Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-03-16
PLEASED With The Fairness OIL The
"D.SeTet News"
THE CONVERT WHITES TnErDIToE,


nh and containing an editorial heal.
~, UMIstakcn "a 10 That" iis tone is
"a unusually Just aud impartial that /
ampfompted TO thank you for thus
,,ieayoring to set your realora right
upon a most important subject and Tor,
lna sense, coming 10 my defense.
rccklessness hud gross inaccur.
aey which have characterized the
eGir.s Of mauy OF the newspapers 20
tell tho public what say aud believe
aud tho deasc ignorance OF the lslamic
ays,em and tho lives aud tho practices
OF tho MohammeJans Of the East man.
Tested Ivy some OF the editorial writers
In various paris OF the country have
annoyed mo considerably ana 70 is,
therefore, very rslroehing TO read your
iair, intelligent expressions regarding
tho teaching OF the Koran relative 90
p1lyeamy. Au editorial writer IN
New York, after duy1ting half q coll
umn to adisplay OF his ignorance re.
gnrdiug Mohammcj aud hia teach.
ines, seriously refers to hi N ~ "the
famous Greek prophet" In my
opinion that writer ~ not competent 10
txtrtss opinion upon tins subject.
have never said that tire lN1riu
inculcatos polygHmy, nor have / ever
faid that Mohummed told his followers
that they might marry ~ many wives
as they chose. ! am too familiar with
the book ~ make aucn mistake as
tlnt
ono OF the most striking evidence,
huve encountered Of tue DEPRIVED state
Of mind u q large proportion OF the
Americans with whom haNu come IN
contact since my return frou the East
h the pg0mptn,Hs with which they
cxcinimi "p0ly lHmyln When the sub-
jeot oi islam is referred 10. the hyp1'
critical expressions VI horror nud dis.
rust which they generally Indulge IN
am thclf utter failure % suu nuytniug
In the polygaIic relation butau nppof-
mnity iOr the varied AMI uubridlel
Indulgence VI tue sexual instinct "
iAcuuutiuH,
Duriug my travels In The East was
Constantly la the company aud homes
ot Mohummc1 ns auu / never honrI
ono NJ them tell "a fhudy story, 20 make
his companions laugh, discuss, IN ANY
way, thB relations oil thp sexes. refer
70 their wives in conversation with
other men, nor utter n single wOrd or
cAplussiun that might not have been
heard without bush by the most re-
nued lady IA our country. In America
] have heard stOftcs and expression.
from the IA uthH VI merchants, pro-
festioual men and even CLERGY
that were obscene, AMI la some gases,
Absolutely titg listing 10 me.
Tue sexual relation seems 10 hold u
very insianliicant place In tho minds
OF tho thousands OF devout NOLAN.
medans have met; they do NOS look
upon marriage solely ns n means OF
sensual qualification, Our prophet
taught that the union OF the sexes had
Htar higher meaning than thataud that
woman was TOO TAR above the animal
plane 10 be used by mau as a mere toy or
playlhlng. have met very lew
Americans who seem 10 be ablo 10
realize that 1t IL possible Tor q mau TO
have wife and never exercise all the
rights aud privileges OI n husband.
They germ to be FIRMLY welded 10 The
idea that all man needs IN oruor u
Rive iuil play % the animal within
him ia 90 have legal opportunity 60
quite extensive, leads mo % believe
mat the average Mussulman takes "a
much higher view Of the marriage re-.
ntou than does the average Amer!.
can.
am Ru advocate OF polygamy
unirr certain conditions, but / am
Tree 10 say that | would not advocate
it's Introduction into our social systtm.
The masses are not moral enough, IRE
not able To rise above the animal IN
thuif nature sufficiently u use the
privilege wtely and Justly; II would
pr0ve a curse. II is not part Ol the
lslamic system and our prophet clearly
discouraged IT. practice. lie found
the Arabs INDUCING In Unlimited
loiygamy aud treating their numerous
Wives ~ II they hal no rights that
any ono wos bound TO respect. lie
mod iied these conditions, restored the
Arab women to their proper sphere
and In many places abolished polygamy
eutlrely.
The idea that polygamy is
praclieei by the masses OF the
eastern MohammeGans Il a grave error.
The Indian MohRmmedan with moro
than one vito il rarely 10 he found
and In Turkey, Egypt nnd Arabia the
almost universal rule Ii 20 have one
wile. Hut there are cases where u
man might very properly take two
wivCs; these chses ura provided Tor IN
the lslamic laws anu frequently much
misery ana suffering are thereby pre-
vented.
Rather AN amusing incident oc-
Cured last week at one Of the uptown
clubs in tAil city anu | tell II simply
iu illustrate a point which you viii
readily understand. A party OF
EpiscOphliRns were seated In corner
Oi the rtauing room discussing church
matters. Three or four OF them were
vestrymen. An old lhent Of mine
WHO has taken quite an interest IN
my lectures and 10 generally supposed
to have become Interested In Islam,
entered the room aud was Immediately
greeted with;
"Hollo, Old man, when are you
going to start your hnrhm2"
This remark was mndc by one Of the
Vettrymrn aud all toe rest OF the party
burbt into loud laugh.
We'll, "said my friend when the
laughter had somewhat subsidized,
when lido Pm going 10 have It under
my own roof and not DO aiy0u fellows
The laughter ceased and the die.
cusslOn OF church ni,airs was resumed.
Yours very sincerely.
ALEXANDER RUSSELL WEEP.