The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-27
WERE WE MOHAMME DANS
MISSIONARY WEBB TELLS HOW
WOMEN WOULD BE TREATED.

We Are Too Wicked for Poly9amy.
Americans Not Good Enough to
Make Plural Wives Advisable.
From tho Net1 York Press.
When Alexander Russell Webb, late
United States consul TO the Philippines,
landed in New York, it was with the cons
seriousness that he was the only American
born Mohammedan who had ever walked
down a gang plank into Gotham.
But be did not intend to remain in this
unique position very long; on the contrary,
he brought with him a large amount of
missionary zeal, several copies Of the Koran
and left the green banner Of Islam beh nd
only because it was not of convenient shape
TO into his trunk. For Mr.. Webb be.
lieves in Mohammed. He thinks that Mo
manned has been greatly misrepresented
all these years, and that 1t is no more than
fair that some one should stand up for him
now that he can't stand up for himself.
That some one Mr.. Webb is ready to be.
Mohammedanism In itself may not be ex-
actly novel, but an American Mohammedan
is, and so, like other transatlantic novelties!
MIR. Webb stepped from the steamer into
the arms of the newspaper men. They
asked him how it felt to be Mohamuedau
and if he expected TO make many converts,
and who Mohammed was, anyhow, all Of
which Mr., Webb answered politely. But
no one esked him about the status of women
under the lMohammedan regime, although
we have been led to believe that il differs
some what from that in vogue in the United
States.
So, when a representative OF the Press
asked Mr.. Webb how the women of this
country would be affected in case his Mo-
hammedan projects all came true, the pro-
phet Of Islam was able 10 bring to bear on
the subject some new ideas.
THE QUESTION OF PoLYGAMY.
There Is first, of course, the question of a
plurality Of wives. ibis the prophet de-
clared TO be misunderstood in this country.
Said he: ''Mohammed himself did not en-
courage the practice, some historians 70 the
contrary Notwithstanding. He himself was
married to Khadijah, the wealthy widow
for whom be had been business manager,
and made her a faithful and exemplary
husband. Ayesha. said to have been made
bis wife at the age OF 9, after Khadijah's
death, was the daughter Of his bosom friend
Abu- Bekr, adopted into his family because
she had no mother aud no settled home. IL
is true that in the fourth chapter OF the
Koran Mohammed states that man may
take in marriage of other women two or
three or four and not nore"-that is,
if he is certsin that he can treat
two or more wives with per
feet justice and love, he may have
leave to try, but few of the faithful avail
themselves of the privilege. l have talked
with thousands of Mohammedans aud Of
all these only two possessed more than one
wife.
but, just suppose q married man of
means meets with young girl whose
parents are dead, or a widow without
grown sons, VINO needs a home; be may
take the young woman or the widow into
his family, as a companion TO his wife and
to himself. not standing TO her in any way
as a husband. or she TO him as wife. That
is how it comes about that there are many
Mohammedans with two or more Of what
We may call wives
WE ARE TOO WICKED FOR IT.
"Do you think that this custom would do
for American " a asked.
NO" said the prophet, shaking his head
sadly. Were not good enough here"
IN other words. it Is the eastern way of
providing for the inevitable "surplus
women" Here they go into business or the
professions, or a convent, perhaps land
sometimes TO the bad but under Islam their