Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-03-01

lIOm Jne OJneT lne lONe OF JhS man
which she believes is hers to enjoy
alone?'
NO" she answered. Not If the
man knows how to distribute his love
equally. But to do this requires pow
er and tact, and in this respect not
all men are worthy of plural mar.
riage"
Now" / answered, you contend
that the man and woman are equal
If woman, therefore, gives herself
completely and without reserve to a
man, isn't it natural that she should
/ demand an equal surrender on his
part? And IL a man divides his af.
fection between several woman, what
then becomes of this equality?"
Defense Of Plural Marriage.
This objection seemed to make Mrs.
Wells hesitate bit, but one of the
other women present took up the
word.
"As for me-" she said, 81 would pre-.
fer to be the tenth wife Of a superior
husband than the only wife of an in
ferior husband"
Il understand what you mean mad.
am" I answered, surprised at the en-.
ergetic way in which she replied to
my question, but wouldn't you pre-.
fer to be the only wife of a superior
MANI"
Certainly" she responded. But II
is fact that in a family of twenty
children-one of ten girls and ten
boys, for instance-the girls are gen.
orally superior to the boys. Now
since there are more superior women
than superior men, it becomes neces,
sary for the women TO share with one
another the superior man"
l had not expected this sort OF an
swer which was not able TO verify
and was at a loss to know what to
say
1T might, perhaps, be necessary
TO prove that your statement is true"
l finally ventured.
1T is true! It is true!" they echoed
in chorus.
Nevertheless" / said. 'If you are
OF loving and sensitive nature you
would not suffer the object Of your
undivided affection to divide his. In
France the woman who would tolerate
that with Indifference would be looked
upon as not loving her husband
Mrs. Wells, who had been reflect.
ing, now resumed her conversation.
"of course, It is necessary that the
man should know how to divide his
love equally"
1T becomes necessary, then" I res.
ponded, Ito ignore completely the ele.
ment Of Jealousy"
AT this point one of the woman, who
had thus far taken no part in the con-
versation interposed a remark.
IF one suffers one should not show
it. II is not necessary TO show IT,"
Discipline Prevents Jealousy.
But how can that be done" OBJ
jected. If. your suffering is violent?
This is a question of sensibility"
1T is a question OF disciplined" she
answered
! shook my head. These women
spoke strangely. II their love receiv.
ed its inspiration from a source other
than that Of their cold reason ana
mystic Imagination their eyes would
burn with a different light from that
the glacial expression which Is the
sign Of their virtue as well as the
secret Of their passive resignation.
did not understand these women who
had allowed themselves to be so com.
pletely hypnotized by the infantile
fables which comprise the Mormon
religion--a religion whose discipline
ana coldness are so great that even
the idea of jealousy seems strange to
its votaries. Therefore l gave the
conversation another turn
Being convinced that the women ac.
cepted polygamy in good faith, was
interested to know why they, most Of
them reared and educated outside OF
the Mormon faith. and ever been in
duced to believe In plural marriage.
In the case Of the women Of the orien-
tai nations. where the harem has been
an institution for centuries, IL is easy
10 see how they submit to IT, But
these women, many OF them descen'
dants OF English, German or scandi-
navian ancestors and reared and edu-
Gated In the austere Protestant faith,
by what means had their early train
ing and preiudices been overcome so