New-York tribune., 1901-04-18
on THE HORIZON PROBLEM.
TO SEVERAL OF MRS GATESS
STATEMENTS

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: 1 notice that in your issue Of April Mrs.
Susa Young Gates. of Provo. Utah. replies to my
letter which appeared in The Tribune of March 25.
Her letter is interesting in many respects. She
ignores the greater and more important part of my
letter entirely In the part which she attempts to
discuss she partially agrees with me in the correc-
tions which I made in her first statements. for the
evident purpose Of adding emphasis TO the points
upon which she pretends to maintain her former
position. This letter of Mrs. Gates is written in
style that is characteristic of Mormon apoogists
when writing for the supposedly guileless readers
of the East, I have learned from many years
experience in dealing with the Mormon problem.
call attention to the following interesting points
in her letter this time:
First-Mrs. Gates reiterates her former assertion
In regard Senator Evans having said that he
introduced his bill for the protection of poygamists
merely bluff" Upon this point prefer TO
take his own word in solemn public statement
in which he says: 1T intended to keep down
public agitation. It's primary purpose was
the general good OF the State His idea of 1.-The
general good of the State is made very clear
little later in the statement. where he says:
mo good honorable purpose be subserved
by prosecuting the few (7) remaining polygamists.
Every Of these prosecutions is of
regret TO fully 90 per cent of the people of Utah
the last statement being, incidentally, a very
strong argument for the proposed anti -polygamy
constitutional amendment.
The Tribune of March 16. she says: AT Provo,
where I live, I had occasion the other day
up the number Of families that had practised the
institution plural marrage), and there were just
two out of fourteen hundred
I leave it the intelligent reader whether this
calculated to leave the impression that
there were only polygamous families in the n
tire town of fourteen hundred families" which
number agreed well with her present estimate of
'about 5000 or 1000 Inhabitants" But now Mrs.
Gates says: Provo is a town Of about six
thousand inhabitants; it is divided into four ecclesi
astical wards: each is presided by a bishop,
with his counsellors. In my ward there
about fourteen hundred souls Since my
1 have repeated the statement I made-that
out that fourteen hundred in ward there
but two 'polygamsts-to my husband who has
been a counsellor to the bishop of the ward for
some years. He has the best of Information, and
he assures that / correct"
The exquisite ingenuity of the foregoing will at
once challenge the admiration of the reader who
has not already grown out of patience with Nor
mon quibbng over this question. The single
quoted words mine and are intended merely to
call attention the salient poiit,s in the quibbe.
This is my only object in taking the trouble
use the exact words of Mrs. Gates in both in
Since Mrs. Gates has changed her position in
only tWo polygamous families in her town Of
Provo to that of admitting that there are two
her figures is only about one-ifth of the entire
population of the place, possibly in another fort
there are more than two polygamous families to
the block In that event, we supposedly unso-
phsticated Eastern people will doubtless begin
appreciate the full significance of Senator Abel
John Eyans's contention that his 'poygamy bill'
is necessary to 1.-The general good of the State"
BY the way, Mrs. Gates in her Tribune interview
of March l6 expressed earnest desire that the
Utah situation might be correctly understood by
outside people. She need have no anxiety on that
point. If she keeps up this discussion upon the
lines on which she has begun the whole country
will understand the question before she is aware
Of it, The patriotic women of America have taken
up the fight against poygamy in dead earnest.
and while we entertain only the most charitable
feelings toward Mrs Gates and other women SINH
Iarly situated the interests of our cause demand
that we expose the falsehoods and misrepresenta-
tions which are being circulated by Mormon apollo
gists whether they practise polygamy themselves
or whether merely maintaining the correctness of
the ''principle they help TO deceive the public
in order to protect those who have the bad faith
not only to defy the laws, but even to repudiate
their solemn pledges to the nation ! find that
there are others who wish to be heard In protest
against Mrs Gates's misrepresentation. Hence
/ leave other important points TO them Yours
truly, MAht u; JAMr1S,
President Of the uonal Council OF
Women for Christian and Patriotic Service.
No 1876 Fffth-ave NewYork. April IA. 19o1