Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-17

years ago when the question OF the
admission OF a Mormon TO the United
States Senate was under discussion, |
wrote letter 10 the Sun endeavoring
to point out the very great dangers
arising from public consideration OF
the moral character, or otherwise, OF
polygamy. The recent discussion OF the
question at Washington only confirms
my views.
In the first place, 1t raises the very
dangerous question OF state rights, In
the second place, Il throws open a Wide
door for an inquisitorial inquiry as to
the Christian view OF polygamy. The
crime OF blgamy ! believe, Is punish
able by the law Of every state in the
Union, and | am not aware that In any
state the legal rights Of second wife
would be recognized unless a divorce
had taken place. Even In Utah the
first wife is the only wife recognized
by law. But when the question Of po-
lygamy Ia discussed from the viewpoint
OF the sacred Scriptures, the scholar has
10 face the fact that while the Hebrew
law undoubtedly sanctioned polygamy
the earlier Christian fathers, almost
without exception interpret | Timothy,
III; 2: The husband of one wife, rs
implying that polygamy was tolerated
In the early Church"
In addition to this, the great Ger
man Reformer Martin Luther, al
lowed polygamy, and so did John Mil
ten, the Puritan Christian poet Con-
cubinage was legalIzed IN the Christian
church up 10 the time OF Augustine
81 Utnpp InAaaA Auottdttpn rpnkouG
the matter as one OF those dubious aud
difficult points which could not easily
be determined The primitive modes OF
marriage, as expressed by theh Latin
words "confarreatI0," "coenptlo In
manum' and 'usus," were tolerated IN
the Christian church for a long period.
In British india, where the govern
ment Of England proclaIms itself Chris
tan, each religious community Is al
lowed to have its own laws Of mar
rage and divorce. But the Constitu-
tlon Of the United States does not even
proclaim itself Christian. The United
States government now exercises au-
thorty over a very considerable num-
Der OF polygamists In Asia. Shall we
refuse state rights. or even indepen-
dent government TO the Philippines
when some OF Its provinces, populated
by Moslems, legalze polygamy? In the
United States there are a million and
half of Hebrews who, while they con-
form to the usages OF society and to
the laws OF the state in which they
live, hold the same Views with regard
to marriage and divorce as were pro-
mulgated by the Jewish lawglyer
Moses
1--WE profess to be a free people, but
We are always allowing moral issues to
be raised 20 the great detriment Of
morality--whether Il be the question
OF slavery or of state prohibition the
equality of the black man, enfranchlse-
ment Of the Chlnaman or the Sunday
saloon The Declaration of Indepen-
dence proclaimed all men Free at a
time when millions OF human beings
were held In a condition of slavery
such as never existed In any Moslem or
heather land--a slavery which allowed
q father 10 sell his own offspring
The people OF Utah have elected a
member Of their community to serve
in the senate, and Immediately dis
cussou Of the most unseemly charac-
ter IL raised as to the condition OF this
mans married life Now, suppose 1t
became the rule of the senate to dis
cuss the conditions Of the married life
OF every distinguished senator. Has
he been legally married? Has he been
legally divorced? and so forth. What
would the end be?
! regard this whole discussion asa u
political blunder and II can only bear
fruit for EVIL In course Of time.
A CLERICAL OBSERVER.
New York, March 10.