The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-14

George q. Cannon Defends the Ten
cts of the Latter Day saints.


81 am not feeling very we'll; the long
ride in the cars has given me a sort of
seasickness."
George G. Cannon, famous as the faith
er of the Mormon Church." pushed the
heavy gray locks from his brow ana
leaned back in an easy chair In his room
at the Brown Palace Hotel this morning
and sighed.
Here was the man at the mention OF
whose name many pious but illiberal peo-
pie clasped their hands in horror. but
there was certainly nothing horrible in
his appearance. A sturdy gray fatherly
man of u. with the vitality of one ten
years younger; a man of solid, heavy but
regular features, clear blue eyes that look
ed straight from under brstling gray
brows at an they contemplated, square
Jaw aud face clean shaver to a point an
inch below his lips, where his heavy gray
beard set IN; man of neatness and in
telligence and judgmeut-that was Mr..
| cannon, and most agreeable and lika-
bic and altogether wholesome person he
seemed to be.
! A judge of character would at once pro-
nounee him a good father to his children,
no matter how many he had, and a
strong. protecting, faithful husband re-
! CARELESS of the number of his wives, and
| a good citizen, at all events.
| Mr. Cannon is 10 address the Texas-Col-
orado Chautauqua at Boulder tomorrow,
but he does not know what he is going
! to say.
81 never prepared a speech in my life"
said he this morning. land I never will.
| ! let the occasion draw me out and do
| my thinking on my feet. | know / am
| to talk on the 'Perlls of Crossing The
! Plains in lS47,' but l do not yet know how
| viii treat the subject. If the occasion
! suggests 1t, | shall probably have some-
/ thing
ton In lS47, and will dwell especially on
| the hardships we experienced in the win
ter of 1Sl7-'4S, the first winter we spent
IN the Salt Lake valley when we all
| Iived In tents or ramshackle huts, ana
| food was 50 scarce that we had to weigh
ii out and divide 1t daily"
AND now about polygamy Mr.. Can
nom asked the person who had called
was II a frown that crossed that fine cd
face or was IT an expression of pain?
Whatever IL was, It vanished quickly and
the blue. unavoidable eyes shone out at
the inquirer calmly, but fun of challenge
Il do not quite catch your meaning"
said he. Mr.. Cannon was assured but
merely to get an expression. a talk, on the
subject from an authoritative source. from
one known TO have practced and believed
in polysamy and who would undoubtedly
have something interesting to say in re-
gard to il.
A very distinct expression OF relief aud
| confidence showed in the countenance of
the patriarch.
We'll" he began, with deliberation "as
you know. polygamy as an institution has
entirely ceased. We thought polygamy en-
bodied the correct principle OF life and was
| safeguard 10 society, but the nation pro-
nounced against 1t and II has been abolish
ed. or course, there are sporadic instances
of It, but 1t has practically ceased to ex-
list"
But in spite Of that" said his caller,
you maintain your personal belief in the
institution, do you not?"
Mr.. Cannon smiled. when we have a
fixed principle "a firm belief 1t Is not easy
to relinquish H. We respect the laws and
we do not practice what we once adopted
as a rule of life, said he. I'VE had an
idea, which seemed very odd to some, but
which was perfectly right and rational TO
US, that every woman has a right TO be
wife and mother. Our system would give
every woman in the land that opportunity.
There was another reason for the adop-
ton Of the CUSTOM and that was its gen.
eral moral effect on society. We believe
that marriage is for all eternity, and hence
divorce is a thing that Is seldom resored
to-"
you have a good many wives yourself,
nave you not2' Mr.. Cannon was asked.
YES" he answered.
would you mind stating how many?"
The man of many family ties smiled
again duu GDlOitf oliEutIys
"Well, several" was the somewhat hes
liant reply.
And of course you have large family
Of children?"
Il have twenty-five sons living and five
OF them are over six feet in hight" re-
turned Mr. Cannon proudly. zone of my
sons as you probably Know, is a United
States senator, another, John Q. Cannon,
is brigadier general of the Utah militia.
and ! have TWO sons who have just been
graduated from the Massachusetts Insti-
tute of Technology"
"And you have some daughters sup
poser"
YES sir, ten; two of them / have with
me, and they were all well educated az
the best schools in the land and are as
fine women as you ever saw.
Mr.. Cannon walked TO the door leading
into the adjoining apartment and opened
it. Come in, dear, and bring In the
girls" said he.
A stately woman with dark brown eyes
and a gentle, well bred manner, came
In, followed by demure maiden of IS.
a girl with light hair and the blue eyes
OF her father, cheeks that bore all the
tints of health and strong, graceful
figure.
SISTER has lain down for a nap" said
this young girl
ut is needless to say that this is my
wife and this is my daughter" said Mr..
you should feel proud of the fine fam
lily of sons and daughters you have rear
ca, said his visitor
81 am proud of them, very proud OF
them" said the father, land will tell
YOU one thing that not many husbands
and fathers can say there has never
been a quarrel in my famly-not one.
Isn't that true my dears?'
Mrs. Cannon nodded: Miss Cannon nod
ded, and both said, 1T is the truth"
do you all live In one big-that is, in
one house?" inquired the guest
mo, we have five homes, but they are
all on one sixty-hve-acre piece of land
which lies Just outside of Salt Lake City.
/ bought it years ago and improved Il,
and kept my family all together. / built
a schoolhouse and employed a teacher
VINO taught my children. For their high
err education l sent them East. And, re-
CARELESS of all that may be said, 1 can
assure you of one thing, and that is that
tbava faupr WAS on aarth a hanntnr fam