The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-09-17
vuLTuREs AMONGST DOVES.

Editor Democratstar.
In your issue of the 5rd INST. ! see
an article from one 7. q. Kelley, in
which he defends the Mormon church,
or as he styles it, the Latter Day
Saints. He vigorously denies the
charge of polygamy. The laws OF our
government forbid them preaching or
practicing it; and outside of the
law, it would be well for them to deny
it, for very few people would be
willing to listen to the advocacy OF a
thing so revolving. But this denial
does not satisfy the citizens of Esca-
tawpa, and they are determined that
It's vile influences shall be removed
from their neighborhood. | have
known the people of Escatawpa for
many years. They were for ten years
my neighbors. and | am intimately ac-
Quainted with the parties that took
down the Mormon tent. They are
high-toned gentlemen, they love and
respect the laws Of the country. But
there is another law that was enacted
| with the creation Of man. And 1t has
guided the actions of mankind from
the foundation of the world. 1t Is
the law OF self-preseryati0D, and u
vas under this law that the people
sought to free themselves from a pub
lie nuisance. And it can, in nowlse,
be considered as an act OF Methodist
or Baptist bigotry, or the intolerance
of any sect, for some Of the parties
were not members of any church. Ii
was their. high standard Of morality
and their love OF 4 peaceful and quiet
home. They knew that the Mormon
church did not respect chastity: that
it violated the marriage vow; that 1t
had torn asunder the affections of
husband and wife, and that through
their teaching helpless babes have
been left without a mothers are. IL
is a well-known fact that the Mormon
creed makes love a %poetical lie, anC
that it would destroy the sweetest
flower that ever perfulned the bowers
of Paradise. A single marriage is
blessing to the human family. but
plurality of wives leaves the heart
den in which the serpent OF Eden dis
tills his poison. Good morals is thu
I only thing that will advance civlliza
tion, and if we surrender the God
. given right to protect our famllie
from The savage assaults and lmmord
teachings Of lascivious men, VIII
Z claim to be the followers OF Jesu
Christ, we have surrendered every
thing that is dear to a christian pee
n pie. While the Mormons do not opeI
" advocate the plurality of wives
u they are at heart polygamists. Eide
II May, one of their PROSECUTING preach
o ers, admitted to me a few years az
that they were only restrained by tt
law, and that they still believed
IL the curse Of curses. All the Language
in the world is not sufficient to e
press the filth of polygamy. 1t max,
10 man a beast and woman a slave.
ne destroys happiness and makes Writ
,o an outcast. 1t robs III language
it's sweetest words and fills the hea
lie with l0athsome lust. Civilizatit
~ and our splendid form Of governmel
rest upon the home, where there
- one wife and one husband. A pu
y, family is the unit Of good COVER
10 ment. Illiterate people must knt
~" that virtue grows and sheds its pt
- fume round the Preside, where the o
man loves the one wOnian-huSban
Ia wife, mother, father-Child the O
w spring of love. If you take the
~ ~, sweet words from us all our happin(
y. is forever lost. Men and WON
~ would drop to the level Of brutal h;
ba its. We know there was a time in t
NC history OF the world when polygal
.o vas looked upon with great fav
But wherever 1t has been the custt
,vc"t of II people men became degraded al
y. and women were beasts of burden.
!" is the Sahara whose burning SAT-
=, dries the fountains of the heart. T
church or state entertaining TIL,
views are to-day regarded as sava
OF and a people who would couple CHI
ow tianity with the foul practice
polygamy should be driven by TO
lat from civilization. The Morn
To- church has distorted the brains of
followers and stolen the virtue Of
be women. 1t is the stone at the sep
or chre Of morality; the upas tree,
whose blighting shade the gifts of
'ys gods were lost through the death
led love. 1t is the gorgOn beneath VIII
ter gaze love has wiLhered and the he
NV turned to stone. The Rev. Mr.. II
handed me one OF their posters, VIII
cIy must have been translated from
" a chatter OF deprayed apes, and ev
in line Of IT. is a Misrepresentation
fnotc Nhtln pDnnnt insfifv nul
thing that has been done, yet | tn
tbo it is better for the people to reli
themselves Of this unwholesome
Fse, ment. A church creed that reQul
old upon Its ignorant altar the sacrifice
MO. reason, truth and morality, i,
nov menace to any church or state. =,
Mormon church has been guilty
ger, every crime known to mankind.
ion man or woman who believes the N
md mon church to be the church Of
is an intellectual and moral defo
ity. If the Mormon church had {
: troll of the United States we would
-. back to barbarism, all other christ
sts denominations would be branded
the heretics and the members would p
pid their pale faces and aching hei
an. against prison bars, and the minis
u would be shackled to the stake
'ple around them the flaming fagOt VIC
ore be laid. 1t has cost this gOvernm
ass, millions of dollars to legislate pc
amy out Of tile State OF Utah,
'''' now, viper-like, it has come to 81
I'M the morals and stir into strife
dis people of the State Of Mississippi.
J.sF. HERNDOl
=" Orange Grove, Miss, Sept. 10, 1897.