The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-06-12
A WIDE DIFFERENcE.

The Mormons knew when they
adopted pOlygamy as a Tent of theil
religion that II was contrary TO the Law
of every State then in the Union. They
became law-breakers deliberately and
with their eyes. wide open 10 the TACT
hat they were lawDreakers.-P
phIa Times.
The Times has made very common
error in relation to the plural wife doc
Urine oil the Mormon people in the above.
The error arises from the fact that the
TI1lss has COMPOUNDED the plural wife
system of the Mormons with common
bigamy and there is a wide difference Ii
is very questionable whether the laws
which the Times refers to as existing in
every State OF the Union against poly
gamy at the time the Mormons ccepted
their plural wife system. if they received
fair unbiased Interpretation. would
have punished the Mormons The
difference between Mormon plural mar
riage and common bigamy is largely
due 10 the fact that in the former no
element of deception is used, which in
the latter constitutes the chief heinous-
ness of the crime. In Mormon plural
marriage the plural relationship is
entered into with a full knowledge of
the situation by all parties concerned:
and with the free consent OF all con-
cerned. No one, then, is deceived; no
ones rights are interfered with; the
second or third wife occupies position
Just as honorable as the first; whatever
distinction the laws of the land may
make, be it said to the honor of the
Mormon people who believe in the di-
vinity OF plurality of wives. as practiced
by them, they make none.
On the other hand, in bigamy the
man carefully keeps concealed the fact
of his first marriage, while paying his
address 10 his intended victim. he de-
ceives his victim. and IN reality gets
possession of her person under false
pretenses; ana think of the shame and
degradation she must feel when she
discovers the deception and realizes
that she may be dismissed from the bed
of him she had esteemed her husband,
as common prostitute. and her chit
dren branded with illegitimacyl Not
only has the second wife been deceived
BY the villains DOUBLE dealing, but
the FIST wife has been deceived.
and also deserted. Where these women
trusted, they have been BETRAYED. and
all the affections are turned TO gall. No
star of promise appears in their horizon
-aiI their hopes a;e wrecked aud
-loomy despair settles. over them
for life. But none of these
horrors can be &, consequences of Nor
mon plural marriage. from the fact that
no deception is practical The second
wife IS not betrayed, the FIRST wife i. not
deserted; confidence in the husband is
not lost; it creates no scandal in the
community where it is practiced, but is
regarded as a religious duty, and there
fore considered honorable, and. these
cpnsiderations strip Mormon plurality
OF all the honors which diseased brains
have sought 70 load upon it.
Bat raining what the Times says Is
true about polygamy being punished by |
the laws Of every State in the Union at
the time the Mormons accepted poIyg-
amy, did not the Mormons leave the
United States end come to Mexico? |
And once here, did the laws OF the dif-
ferent States apply TO them when in |
NJ xico1 Certainly rot. Then when
their land was ceded to the United States
did the laws of any separate State |
apply to them in their new situation?
No. Wa there any United States law
againss polygamy that then applied to
the Terr tories7 No, there vas none |
until 1862, so that the Mormons were
here with their social institution before
there was any law to prohibit their !
plural marriages. aud they have not be-
come law breakers defiantly, but laws I
were enacted against a settled social I
and religious institution among them. /