The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-12-05
Divorce VS.. Polygamy.

The Village Record, West Chester,
Pa, in late issue says:
Bourke Cochran, in recent address in
New York, has declared that the increas-
ing number of divorces from the marriage
relation is one of the most conspicuous blots
on civilization. He denounces divorce as
the one foul growth upon our soil, upon
whose radiance depends the fate of the
future, and says plainly that if we are to
choose between divorces and polygamy we
should take polygamy. Fortunately, we
do not have to take either, but MIR. Cock
ran is certainly correct in placing divorces
ahead of polygamy in the scale of iniquity.
We have had reformers going about and
systematically agitating the country against
plural marriages, with view to strength
ening sentiment against that practice in the
far West, when worse and widespread
evil was receiving little attention, and only
| mild and occasional rebuke 1t can be
confidently affirmed that, measured as an
immoral and corrupting force upon society
at large, the quick divorce machinery of
South and North Dakota has had more
baleful influence than polygamy in Utah.
And yet it has escaped, so to speak, under
!.
ed against the peculiar institution Of the
s.Saints."
The agitation against polygamy, if it is
really practiced at this time, ought to be
kept up, but the divorce inquiry ought TO
be denounced simultaneously, or rather it
should have first attention as the more in
sidious and dangerous of the two. IF We
are to dispatch two threatening serpents,
let us 90 at the larger and more poisonous
of the two.
The spirit behind polygamy and that
behind many of the hasty divorces is pre-
cisely the same-they are the offspring of
one evil father This difference only is to
be noted: One parades behind the hypo-
critical cant about religious conviction, cal
culated to deceive a few, and the other
parades behind the lying and hypocritical
talk about incompatibility of temper, I'M
suited natures, discovery Of lack Of atfec-
ton, or something similar, calculated to
deceive many.
The open crime of polygany has disgust
ed the world and has aroused sentiment
that has outlawed it and driven it out
among the heather tribes. The stealthy
foe that has sought to undermine the mar
rage relation has come under the cover of
law and has sought the sanction of the
courts and has had the passport Of respec-
liability The poor dupes of Brigham
Young have at least made no parade so
cially before the world, and have been in
some sense the objects of sympathy as well
as contempt. But the polygamist who
have made loose divorce laws the conve-
nient machinery for carrying out their plans
for trampling under foot the sanctity Of
marriage have glittered before the nation
and have walked to polluted affairs with
splendid equipages and with all the pres
tige that wealth and social station could
command. They have attracted thou
sand eyes and sowed danger seed in a
thousand poorly balanced minds to where
the isolated polygamy of the West has had
that effect on one.
Mr.. Cochran deserves the thanks of the
country for setting forth the facts Of the
matter in their true light. 1t remains for
the different State Legislatures to conserve
the interests of our civilization by raising
new and insurmountable Instructions on
this open road to disgrace and shame.