St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-31
POIYgamy in High Life.


Let us now turn to polygamy in high life.
Lorenzo Snow, one of the high cOunselors,
having reached the advanced age of three
score years and ten, decided to have fam
lily reunion, and considering that he had
No. wife with two daughters, No. with
one daughter and two SONS, No. with two
daughters and three sons, No. with three
daughters and two sons, No. with six
daughters and two sons, No. with two
daughters and one son, No. with three
daughters and three sons, No. S with two
daughters and three sons, No. with two
daughters and one son, making in all twen-
ty-three daughters and nineteen sons, he
had pretty gOod-sized family to assemble
about him. There were I'm all 164 immedi-
ate descendants to sit around the family
board, and to give them all dinner it
took three days. This old man is well pre-
served, reads the finest print with
out glasses, and only lost by
death twenty-three of his numerous
family, including some of the
wives. Program for the three evenings, in
which no one but immediate members of
the family took part, 1 give below: The
play, Loves Sacrifice" was written by
one of them, and all the music furnished
by them, all the characters sustained by
them, as they are all more or less musical,
pOetical and dramatic: 1. Evening parlor
entertainment. ?. Theatrical perform
ance. 3. Family dance.
The platform was 12X65 feet, on which
sat the family, with the exception of five
and twenty little ones on benches in front
of it. On it was piano. organ and brass
band. The family table was 22x45 feet
long, and there were two of
them. As it is considered dis
grace to be a bachelor, these were
all seated at one end of table and served
by maiden sisters. The following is an ex-
tract from one of the speeches made at
that time by one of his bachelor sons, which
is rather significant, as this reunion was
held after the Edmunds act, and they
openly boast of their plural marriages,
which they ale now striving SO hard to con-
ceaI.
He spoke of the gathering being a unique
one, and its counterpart unknown for many
generations. Let us pray it may never be
known again in the generations that are to
come. ''To the principle of plural marriage
you are indebted for this extraordinary
scene to-day. As the Puritans of England,
our pilgrim fathers were inspired to come to
this far-Off land to found new nation, so
the Lord permitted us to come to these
mountains and wales to become the founders
arise in this land. As Abraham was tried
and proven i'll the offering of his son before
he could be counted worthy to stand at the
head of the dispenSatiOn he inauguTated so
we, in order TO be worthy of the founders
of this new civilization, must endure what
appears to our natural feelings, and worldly
pride. as sacrifice. Let the men and
women who have evinced this moral cour-
age occupy the chief place and position
to which they are justly entitled,
and let the bachelor and confirmed
mOnogamiSt make way for them. | am
now looking on the tenth generation of
Shows since the arrival of our forefathers
upon the shores of the New England states.
Our grandsire was enlisted under Washing
ton. Two pictures present themselves to
our view. On the one side behold man
who has fought bitterly against the truth;
on the other hand see man whose whole
natural life has been spent in furthering the
work of truth. The first bereaved man
mourning the loss of an only daughter; and
as a mans wealth consists in the number of
things and beings which he loves and the
number OF those who love him, this man is
poor indeed. And when he dies, though he
may have great pOmp and pageantry at his
funeral, STILL speaking relative to his fam
lily and kindred ties, he will go down to his
grave 'unknelled, uncOffined and unknown
this opponent of truth is Mr.. Edmunds''
presume Mr.. EdmundS feels profoundly
grateful for the pity SO kindly volunteered.
The following is an extract from the old
mans parting speech to his children:
''Forty years ago bachelor with errone-
Gus views on the subject and necessity of
marriage, its external blessings and crown
ing glOry-no loving wife to say dear
husband;' no child to lisp the endearing
words my papa and now surrounded by
and in the midst of wives, "a host of chill
dren and grandchildren. What a grand
and glorious transition. You, my children,
should keep in lively remembrance that you
are the fruits of my obedience to the law of
plural marriage; that it is your duty to
know and magnify this law as you have
the opportunity. 1 trust your mothers will
employ no influence on the minds of their
children to cause feelings to grow up in
their hearts against these principles. Treat
your fathers wives kindly and respectfully.
God has called them to be associated with
Him through time and eternity, to assist in
his duties and responsibilities and share in
his glory and dominion