The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1899-12-02
MISS ANTHONY SCORES A POINT.

Concerning the efforts of various
individuals and women and church
organizations to prevent the seat
ing of Roberts, the Mormon con-
gresham, who has three wives,
Miss Susan B. Anthony says:
"From criticisms that have APP
peared in the press of the country
since the so-called Roberts mo-
ton" came up in the convention
of the State Federation of Wo-
mems Clubs, held IN this city, in
which | made a short speech recon-
mending the Federation to take no
action in the matter, think have
been grossly misunderstood and
probably misquoted.
"No person could abhor polyg-
amy more than myself, but I de-
test even more the license taken by
men under the loose morals exist
ing in what the Mormons call the
Gentle world. The point is not
that l uphold polygamy or any of
it's opponents, but | do feel more
charity for a Mormon when he
transgresses the laws of the land
when he has been taught from his
birth that it is not only his right,
but his duty to God, to enter into
plural marriages, and that the
man who has the greatest number
of wives stands highest in Gods
favor, than | do for the man who
has been taught from his cradle
that the objectionable sin is the
Dissertation of womanhood. His
religious training and the moral
code of civilization in WHICH be IL
reared ali make It d crime Crime for MOI,
to violate the seventh commands
ment or the established law of
monogamy.
"Yet, Judging from the testi-
mony we see all about us-our
Doors of Hope, our lying-in and
founding hospitals, and our fallen
womanhood-the married or sin
gle man who lives a pure life is
rare. Therefore | have more res
pect for the Mormon polygamist,
who follows his teachings and
lives up to the traditions of his
religious sect by marrying the diff
ferent women with whom he lives,
supporting them and their chill
dren, than | do for the man who
defies public opinion and in the
light of our advanced civilization
and religious moral teaching gives
his name and his support to one
openly, while secretly desecrating
the lives of other women, thus
committing a crime against his
lawful wife as we'll as the other
woman or women whom he wrongs.
If he has no wife the sin is as great
against morality, and he should
suffer equally with the woman.
>"Therefore, while abhorring the
principles of polygamy, I think the
wives and the mothers of the East
might better enter crusade
against the immortality existing
all around us and polluting our
manhood, and leave it to our law
makers to settle the matter of
Roberts fitness to be their asso-
ciate in Congress.
eff women would require the
same moral purity in man that
men require in women, and if
mothers would refuse to entertain
in their homes or give their sweet,
virtuous young daughters to men
whom they know tc have trans
crossed the moral code, society
would soon undergo a publication
a revolution. If our women
would take this decided stand it
would strike the strongest, most
decisive blow at polygamy, for the
root of the two evils-polygamy in
Utah and immortality in the East
is the same thing, and nothing
but the highest moral teaching
and the example of pure lives can
blot out either.
with that man Roberts | have
no sympathy, personally. He is a
strong anti-suffragist, and did all
in his power to prevent the women
of Utah from securing the ballot
SUSAN B. ANTHONY"
The club or association whose