The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-12-20
THE PATHOS OF P0LYGAMY
Indignity Of the Relations of the Plural
Wife in Mormondo1n Graphically
Set Forth.
Dr.. George II. Hpuora IN Nec York Herald

SOme pluIdI "AVoo.
There are three classes of them
those who defend the system. or rath-
er who pretend to defend it, on physi-
illogical grounds: those who accept 1t
lust as woman marries for money IN
other parts Of the world, and whose
person is practically her capital in
trade, from which she acquires home
and pleasant and luxurious surround
ings. and lastly those who regard the
relation as great sacrifice Of self In
the name Of religion, because it is the
revealed will Of the Lord, which will
ultimate in great reward in some 9th
er world
For the first class I have only con-
tempt, and find it hard to believe in
their sincerity; for the second class l
have the same feelings that are engen-
dered in New York or elswhere when
I know that the bride has bartered her
hvnor for social position and wealth,
and for the third class / have so pro-
found a pity that [ can find no words
to express it.
Polygamy exists in contradiction to
woman's nature, and some over
whclming motive must be broug ht to
bear to compel her to submit to 1T.
So true is this that it was many years
after it had been revealed as duty
before the head Of the church dared to
make public proclamation Of it. Nor
monism had nothing of polygamy in
it during the first few years OF its ex-
istence.
In 1843 the revelation was made to
Joseph Smith, and it began to be
whispered that IT, Lord had something
new for his people. When the nature
of this something new was transmitted
from one to another there was not
only excitement but aversion among
the women, and aversion SO vehement
t hat it was not considered safe to re-
fer to it in public. The poison was
allowed to circulate through the COM
munity for nine full years. At che
end Of that time it was thought that
the secret leayen had sufficiently lea
vened the whole lump, and then, but
not till then. Brigham Young, who
was then the great genius Of Mormon
ism, a very Napoleon, in miniature,
issued manifesto, in 1862, SO strong
in its language and startling in its
statements that it took the peoples
breath away.
The revelation declared that polyg-
amy was to. be established among the
faithful. That it was not only an act
of righteousness to take plural wives,
but a command SO imperative that, to
quote its language, ''if ye abide not
that covenant then are ye damned,
for. no one can reject this covenant,
and be permitted to enter into My
glory
In spite Of the fact that it has the
odor Of sanctity about it, polygamy is
pure animalism, and has produced very
little happiness. Of course, this is
denied, bu am profoundly con-
vinced of the truth of both of these
statements.
have heard of one woman who de-
clared she would rather be the wife
Of the poorest Mormon in the land
than Of the President of the United
States, if he was not Mormn. |
suspect there is bit of evasion here,
however. Did she refer to being the
first wife, who never fails to boast that
she is the legal wife, or to the third
or sixth or nirth wife, whose children
even here suffer from the fact that,
while enthusiastically legitimate,
there is otherwise half cloud over the
claim.
have heard Of another Mormon wo-
mani say woman becousc [ don
like the word lady-who asserted that
in all her acquaintance she did not
know single happy polygamous
household. Perhaps these are both
extreme statements, and the truth lies
somewhere between them.
A very significant and very pathetic
story was told me the other day, from
which you can draw your own inferen-
ces concerning this system. A child
Of nine years was greatly puzzed by
the relations between her father and
mother, and asked her mother to ex-
plain it, but in some way the question
was avoided. Not satisfied, she sought
information elsewhere, but still found
evasion. When later on she was at
play with Gentle schoolmate, she
burst into tears and cried out: Il