The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-12-01
FOR A PURE LIFE.
Susan B. Anthony Says There are Worse
Things Than POlygamy.

Things Than Polygamy.
Rochester special to New York World.
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 women's
clubs held in this city, in which /
made "a short speech recommending
the federation to take no action In
the matter, | think | have been
grossly misunderstood and probably
misquoted.
No person could abhor polygamy
more than myself, but detest even
more the license taken by men un-
der the loose morals existing in what
the mormons call the gentle world.
The point is not that uphold po-
lygamy or any Of its exponents, but
| do feel more charity for a mormon
when he transgresses the laws OF
the land, who has been taught from
his birth that il is not only his right
but his duty 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 un-
pardonable sin is the desecration OF
womanhood His religious training
: and the moral code of civilization
g to which he is reared all make it
crime for man to violate the seventh
commandment or the established
law OF monogamy. Yet, Judging
from the testimony we see all about
us-our doors of hope, our lying-in
and founding hospitals, and our
fallen wom anhood-the married or
single man who lives a pure life is
rare. Therefore | have more re-
spect for the mormon polygamist,
who follows his teachings, and lives
up TO the traditions of his religious
sect by marrying the different wom-
en- with whom he cohabits, support
them and their children, than |
rave for the man who defes public
opinion and in the light of our adj
vanced civilization snd religious
moral teaching gives his name and
his support TO one openly while Sc
cretely desecrating the lives of other
women, thus committing crime
against his lawful wife as well as
the other woman or women whom
he wrongs. If he have no wife the
sin is a. great against morality, and
he should suffer equally with the
woman.
Therefore, while a5horring the
: principles Of polygamy, | think the
wives and the mothers OF the East
might better enter crusade against
the licentiousness existing all around
us and polluting our manhood, and
leave it to our law makers TO settle
the matter of Ro Jerts' fitness to be
their associate in congress.
If women would require the same
m pral purity in men that men re.
Iuire of women, and if mothers
would refuse To entertain in their
N homes or give their sweet, viriuous
young daughters to men whom they
know TO have trsnsgressed the moral
code, society would soon undergo a
puri6cation-a revolution. II our
women would take this decided
stand it would strike the strongest,
most decisive blow at polygamy
Tor the root of the two evils-po-
lygamy in Utah and licentionsness
in the East-is the same, and moth
Y. ing bat the highest moral teaching
md the example of pure lives can
blot out either.
v With that man Roberts | have nc
ne sympathy personally. He is a
y strong anti-suffra2ist ami did all in
!. " MS power to prevent the women OF
~ Utah from securing the ballot.
y. SUSAN Y. ANTHONY.