The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-05-12
POLYGAMY AGGRESSIVE.

And il all happened because Of a
composite photograph Yankee Blade.
POLYGAMY AGGRESSIVE.
It Flourishes Readily I'm the Stony
Fields OF Ignorance.
Anyone who thinks that Mormonism
has any idea of dying is m staken. 1t
is not in its decadence, but is scatter
ing seeds which are terminating in 9TH
er parts of the world than Utah. 1t is
well known that the propagating pow
er of plants is in inverse ratio to their
usefulness. We can start gympsum
weed or a dog-fennel patch where the
cereals will not grow at all except un-
der the most favorable cond tons and
careful cultivation. So polygamy -four
ishes readily in stony fields of ignor-
ance when mouogamy requ res the
culture of law and gospel
Polygamy has already got one nation
by the ears in Scandinavia. 1t is said
that the "burning question" up. there
just now is whether man shall have
as many wives as he pleases with the
sanction of the law or be confined to
one. The country is on the verge of
civil war on this question and the peo-
pie are divided into two hostile parties.
The liberals are in favor of legalizing
polygamy. They have an able
leader in prominent divine.
He has the masses with him. and
the country is flooded with literature
on the subject of the most realistic
character. The peasant women have
declared most emphatically for polyg-
amy. The king and the aristocraoy.
with the conservatives, are fighting
polygamy. 1t is the great question OF
the day now there and monopolizes
public attention, for it tire: rs to pro-
duce a revolution. 1t is said that the
proba bilities are that the liberals will
triumph and establish polygamy by
law. These people are mainly Protes-
tants. have schools, and read. They
sustain their position by the Old Testa-
ment and arguments based on morals,
political economy, statistics. and his
tory. There is surplus of females.
The country needs population. There
are not enough husbands to 60 round.
They invoke religion and morality to
sanction legal plural marriages rather
than to sustain immortality and illegal
cohabitation consequent upon great
disproportion of sexes. just what is
going on in Scandinavia to-day will be
repeated in Utah if that territory is
admitted as state. Utah has sown
the evil seed that is troubling Scandi-
navia to-day and may trouble other
countries.
There are many people who are
really in favor of polygamy who are
ashamed to say so because of public
sentiment in their locality. More act
ually practice it than are known. Ere
quently instances become public, as
one recently in New York. where sew
en- legally married wives claimed one
husband, who was never suspected OF
polygamy until he died. 1t is not very
difficult to convince an ignorant man
tired of one wife that he has as good
a right to two as any of the patriarchs
He is not able to follow the argument
that has made monogamy general II
Christian lands, and he does not care
if Jacob and Esau consulted conven
fence and comfort only. The road il
easy from right to duty. and not a hare
one to travel when religion points thu
way and passion says ''walk We there
in" In an ignorant community
where there is great excess of females
and superstition or religion-sometime
interchangeable terms-a trained Nor
mon preacher can silence the ablest de
batter against him. He will not nee'
to refer to the Mormon bible or tn
gold plates that Joe Smith found. H
will read the biography of Solomon. Wit
a smattering of science he will convinc
his hearers that there was time whel
there were no marriages-when human
beings ran together like monkeys ant
the strongest male had the most wives
Because polygamy was once general b
will argue that it is always right. .
he will show that the whole question
one of economics and convenience, +
be governed by the environment, an
that poly andry, long-and now-estat
lished at Thibet serves useful pun
pose by keeping down the populat on
Where all of seven brothers there hav
the same wife the family expenses ar
kept down. as they should be in poo
and barren country. The lectures of
: Mormon apostle are often reinforce
by social philosophers who assert tbs
idiots, imbeciles. and lunatics should b
prevented by law. So that shrew
and well-equipped Mormon elder hs
, helpers where least expected. for if
is admitted that law should contrt
,. marriages it follows that it ought
prevent diseased people from increasin
imbeciles to be public charge.
The end of the Mormon problem
not yet Unless polygamy is MOI
vigorously and sternly dealt with tina
!, it has ever yet been its advocates an
its dangers must be greatly increase.
Chicago Times.
Woman's Most Interes ting Age
"What is the most interesting age {