Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-07
THE DECLINE OF THE HOME.

In MIS- country. and through the col
umns 81 the New York Tribune, he has
repeated the very common phrases
about "home influence and those trite
remarks with which We are all IA
miliar as to the home being the foun-
dation of the nation. But the learned
divine makes some statements con-
corning the conditions existing In this
land, which should rouse those philan-
throplsts and social reformers who un-
dertake to regulate the morals and
general condition Of society, to some
energy In reference to the situation
at home. rather than to spend their
time and their words upon evils that
are said TO threaten from afar
The learned bishop has not chosen
for his theme the subject that has been
troubling number Of very pious ladies
and some Of the religious preachers OF
the East. but dwells upon affairs with
which those ladies and gentlemen
should be more deeply concerned. He
does not declaim. IN the popular style
among that class Of reformers OF other
peoples morals, about the purity OF
the home, as It IL alleged to be af-
fected by "Mormonism,' but he dwells
upon that which actually exists right
where those people live. The following
two paragraphs conveying some OF his
sentiments, are taken from a summary
Of his communication which appears IN
the Catholic paper, the Monitor
THAT the home with US as people
Is steadily on the decline. Is unfortun-
ately n fact beyond denial AYERS the
Bishop. And he endeayors to discover
the cause accounting for the fact,
Those gentle domestic interiors he
writes. which were frequently 10 be
met with In the magazines and the
picture shops OF the last generation,
woodcuts In which appeared am ex-
c0edingly rigorous father, an excessive
ly amiable mother, and six round-faced
children-yaryng In size and age but
otherwise as alike as postage stamps
We no longer see.
THE question Is, why have they dis
appeared? The family were always
grouped about u lamp, and the father
was always reading from book, in
ferentially most excellent book. IL il
that gaslight, replacing the lamp, has
destroyed the family circle? Is Il that
the father no longer has time to read?
is II that the tx children cleyery dis
posed wherever there was room for
one In the picture, represent families
OF a size which have now become 40
rare that they are now to he found
only among our foreign population In
the tenementF? Is IL that our young
people are now moro willing to instruct
their parents than to be instructed:
more willing to give than to receive?
Has the undoubtedly good book been
so FAR replaced BY destructive criticism
that the father, hurrying home from
wan street to read TO his family,
would not be able to find one? Those
wood cuts were artistlcally crude hut
they served. They met a popular de-
mand or they would not have been
so numerously drawn and printed
Does the ADLER artist OF today ind no
inspiration In the home circle ns a
subject BECAUSE the people are no
longer interested In the home?"
Bishop Potter IL talking Of the situo.
ton in the populous cities and towns
OF the Eastern States with that no
IA FAMILIAR But there are parts of
the country particularly ont West
where the old fashioned home ana fomi.
~ are the rule rather than the excen.
ton, This Is especially the case IN
Utah, which IS supposed TO be undor
far different Influences But if ts IL
fact that "Mormonlsm," 80 much do.
cried by people who know Bttlo ,.
nothing about It, lnculcates true homo
building and family rearing In the ,,,,,
complete sense that those terms con.
yey
We suppose some fanatic or cvn,c
imbued with the popular erroneous
Impressions concerning the people or
this state, viii commence To snacr
about 'harems,' and 10 make lnyld-
ious comparisons between harams and
homes. Wen there are no harems I'm
Utah But homes are as numerous ma
families here. The Mormon" idea of
home Is that It Is the beginning az
heaven, The father and mother with
their children form a centre OF affection
Were virtue reigus. whore mutual helm
ana comfort are the rule. wher. the
voice Of prayer Is heard morning and
cVerng In the family circle, auc the
s'rg of praise accompanied ofen by
sacred music, ascends daily 70 the Giyer
Of an good
The very large majority Of these
households are as homogeneous IA any
to be found elsewhere. And even in
the comparatively few Instances Low
left Of plural households. the al.ue bone
sentiment and order and devotion. ma.
rental care and sacred observances are
the common custom. Chud,e1 ara
counted q blessing the family and IN,
nome are viewed ne the fourlut.ol OF
society, and the Mormon religion
tends to establish these conditions with
view to their eternal perpetulty.
Hotel NE, the absence Of dnnestir
duties and responsibilities, the but.,r.
nv existence In which SO many Ampii.
can women pass their time, the avoid.
ance Of maternity the luxury. f~iyo,i.
~ vtnitN eNtruvagance, and othe,
ways end manners that lead to lictn.
tousness, dissipation and the evils tina,