The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-12-20

""'tc VI lnc otncT "ltnOut any SuDul-
vision of affection. Herein lies do
nestle bliss. Not so in Mormon ter
r;tory. The whole experience takes
different complexion If the woman
IS the man 5 first wife she is compara-
lively happy, but Il black cloud hangs
over her nevertheless. Another wo-
man may at any time intrudc and gain
the affection Of her husband.
Ii the second is more attractive than
the first then the first suffers neglect
When the number gets to be six or
seven. with an equal number Of cstab
lishmcnts to maintain, there is either
domestic despair or tandcmoDium, and
Il painful rivalry as to which can cap
turc the man and obtain from him the
largest gifts. AS to home life, we'll,
who has six families. He fits from
one to the other and leaves jealousy
and bitterness in all.
The level on which these things ex-
ist is shown by the remark of young
girl the other day. Pointing to the
residence of plural wife who seemed
to be we'll provided for, she said: 81
would rather be the third wife of that
man and have horse and carriage
than the only wife of poor man
who would make me do the house
work. -
That is the commercial view of mar
riagc, but where is the glory of it. the
sanctity Of it, the happiness Of it?
The marriage certificate is nothing
more than the legal document which
compcls man to support mistress,
and to issue such a certificate as this
in the name Of religion is pure BIAS
phemy.
There is not woman on the face of
the earth whom I pity as do plural
wife. / mean, of course, woman
who submits to the indignity Of the
relation from religious principle She
has to tear herself all to pieces before
she can pield to it, Being woman
she Graves all the love her husband
Gan give, but it is denied her by the
Lord. She accepts her fate as she
would any other affiiction with what
measure of resignation she can com
command, gives her affection to her
children, educates them as best she
may, sighs her way through life and
eagerly looks forward for some reward
in another world which shall suffi icicnt-
ly repay her for her awful sacrifice. l
have had several interviews with cul-
tivated Mormon plurals, and 7 did not
leave them without feeling that wo-
man can do anything, however horri-
/, Bile it may be, at the the call of what she
deems her duty.
One woman said to me: II don ac-
cept plural marriage. A great many,
the majority of Mormons do not. /
suppose am not exalted as I should
be. l can't be good enough for that.
don't believe there is house, not
even a to IN, large enough to hold the
two wives Of one man."
"How: then. does it come about?"
asked.
"Well, if child is brought up that
way, lives in that atmosphere, she
naturally thinks of nothing else. If
there is certain moral standard in
the community, you measure yourself
by that standard. If your elder or
bishop tells you that something is
right: if it is preached as require
ment Of God from tho pulpit, why,
whom can you trust if not your spirit
ual adviser? And yet in spite of all
that three-fourths Of the Mormon wo-
men refuse to be second or third wives,
The younger generation vehemently
repudiates polygamy.'
When chatting with another, Isaid:
''Can several wives be happy under the
same roof"
II have known Of cases. she an
swered. was intimate in the family
of Brigham Young when / was in my
teens, and happier family I never
saw. There was never any pickering
there. But then he was most
remarkable man, and any woman
would be glad to own tenth part of
him."
eyes, but as general thing?' 1
suggested.
She threw up her hands. "Well,
you have perhaps noticed that the
d;fferen. wives I've iu different hous-
es. Each has an establishment Of her
own. It works better in that way. It
is law of nature that women don't