The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-26

eral conference, as well as the assem-
bled congregation. numbering about H.
600 persons. 1t may truly be said that
the entire church, through its repre-
Following this, an enabling act was
passed by congress to confer upon, the
people of Utah state sovereignty, which
contained the following provision:
That polygamous or plural marriages
are. forever prohibited. In keeping
with this provision the constitutional
convention adopted the following:
'Polygamous or plural marriages are
forever prohibited the exact language
used in the enabling act.
There is nothing i'll the manifesto,
in the enabling act or in the constitu-
ton of Utah that touches upon or re-
lates in any sense whatever TO plural
marriages entered into previous to the
dates / have mentioned the assertions
of ministers, politicians and the avowed
enemies of the Mormon people to the
contrary Notwithstanding.
This brings US to the question at is
sue: What shah be done with plural
wives who entered into that relation
prior to the decision of the court of last
resort? Shall they be abandoned, one
and all, or, as in my case, shall l Sc
lect one of the two plural wives named
in the complaint-there being no legal
wife? If so, which one; and live with
her exclusively, discarding the other,
and that, too, without consulting her
at all in the matter, and say to her:
Hereafter you must not come near me.
1 will give you food and clothing for
yourself and children. but You must
seek other society than mine
In justification of myself, / say to
her: The law demands it; you must
bury all your affection and feelings of
endearment, for from henceforth we
are strangers to each other
II appeal to those of the fair sex who
are endowed with true womanly feel
ing, and ask them, would such a course
be honorable? Is it Justice? Is it man
ly? pause for an answer, but can
imagine what it will be.
I'm the year 1886 l had conversa-
ton with a very prominent editor of an
influential paper in the east upon the
subject of Mormon prosecutions. He
said to me: Mr.. Taylor. why cannot
your people abandon their polygamous
practices. which seems to me to be the
only barrier to your admission into the
Union. and stop these vile persecu-
our wives are entwined around US in
the fondest and hottest affections. Shall
we cast them off as some do their kept
mistresses, like a dirty rag, and treat
their children as bastards?'
He replied: My God, no. That would
never do; man that would do such a
thing would be worse than brutal.
What a complex thing this Mormon
question is
IF polygamy is as foul, as base and
vile a theory as some represent it to be,
surely the offspring of these relations
would have exhibited it in the conduct
of their lives ere this. But that the
exact opposite is the case in the main,
/ have only to refer to the records of
our universities in Utah, in the east, as
well as in Europe, where can be found
recorded proficiency and excellence not
surpassed in the least by these of mo-
nogamous parentage. Their moral stat
us also stands out as prominent and
most exceptional feature.
For true patriotism, loves and devo-
ton to country, for courage and daring,
let the records of our late and present
conflict decide that point. Men of this
parentage have earned for themselves
honor and renown in the battlefield,
and have received not only recognition
for their valor. but the highest encomi-
ums of praise from their officers and
superiors. President Mckinley himself
has spoken of Utah's sons and ap
plauded their bravery without a
thought of their parentage.
such a record is an unanswerable
denial to the oft repeated assertion that
these relations are a menace to Ameri-
can homes and American society. / re-
peat, intellectually, physically, morally,
periodically, the children of this par
entage are the equals at least of those
who are of homogeneous parentage.
Let me now ask who inaugurated the
present crusade against this special
class and for what purpose? 1 answer,
so-called Christian ministers and I'M
scrupulous politicians for a well under
stood object. To accomplish their end
they would sacrifice every sacred tie
and holy affection; they would blight
the homes of happiness and content
ment; they would devour the substance
gained by industry and prudence and
retire, after accomplishing their vile
purposes, smacking their lips. and by
way of justification would declare they
were only doing Gods service.
"Polygamous marriages are things of
the past. Some few polygamous rela-
tions entered into in the past still con-
tinue. To allow them to remain. undis-
and the only magnanimous course to
pursue; which the people of this great
nation can we'll afford to do.
Let the law in relation thereto re-
main a dead letter upon our statute
books. The Mormon people can be
trusted implicitly; their word of prom
Use is a sacred pledge. 1t will be kept
inviolate, as every other promise made
by them in the past has been. Call of
the bloodhounds and let US have peace. !,