint came home
with his ID woman" after short we'd
ding trip. The neighbors met him with
the announcement that his wife. in the
meantime, learning the cause Of his
absence, had attempted 70 hang herself
Did the brother manifest pain or re-
morse Apparently not; for he answer
ed IF she wants to 20 tC hell, she can.
She shau't stand in the way OF my exal-
tatiou." Ia any other region that an
swer would be sufficient proof that that
man was a brute; but il j. not conciu
siye in Utah, for the reason that the
Mormon church j. constantly instilling
into the minds Of the Saints this very
principle, that there i no exsltation in
ghe future world for either the man or
his wife unless he is poIygamist. The
MJrmOns like TO hide this teaching from
tire world outside Of [ taA s~s u eige
outsiders to understand tina, oiygamy
Is an entirely voluntary rite. But to
citizens Of Utah, both Mormon and
Gentle, no fact Is more potent, not even
the Wasatch Mountains which over
shadow us, than this one that men and
women who by nature revolt from p0-
lygamy are actually forced into it by
the pressure which ''the church brings
to bear on their religious nature. ! do
not believe that Mormon men are natu-
rally any reader than other men to
break the hearts of their wives. That
they do il 80 often Is one of the crushing
indictments against the Latter Day
Church far more than against them.
About a year ago a story was made
public for whose literal truth I wilt not
youch but which to me is Iull Of truth
in substance, j. e., as representing the
present State Of Utah. \ few years
ago, the story runs, a young Mormon Of
education came to Salt Lake with his
wife. Soon after, a strong pressure was
brought to bear 10 force him to contract
a "a marriage. At length, the poor
wife, finding resistance hopeless gave
her consent and the new bride was
brought home \ few months later the
rTra har 4
starred babe never smiled and never
cried aloud but always, night and day,
asleep and awake, wept silently while an
expression, not of baby grief, but of
terrible anguish marked its face. 4 few
weeks passed and it Pined away and,
without visible ailment, sank into
the grave. My baby died of a broken
heart, said the wretched mother. ''It
shed the tears that l repressed before its
birth; and the agony that / hid in my
heart killed it at last" Waving any
dispute as 10 the details Of this fearful
tale, il admits of little question that that
baby face correctly represents Utah to-
day. Her cheeks are coursed by tears and
her face wrenched by an anguish the
cause of which she does not understand
and which she blindly supposes cruel
late, OF lue MORMON l4Ofu, HIS lHHiCl-
ed upon her. And, in the meantime,
the United States has been standing
idly BY, passive spectator, while men
whoeither wicked, or terribly misguided
have been multiplying such cases as
this--cases not like it, perhaps, in its
strange feature but quite equal to it in
its elements Of anguish and despair.
II another letter, | hope to tell my
readers Of the efforts now being put
forth to check this frightful evil and of
/ the part which every true lover of his
4 felowmen and of his country should
take in the work; part which may be
summed up in this one statement,
viz: to make it perfectly clear to all our
/ legislators at Washington that President
/ Cleveland spoke but the simple truth
when he declared that the conscience of
| the people demands that polygamy in
1.-THE territories, destructive of the family
and religion, and offensive to the moral
sense of the civilized world, shall be re-
pressed" w. FORBES COOLEY.
LEHI, Utah, April 1885.