The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-03-07

900 and other cities with a like ratio
according to the number of inhabitants.
Unfortunately, a record of the OPP
poSlte sex is not kept.
We are accused of being down -trod-
den and oppressed. We deny the
| charge! for we know there cannot be
found a class of women upon the
earth, who occupy more elevated
position in the hearts of their hus-
bands, or whose most delicate and re-
nned feelings are SO respected as here
ia Utah.
True, we practice plural mar
rage, NOT, however, because we are
compelled to, but because We are
convinced that it is divine revelation.
and we find ID this principle satisfac-
ton, contentment and more happiness
than we can obtain in any other rela-
tionship.
Let our works speak for US. We are
a temperate, God-fearing, law abiding
people. We consider virtue and chasti-
ty the GROWING ornament of Woman's
character. Our ladies are educated
and refined, and their lives are con-
stantly characterized by acts of nobili-
ty, fOrtitude and usefulness.
We protest and must insist, that
should the bills now pending in Con-
gress become law it will be as unjust
as it is uncalied-fer.
How strange that the rulers of this
nation should overlook the glaring and
paIpable evils that so thlckly beset
themselves and traverse thousands OF
miles in order to stigmatize a small
handful OF luoffensiye people called
"MormonS," who have already been
driven TO desert land where it was
supposed they would soon perish and
die from starvation and eXpoSurel
For few years we were unmolested;
our oppreSSorS were almost obliviouS
of our existence until we had sur
rounded ourselves with comfortable
and beautiful homes, redeemed the
soil and made this barren region to
bloom as a vast and fertile garden.
And then again they wage this perse-
cutiOn with relentless hand, when all
we desire is to be left alone, to live in
Seemeth to US best; and Willingly do
we accord the same unbounded priv
ilegeS to all creeds and nations.
ITO err is human to forgive divine"
We forgive and pity our enemies, real
izing that God and one man are great
majority; and that the Latter-day
Saints will ultimately prevail and tri-
umph over the opposition of the whole
world.
The next address was by
LAURA HYDE MINER.
We have met to protest against the
indignities and insults that are heaped
upon the women of Utah at the present
time, and to insist on our right to ar
range our domestic affairs according
to our own conscience.
The great head of the nation has
said, the welfare of a country was CEN
tered in the homes of the land, where
the husband and the pure monoga-
nous wife ruled their children in love.
Can he lay claim to such a home, a
wife and children. heirs to fathers
fame and mothers virtue? Are the
priests and sisterhoods of the Roman
Catholic church, bound to celibacy by
the strictest VOWS, doing their duty to
their country according to that stand
point?
Yet who would dream of Congress
Iegislating away the bachelors free
dom or forcing priest or nun to sac
religious marriage.
Another illogical point in our treat
men. is, all women are disfranchised
who are living with polygamist; the
legal wife as well as the others, for our
lawmakers hold that if she lives with
him, to whom she was married for
better or for worse, she is equally
guilty. Yet learned judge has lately
dragged legal wife into court to tes-
tify in a case against her husband,
holding that the wrong was against
her, so she was competent witness
and must testify, or be adjudged gull
ty of contempt. The law making
branch has taken from US the right of
suffrage, whereby we might have as
serted ourselves at the ballot and
righted our wrongs, if we had any,
and now the law-enforcing side has
taken us in hand and robbed US of
sweet and marital confidence. We
must be traitors to ourselves Gor we
are one with the men whose names we
bear) or be lodged in prison and be
subjected to insult.
The law now pending in Congress
D opposes to disorganize our institu
Il ons and apply the surplus means to
other purposes than the people in
tended, Are the religious bodies of
these United States prepared for such
a precedent?
We are not only pleading, protest
ing and suffering for our own liberty,
but Tor the future freedom of every
citizen of this country.
What laws are made for the benefit
of the whole nation, we are willing
to abide by or bear the penalty of their
infringement without complaint, for
we know that God is able and willing
to reward His servants.
Now we wish to bear our testimony
to those that are arraying wives and
children against their husbands and
fathers that, with what measure We
mete it shall be measured to you
again"
DIR. E. S. BARNEY.
was the next speaker. She said:
1t Is said we live in free country,
for which our fathers fought aud bled,
where is enjoyed free speech, a free
press, and right to worship God &C
| cording to the dictates of our
own conscience. Not so; runner
has falsely spoken. Utah is the
exception. Her history has not
/ Ii - OH &r,