Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-19
our LADY LEGISLATOR.

The Atlanta, Georgia, Constitution OF
recent date has an editorial entitled
Decline Of the New Woman" 1t Is
really totally undeseryed attack on
Hon. Mary G. Coulter Representative
IN the Utah Legislature from Weber
county. AS usual in newspaper COM
ments on affairs In this State, II Is
based on error and therefore ends IN
nbsurdity. The Constitution has no
doubt taken for truth one OF those salt
Lake special dispatches, which the
press of the country win some day learn
are usually unreliable and sometimes
UNANIMOUSLY deceptive.
The fault found with Mrs, Coulter Is
that she voted for Reed Smoot as
United States Senator from Utah, after
standing "aggressively on an anti
Mormon platform" II Is alleged that
she twas the head and front OF the
antl-smoot movement within the Re-
publican ranks" that "as President OF
the Utah Federation Of Woman's Cubs
she was Instrumental In having that
body adopt bristling array of resolu-
tIons, viewing with alarm the candidacy
Of Apostle smoot for the United states
senatorshlp, and declaring the plous
Mormon TO be a menace to yirtuous
motherhood and his selection disgrace
10 the State" that Mrs. Coulter ragged
on the stump and dehed the hosts OK
Brigham Young, and declared that II
elected, no Mormon should ever receive
her vote to a seat in the United States
Senate" etc. etc,
People who are informed as to the
facts will bestow a very broad smile
upon the Stiffness exhibited by the At
lanta Constitution, and the facility
with which It has been imposed upon
All the talk about Mrs. Conlter's de-
flance, raging on the stump. declaration
against the election Of Mormon
and the rest OF It, IL sheer fabrication
There Is nothing to Il but falsehood'
Without the votes Of Republican Nor
mons" Mrs. Coulter could not have been
elected herself The chief reason why
she voted with her party colleagues
Sas. as she stated, because the con-
yenuon at which she was nominated
with other candidates was strongly IN
favor of Mr. smoot for United States
Senator. She was supported at the
polls with that understanding. She
cast her ballot in conformity with the
wishes Of her constituents, and In do
ing so considered she was lischarging
her duty.
The Federation Of Woman's Clubs is
not engaged In politics, II Is not
a political organization. The resolu-
tlons which It is alleged Mrs. Coulter
was instrumental in having adopted by
that body are myths, and have no more
substance In truth than the rest OF the
story told TO and repeated by the Con-
stitution. The crusade backed by the
Gentle clergy" that paper speaks o.
was not led by or participated In by
Mrs. Coulter, and the whole story Is de-
void OF truth, except that Mrs. Coul-
ter il a Gentle" was elected fairly
TO the Legislature, and voted with her
associate Republicans for Reed smoot
the party nominee.
Now az to the statement that the
plous Mormon Is a menace to yirtuous
motherhood &c, Mrs. Coulter did not
make It nor would 1t have been true
ii she had uttered IT, II the Constltu-
ton will read the protests Of the citi-
gems and preachers who are opposed TO
MIR. Shoots senatorship, Il will find
that his personal character is placed
above reproach, there Is no fault with
his life, his home, his family relations.
his business integrity, his influence in
society The only objection urged
against him is that he Is an Apostle.
II Is not even that he is Mormon"
II the Constitution viii inquire fur
Their It will find that 'Mormonism" in
cuIcates "virtuous motherhood and
the purity OF the home, in a more forcl-
bic and practical manner than does any
creed in the world. The trouble with
that paper and many others Is that
they seize upon any stupid story that
may be told about the "Mormons, ae-
cept It as a fact, and comment upon Il
as though It was beyond dispute, and so
display their own ignorance ane eX-
hibit their own folly. The only cure
for II Is the spread Of Information and
a Willingness 10 receive II. But until
a great change comes over the press
Of the country, Just such stun as that
we have commented upon will pass
current among the newspapers. Any
how. Mrs Coulter is all right so far as
she was concerned in the senatorial
oection, and is a bright and consistent
Mormon" member Of the Utah