Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-14
MENAoING "rHE HOME"

without signatures, protesting to voice
the sentiments Of the Ministerial AS
ISOLATION OF Salt Lake City. which has
been published in full In the daily pa
pers contains 30 many inaccuracies and
manlfests so venomous spirit, that II
cannot fail to damage itself In the
minds Of Just ana thinking persons.
The Salt Lake Herald has an editorial
on the subject, from which We extract
two paragraphs as follows.
but there are a great many people
IN Utah who will object TO and protest
against the long recital Of exQggera-
lions. Misrepresentation and rumors
concerning present conditions In this
State. upon which these ministers base
their demand for constitutional
amendment"
'There are other people In this State
and people in other States who VIII
wonder why vanishing marriage sys-
TEN In Utah has been singled out by re-
formers, when other forms of polygamy
In other parts Of the Union continue
unrebuked and unmolested What the
country needs more than this amend
ment Is uniform marriage and divorce
laws, which will cover bigamy and po-
lygamy here and elsewhere as far as
the Jurisdiction Of the government eN,
tends. The greatest menace 10 the
American home Is the laxity OF divorce
laws and the inevitable indifference TO
the marriage obligation which has
wrecked many homes, ruined so many
women and blasted the lives Of 50
many men,
''Thc American home" forms a taxi
ing text for the preachers who assalI
the Mormon people. 1t has a pretty
sound II looks well in print. 1t touches
the public heart who would not work
and fight and die for home, and It's
maintenance In purity and In honor2
so, when the suggestion that 1t Is at
tackled comes from persons wearing the
garb Of the ministry. public feeling is
shocked.
II people would use their brains when
the cry is raised, a different effect
might be produced II they would ask
themselves how the conduct Of mere
handful Of folks out here in the noun
tains can affect the Christian" homes
Of millions In the respective States. the
answer might cool the indignation
aroused BY the nonsense OF agltators.
II they would look at the cold facts.
instead OF the red-hot nctions and ex.
aggeraiions OF dealers In pious bathos.
they would hesitate before allowing
their feelings to become excited.
What would they have those Nor
mon men and women do, who formed
relations years ago which are as sacred
to them as anything can be that IL en-
tered into with religious motiyes2 Ser
iously, would they wish them TO repudI-
ate those obligations? What would II
profit the sixty or seventy millions OF
this great nation, II the few hundreds
Of these "Mormons" yet In this condl-
ton were to turn adrift their plural
wives and children, and disown them as
parts Of their families?
But We win hear the reply, they need
not cease to feed and clothe them, but
they could refrain from marital asso-
Citations. Perhaps so. How much would
that benefit "the American home?" II
they still keep uD those relations how
VIII that iniure the American home ?"
But II Is against the law 20 live In
polygamy. What law? The law OF the
State. Well. then, let the State take
care Of the matter for It's own protec-
ton. How viii II affect the State Of
New York, or Of Massachusetts, or OF
Ohio, or any eastern commonwealth?
Is Utah contaminated by the exam
pie of great Atlantic State which has
no law against adultery Is It COM
PEELED to follow the tactics Of the
Christian" communities that tolerate
mistress-keeplng, wink at prostitution
as "a necessary evil, pass by without
sniff Of aversion the hot-beds Of
sexual iniquity that tester in juxtaposi.
ton with Christian" churches?
Utah homes are as peaceable. order
ly, clearly, pure, loving and devoted as
any in the land And these would.be
meddlers with politics and law, whose
profession should restrain them from
such intrusion, aim TO break up hun.
dreds Of such homes and force their
occupants into conditions OF disgrace
and contempt and misery. What for?
To protect THE American home" else
where? Was there ever such thin,
and paltry. and deceitful pretenoe
ever put forth TO cover a political and
sectarlan design
We offer no apology for lawbreakers
Let the law take rs course az In other
cases Of its infractlon. There Is no
need for special efforts. for spying and
spotting, for spasms Of affected piety.
for a hue-and-cry for stone-throwlng
aud mob fury. As the Herald describes
It, that which once obtained here to
some extent Is "a vanishing marriage
system" We believe Il Is 10. much TO
the chagrln Of the siuie-breeders ana
maliguen who see the one source n
their profitable hold upon the chris.
tlan' public rapidly fading into extne.
ton.
What WIN they do IN a few short
years. when the last vesilse q Nor
mon plural marriage has disappeared
from practical ufe? wan they turn their
attention to the mons,rous evils that
are sapping the foundations Of the so.
cIal fabric. and carrying horrors and
death into "the American home" Not