Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-01-18
COMMENTS on nonEnrs.


In tho columns OF The Mecca. n
magazine published at Denver. cclora-
do. We find n letter on this subject from
the pen of Miss Ada Patterson. former
Iy on the stan of the Salt Lake Her.
ala and now with the New York Jour
nal We clip from Il the following
which viii prove Interesting to her
friends In this cityi
10 the Editor Of Tho Mecca
Amidst the popular storm aroused by
the election 81 brigham II. Roberts,
pniyEnmlst 10 Congress We hear
scarcely note about the women.
one rcputed Columbus In the world
81 ideas has discovered In Mr.. Roberts
election the endorsement uf polygamy
by the women ~ Utah This short
sighted gentleman has overlooked the
patent truth that Utah went ~ over
whelmingly Democratic that MT
unherta would have been elected With
out one woman'H vote. Ills piping "
the only reference 60 women nudiblc Va
| the uproaf.
The uuemhroldefed truth ia that the
women of Utah were opposed to MI
/ Roberts. A large majority % the Voc
man vote was against him. Tho min
GRITTY voted Tor him because they were
loyal 10 Democracy rather than To MI
Roberts.
Mr. Roberts II brilliant man. Ile
H. a forccful man. n he ~ permitted
/ IN take hi seat M tho ilouH' he VIII
prove one of the most powerful de-
/ hqtrrr upon ita floor. lie IN an honest
man. lie never disHcmblod na 10 hin
pnlygamuuH life. lie maintained that
/ the men who. prior To the prpclamn-
ton 81 President Woodruff. head N
the Mormon church. that God forbade
| further polyHnmoua marriages among
/ the Saints. had assumed the obligations
~ moro than one family should faith
/ fuzzy discharge them. Thus he con-
Htrucd the proclamation of the Presi-
| dent OF the Mormon church, and thus
h. construed the uttcranceH ~ the 'nn-
stitutiun ~ the now State Of Utah, lie
| Was "a member ~ the convention which
adopted the Constitution. His sigma
I turr appears upon lta pages. lie has
literally obeycd H. prohibition. which
war that no polygamouH marriages
should be- contracted. A misguided
Trookiyn rrfofiner boldly states that
Sir. Roberts has taken unto himself "a
fourth wife within tho year. She has
omitted the little formally of proving
her statement. Should she do this
more than myself would be- dirnp-
pointed In utnh'r blacksmith orator,
| who, however mistaken he may be In
his premises, IL believed To be an honest
man
The women Of Utah are no, favorable
10 Mt Roberts for reason that dts
qualities him quite as much In their
eyes as does his avowed polygamy. lie
opposed permitting women 10 vote. To
that end he made a bitter nght In thc
Constitutional Convention.
Prom ~ clear source In the rllvery
wnNeleta ~ Lake ftnacn. the MirHifstp-
III river sets forth on Its crystalline
I all ga a. =
conscience. between ~ banks until ths
muddy waters " the Missouri pour In
10 H. From that point n N nullcn
murky, polluted. w0man'r life II ma
lively ~ pure 40 the Mississippi. pnui
tho dirty stream OF politics into thai
life. and itn cienrnera IN lost forever.
Thls was Mr. Roberts argument, AM
h. cuntonded Tor " In a twelve hours
speech. lle lost. ~ everyone knows
but the women never forgave him. Hat
his election depended upon the votes %
women, he would have met a iialnkiav.
on election day
There are several thousand riura
wives within the borders Of Utah No
I 10 many ua II vaguely believed. bccauH
! ! no more than two per cent ~ the mel
, In the Church were permitted by
church law, To take more than on
= wife, Two qualifications were n-ccssarl
the ability, financially. 10 supper
I
spiritual standing In the Church.
I hold In tender remembrance SUE
Of these plural wives ~ I have known
I have met thom In their homes. a
, their cluha and at dinner and other ~
4 ciai gatherings. They were Away
, gentle. always characterized by nntiv
, refinement always earnest, always sin
= Cere,
I
@. There IL much ~ pity. mingled wit
4, more ~ esteem, IN my heart for m
wnmon who have endured 10 much n
n their religions sake, who are zoo
a wives and noble mothers aud who ~
Il facing tho storm of cenaurc Eustninc
by their uld.tluo faith
ADA PATTERSON
b, The following paragraph IN from n
a Florida Philosopher of Jan. 4,
a several panerf ore mailing war d
Roberts. NJ iHh; but what docs
x amount toy Nr Uoberta viii take h
n scat, nH be- should. N he hrs thr
- wives and D. nhla tl support them, IN
"A ~ his business Don't stick you hi
IN other peoples hullnssa. You ma
J. have business ~ your own.
lW frhmf faHrt.urIfnt ssstta4f a.. 81. - -.