The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-04-19
AsrORIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
A MORMON DEFENSE.

A MORMON DEFENSE
The revelations in the Smoot inyestiyation have
put the Mormon hierarchy on the defensive. Inside
the church there was developed spirit of revolt
on the part of the young men and women that was
alarming to the leaders, says the Call. This re
volt was in the form of opposition to the polyga-
nous teachings of the church and the polygamous
practice of President Smith and some of the apos-
ties The defense runs, therefore, to an appeal to
these uneasy members of the church, which is indi-
rectly defense of polygamy, by declaring that
the opposition to it in the gentle world is produced
by immoral practices among Gentiles.
If the church can demonstrate to its faithful
members that poygamy is moral because those
who oppose it are guilty of immoral practices, it
may check the spirit of schism in its own ranks.
evidence of the strait in which the leaders find
themselves When President Smith returned from
Washington and was met by his five wives and
thrty-two of his fortytwo children there was a
public acknowledgement following the admissions
in his testimony that he is the head of harem.
While the enthusiasm of his fellow rulers of the
Mormon world was unabated and they hailed him
as religious hero, considerable part of the men,
bership did not share in these Inscriptions to the
leader. These look upon poygamy as an unnatural
condition and their association with the growing
Gentle population makes them ashamed of it. 1t
to hat fha
Gentle society with which they associate is un-
worthy of their respect and that they should not
permit their conduct to be influenced by their opin-
ions. If this plan succeed they are driven back
into the church and all that it teaches and to a
firm support of the leaders and all that they prae-
tice,
The Deseret News, the church organ has under
taken this work and carries it on by what we be-
heve to be thorough misrepresentation of Gentle
sentiment. In its discussion the News says: " Re-
fined society was much more shocked at the num-
Der of President Smiths children than even over
the fact that he acknowledged the wives whom he
welded previous to the issuance of the 'manifes
to- So with the course of other 'Mormons' in the
same status. The Objectionable thing is that child
ren are born to these plural wives Punishment for
this increase is the demand of modern moralists
Of the school of suppression.
This is not true If the mothers of President
Smiths children have an equal number of child
rem it would be but little over eight to each Fam
lies of eight children in the Gentle world com
mon They are no curiosity, is their presence
in 'reined society,"" or out of it, cause of crit
lcism or offense The President Of the United
States has family of six children, and if this
Mormon defense is true society should be shocked
at it, but it is not. The numerous children of Sen
ator Hale of Maine and the large families of other
senator's and representatives, in some number
ing more than the children of President Smith s
individual wives, shock no one and cause no other
feeling Of admiration that such find their off
cal duties consistent with the proper care of many
children Indeed, among the gentiles, husbands and
wives who have no children are much more the OBJ
iects of pity than those who have are the objects of
aversion.
The objection to President Smith is not that he
has forty-two children but runs to the number OF
his wives The results of such a system of plural
marriage are we'll known in Utah. The nurture and
admonition which father owes to his children
can not be given by him to such groups Of families
During his testimony he obliged to ask for time
to refer to memorandum in answer to either how
many children a particular wife had, or the dat
of their birth It is certain that these children arr
without the joint care which those receive who ar
reared in home daily and continually ruled BY
the presence Of the father and mother
President Smiths five wives live in five separate