The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-08-05
THE MORMON PEOPLE.
An Interesting Interview
With Delegate Caine.
INSTITUTIONS OF THE CHURCH
He Describes the Women of Utah
Plural Marriage President
MILFORD Wo druff.

| Caine, the Mormon delegate from U tab
Is monoeamist in practice. if not il
theory. He has but one wife, and Mrs
Caine is handsome. dark-eyed ladyo
about IS or 40 years of age. She lives
here at the capital with her husband
during the Congressional sessions, and
though she does not care much for the
society of the American capital. she is
a woman of culture and accomplish
ments. She is relative of Florence
Nightingale and an enthusiastic Nor
mon.
chatted with Mr.. Game last night
about Mormon women. Hessd:
The Mormon women are, in the true
sense of the word. helpmaets. They
have an exalted idea of the solemn and
responsible obligations of wifehood aud
ID motherhood. This is q result of the
| Mormon belief that marriage is for
eternity. The solemnities which attend
Mormon marriage, the teach
Ings of The church.. the ad-
monitious of mothers, all tend to de
velop the true biblical idea OF tbe mar
iage state. the true Mormon woman
considers herself an integral part of
the community, and is inspired with an
earnest purpose to fulfill her destiny in
this life, and is sustained and cheered
I uy The unWavering bllief that in the
| Lfe.to come Ter reward will correspond
TO the part she has sustained in the pre-
paratory state OF existence.
| The condition of Mormon women"
continued Mr.. Game, "has been sys-
temat cally misrepresented. Flom the
founding of the Mormon Church the
| spirituality of women, which is so
| largely developed, has contributed in Il
marked degree 10 the growth and
spread of The gospel as revealed to the
LatIer-Iay SAINTS. The constancy, the
herOism, the self sacrificing, self nbne-
gazing characteristics OF the good and
noble woman have, Ill no age and
among no people, been more conspicu-
Uusly displayed. Regard for a moment
what they have had to endure. 1t
has not been mere priVations incident
to expul lions from one settlement to
another, eliminating in the uuparal-
leled pilgrimage FROM the banks OF the
Mississippi to Salt Lake Valley, and
the dreadful experiences of The first
years in that desert region. Above and
beyond all mere physical dlscomforts
and sutferings there rested the weight
Of the worlds reproaches, the sneers,
the Uontumely, the pointing OF the
finger of scorn.
And during all the years from the
days of the Ssints sojournlng at Kurt
land, o., how many instances have
there been of women forsaking their
church, disavowing their belief in the
gospel revealed to Joseph Smith, OF
complaining of their lot, of seeking to
escape the slavery they have been
represented TO be living in2"
But" said l. were they not and
are not the Mormon women of to dav
less intelligent than the average Ameri-
can women?"
81 think not" replied Mr.. Game.
Our women, ever since tue days whit Il
Joseph Smith began to preach the new
and wonderful things which bad been
revealed to him, have been of the be st
stock of New England, New York,
Pennsylvania and the Western Reserve
of OHIO. They were just as intelligent,
just as refined. just as well educated as
The average wives, mothers and DANCE
tiers of the farmers of western New
York, eastern and western Pennsylva-
Dia, of Vermont, Massachusetts, Con-
necticut. New Hampshire and of north
eastern Ohio"
at is said that a majority of the
Mormons are ioreigners?"
THAT is altogether false; there is
smaller percentage of aliens among
them than is TO be found in the popula-
tion of many states and territories. |
We have as good a school system as
any territory can boast. There are |
fewer Mormons who cannot read and |
write than among the people of many |
northern states. The percentage of l.
literacy in Utah is precisely that of the |
state OF Connecticut.
How about woman's rights in
Utah?"
The Mormons were among the
frst," replied Mr.. Caine, "to dignity |
with the right of suffrage |
Under the laws of The Territory |
women can hold real as well as per
sonal property in their own right, sell
and convey the same, and engage in |
any kind of business independent of !
their husbands. There is not settle
ment in Utah which has rot young |
ladies' mutual improvement society. |
Some OF the ableSt opponents of the |
riSnLS OI WOH0D dTS N1OTHOn WIVES anu |
mothers. The W0n,an's Exponent, ed
lea and published by Mormon women,
is bright and able woman's Journal"
"How do the Mormon women regard |
the anti-poiygamy movement"
The majority of our women, like the
The great majority of Mormon Ineu
have never been in polygamy.
They believe, as. all Mormons do,
that the revelation to Joseph
Smith concerning celestial marriage
came direct from God, and that in GER
tain cases. and under certain circum-
stances plurality of wives was permits
,ive. The nature of woman is the same
The world over. Only religious conylc-
ION of an overwhelming character can
,onstrain any good woman to have
her husbands affections shared by an
,ther. But that conviction of relig-
Gus duty and self sacrifice will enable
. woman to curb her feelings and en-
lure unselfishly and even with cheer.
illness, so great trial, there can be ]
10 doubt. Some of the best, the
the noblest women that ever
ived have been Mormon plural wives"
els celestial marriage and plural
marriage one and the same thing?" I
.sked.
Certainly not. Celestial m arriage is
imDlv our marriage Ceremon and those