The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-24
no Fight; /. |. /. .POLYGAMY
Mrs. Maria Weed Lecturing Here
in 3 Preliminary Educa-
tional Campaign.
An Active Anti-P olygamy Warfare
Planned by Observation-Disclosures
al Council Of Women.

Mrs. Maria Weed, who has delivered adj
dresses in various church in the city, is
one Of the two representatives employed
by the Observation-Disclosures Council Of
Women IN it's educational work prepara-
tory to an active anti -polygamy campaign
next year This council was organized
for the special purpose Of combating Nor
monlsm and was brought into existence by
the intense indignation cause dby the
election OF Brigham H. Roberts to con-
gress 1t was the evidence secured
through the council that unseated Roberts
council was too impressive to be ignored
even by politicians. p
The president Of the council is Mrs.
Darwin r. James Of New York, president
Of the National Home Missionary Society
| Of the Presbyterian church, and she with
Miss Helen Gould were the principal advo-
Gates Of such an organization. Miss Gould
was Its first vice president and continues
| to be one Of its chief supporters. This
year the work being done is wholly educa-
| tional the setting forth of the case that
people may know what the failure to Sc
cure constitutional amendment may
mean. The work in the east is being'rdone
by DR.. Sarah Elliott, an Episcopal dea-'
| coness who spent several years as med
| cal missionary in Utah. -. - h..
| Mrs. Weed, who is presenting the stu
alton in the middle west, became involved
l III ltiIS WOFh III d ~WnClly involuntary way,
taking up the study Of Mormonism simply
as a thoughtful student Of affairs. She
became more and more deeply impressed
| by what she learned and saw clearly
| the need of informing the public on the
! subject. so she continued seriously what
| she had begun merely as an interesting
| form of intellectual exercise. Her first
intention of writing the results Of her
studies was abandoned because she did
not wish to be identified with the con-
| troversy certain to come, when people
| awaken to the real situation. She had no
| intention of ever making any use OF her
| knowledge except through private chan
nels. When the council, in the search
for some one to place the facts in the
| case before presbyteries, synods and
gatherings of influential bodies Of Chris
| tian people in this section of the country,
| heard of Mrs. Weed S studies, she was re-
quested to become it's representative, but
at first positively declined. It was not until
| the matter was put before her as a duty
and she learned that she possessed ma
| terial that no one available besides Miss
Elliott did that she took up the work.
Last fall at its national convention the
| w. c.: T. U. voted to act with the inter-
| UNCONVENTIONAL council in the anti-poly-
| gamy work and it has assumed the labor
of arranging for the meetings that are
Eto be held in all of the state. From Min
| nesota, Mrs. Weed will go to her home
| state Iowa, for April and her entire time
will be occupied with meetings of pres
byteries. In May she will probably go to
Texas. During the summer she will rest
with the. exception of a weeks work at
| Bay View assembly. :
The principal Minneapolis meeting this
week will be on Thursday afternoon at
thes First Baptist church, when mass
meeting will be held and it is desired that
this central meeting may. bring out all
! of the women who realize the impOrtar :,
of the question. Last evening Mrs. Weed
addressed a. meeting sat3yine Congrega-
stional church. :. Friday night shes will
lspeaksat Trinity M e, Achurch: 81 =.