The sun., 1900-12-19
DR.. Sarah j. Elliott of Utah,
Delivered an Interesting
Lecture last Night.
LARGE AUDIENCE PRESENT
She Strongly Fayors the Adoption
of Constitutional Amend
ment to Prohibit Poly
gamy in the United
,s States.

interesting and eloquent lecture on
"Polygamy'' at the New Century Club
last night before large audience. DIR.
Elliott has been practicing physician
made a special study Of the Mormons
and their religion. She gave important
evidence in the case of Congressman
Roberts and is considered the most
powerful agent working against Nor
monism in this country.
Her subject last night was 'Shall a Con-
stitutional Amendment Prohibit Poly
gamy." DIR. Elliott said: "This is a
serious and immense question. If three
years ago any one had asked me the
question should have said no and that
education would solve the whole problem.
But now since have lived in Utah and
studied Mormonism I most emphatically
would say that constitutional Amend
ment should prohibit polygamy.
"The majority of people in the East
do not understand polygamy rs it really
is in Utah. ihe missionaries from the
East go out there prejudiced against the
Mormons. /, myself, went out there
absolutely ignorant. l had not been there
long however before l began to make
a study of it and in questioning one of
the NLormons he said: i have the only
new gospel and recognize Joseph Smith
as our only Cod l inquired of Il num-
ber as to what this new gospel was but
no one seemed to be able to tell me.
In Salt Lake City however | was told
that the new gospel given to Joseph
Smith i'll New York State contained the
secret of how man may become a god.
could then very easily see how the men
became converts but could not under
stand what method or arguments We're
used to get women converts. A woman
convert explained to me later that the
women converts would make gods.
when l went into that great taber-
nacle in Salt Lake City and saw 10000
people in mass l said l must find out
something about these women. l looked
at the older women and could see in the
faces Of all of them that they had suf-
| fereu. There lips were scaled but misery
was stamped on their faces.
II visited one of the women at her
home one day and during the conyersa-
| ton she said: L want to convert you NOW,
won't you marry my husband| She
thought that she was comforting the
highest honor possible on me and 1 was
insulted because she wanted me to marry
married man. A few days later l met
another woman on the street and on
telling her about it she replied: don't do
it, you marry my husband he is great
deal nicer
when the soldiers returned from
| t,,I 70 ho
so bad that Congress sent men there to
investigate and the result was that poly
gamy was forbidden and men were
placed in jaik The Mormons then
signed treaty against plural marriages
l talked with the president of Salt Lake
City in 1898 and told him that they were
all traitors. He replied that polygamy
was not abolished in 1864 but merely
suspended. In Utah it is misdemeanol
and is only subject TO small fine. l be
lieve there should be an amendment be
cause the State law cannot be enforced
During her lecture DIR. Elliott sale
that she knew two sisters in Utah who
are the wives of the same man. She
also said she knew of a grandmother
daughter and granddaughter who Were
the wives of the same man.
DR.. Elliott is now working to get al
amendment to that effect before the mex
Congress. On last Saturday she had al
interview with President Mckinley ant
has also recently had favorable inter
views with Senators Edmunds and Hoai
on the subject. In speaking of the ne
cessity of getting the amendment befor'
the next Congress she said: utah ha
power in five States and part power il
four States and when she gets power il
thirteen States no amendment could b
made without UtaA consent" In con
clusion DIR. Elliott urged the women t
work and to sign the petitions which vii
be sent to churcnes and clubs.