Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-14

state Is CONSISTENT WIN happiness IN lnl
N that the common good with respect t
this world is consistent with welfare i
the world to come.
Assuming then that such actions an,
institutions as promote human welfar
d are morally right, and that such action
as produce pain and distress are wrong
and assuming, also, that justice (Which i
equalness) is right, l will endeavor t
e test by these rules the morality of tn
monogamic marriage (the marriage o
one man to one woman) and the poly
gamic marriage (the marriage of one maj
to two OR more women).
Whether we consider marriage in Law
simply as contract, or as more than {
contract-a status-a state or condition
s it should fix the rights and duties OF the
parties with respect to each other. They
are mutually bound to love, respect and
; cherish each other. Each has right tc
, the affection, the society and the support
: of the other. 1t is union for life or until
severed according to law. All the duties
, of the husband which belong to the re.
I lation are due to the wife, and the duties
which the wife owes that relation are due
to the husband. If the husband may
neglect such duties and deprive his wife
of the benefits and happiness which their
discharge would bring, if he may divide
his society, his attention and his support
with other women, if he may thus neglect
his wife and her children for the benefit of
other women and their children, and the
wife still be held to discharge all the
duties which belong to the relation, then
marriage is for the wife an unequal and
unjust contract And if the wife may
refuse to discharge her obligations also,
then this holy union of matrimony has
no binding effect and free love or promis-
Guilty must follow. With the overthrow
OF the institution of marriage will come
the destruction of the family and of the
home, and that refuge of chastity, of
purity and of virtue-the fountain of de-
votion, of love and of happiness, the in
stitution which furnishes so largely the
incentives to industry, to self respect, to
fidelity and to patriotism sure founda-
ton OF social order, of prosperity and
progress, and the corner stone upon
which civilized government reposes, will
inevitably be destroyed.
The great number of divorces obtained
in the District and Probates Courts of
this Territory and the illegal divorces
heretofore granted by the Mormon
church show that the institution of mar
rage is regarded lightly where polygamy
prevails. Under the statutes of this Ter
rltory divorces may be obtained for such
trivial causes, and have been so fire.
quently granted, that the 'fUtah DIVORCE
is proverbial term of derison and con-
tempt. And it must be so, since the ten
dency Of polygamy is to make marriage
means for the qualification of passion
and bestial lust.
Again, polygamy is based upon the
idea that woman is mans inferior, not
upon the idea that she is his |
equal; it disregards her womanhood, her
rights and her claims. The laws of this |
Territory abundantly illustrate this propo
sition. These laws, with respect to the
rights of married women to property. like
the institution whose influence probably
enacted them, properly belong to by
gone age; they are unworthy OF this.
Polygamy brings woman into contempt.
and must result in her degradation; it
tends to make her an object of low and
grovelling desires. Its tendency is back
wards and downwards to the barbarism
where the monogarlic marriage found
her, with the yoke of oppression and in
J justice upon her in the chains Of slavery.
Monogamy broke the yoke and loosed
her chains, and led her up the shining
way OF progress to the high plane OF
equality, justice and liberty. Her exalta-
ton has ever attended human progress
and human welfare demands that she
shall be regarded as the equal of man.
In the darkness OF barbarism and in the
wales of superstition woman is a slave:
in the light of intelligence and truth, and
On the hllltops of progress and civiliza- c
lon' she is crowned with respect and O
owe. She IS mans equal before man and
before God, and she is free. e
Ihe family composed of one husband v
md one wife and the children of that G
mon are more likely to agree and CO. =
operate than the family composed of one
luspand and many wives and the chill g
lren OF such relations. The mother p
VIII De impartial and just between e
Ter own children, but she will not e
,e so between her own and the d
children OF other living wives, because a
he has not the same feelings and affec- Il
IONS toward them. All the children of "
ne monogamlc marriage bear the same IL
elatlon to both parents and to each other d
ne family Is held by common tie; all CT
IS members have equal feelings and af- A
ectlons, common hopes and aspirations. r
nd good will, harmony and happiness NJ
re likely to prevail but rivalries, ami OF
losltles, dlssensions, ill-will, discord and
nhapplness are likely to grow up and "a "a
zist in family composed of one hus- 1t
ana and numerous wives and the chill oV
rem OF such wives. Such family in Ia Ia,
udes all the elements of domestic dis w
'rd: superstition and fear may keep it ga
own, but it will then become a smoth- to-
ed fire consuming the peace of the mr.
The happiness and welfare of society We r,s
'mand that children when growing up ''o
all have the care, attention, support g..
unset, advice and example of the father s sel
well as OF the mother. The great mass To- p"
men are hardly able to provide for and ~
ing up well one family of children. If -
nan attempt more, there will surely he pc.
elect somewhere. While the Chris we
n world believes that the New Testa- do do
mt condemns polygamy, it also believes oe =
1t infinite wisdom and goodness are
lii nature; that the disposition
men and women to associate together
to fefin the relationship termed mar F
&c is an expression in natural law Of + VIII
VIII OF the Great Author. And the low
'tIve proportion OF males to females
also believed to be an intimation
nature upon the subject of marriage G
n the same infinite source. Ii polvg- cent
were such an expression upon the suit.
Ject of marriage, it is reasonable to men
lme that it would have been so or and
ed that several females for each male
Id appear on the stage of human ex-
nee. And assuming the Great
wby h. si nn WISE ana INFINITELY Lans
lest state of Development her best ''e'
tea fond desire to be the only wife? r.,
i horror of ho;nn o,,o =. uieau ana u, IN noiss
SHE nafIlra x,rla al, ii, 49,.