Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-16

Christian brethren, but to do this IN
such a way as shall inhlct the greatest
amount possible OF cruel injustice and
suffering, by turning out Of his house
that wife who is the mother of his chill
dren tWho viii naturally IN most eases
have TO go with herr and denying to
her conjugal rights Of protection and
cohabitauon which he had pledged her.
The wrong involved is aggravated
under the conditions Of lie I'm India, lu
that u VIII commonly he practically
impossible for the wife turned of,
whichever she be-, 20 escape the sus-
plclon OF being an unchastc woman
and she viii inevitably be placed ia a
position where. with good name be-
olouded and mo awful protector she
VIII be under the strongest temptation
20 live am immoral lfe No doubt pp.
ygamy is wrong but then. is not
breach Of f,u,h and such injustice ana
cruelty 10 lu Innocent woman all hcr
children also wrong? II there is Jaw
against poygauy Is thcis u0. .uV
also against thcs. Things even more eX-
pllcit and iuduuabier lu the ease SUPP
posed both can not De kept Nhil
shall the man be Instructed 'J buali.
The general assembly of 1876 Hp.
pears 20 have imagined that the lu-
justice was done away by ogioiu.uy g
man to make suitable provision for
her support that Us put away ava ior
her children, u she have ANS. IiJt
this utterly falls to meU tne case. For
the breach of .aItn required remains,
since the marriage contract both ace
cording 10 Scripture ana the itW OF adj
Christian lands, rs well as ol india
binds the husband not only io support
but equally 20 protection ana y0uab.
itation. But by the deIyTauca of 1875
all missionaries Zoo Christian lands
are directed b. the general assembly TO
instruct the convert that. Iu order to
baptism, he must keep the compact
as regards the first particular but
break IL as regards the others.
Moreover. the moral end sought HiIi
even SO. not be gained. The wife rut
away may live iu a separate house aud
at a dlstance-but then pJlyVamlss
sometimes keep different wives boz DIFF
ierent homes-and it Hll not Do easy
20 persuade "a Hinl0O OF M0hamutian
community especially u the mau still,
continues to give her money as re-
quired by the assembly's law. that coo
habitation really ceases
In India and Christian Oppor-
tunity a book published IN 1901
the author Of which IS Harlan +.
Beach NJ "A +. r. @. s, in dealing
with the general subject OF Problems
connected with neN converts the au-
thor az page Z.2, says.
81. Poiygdmy. difficulty IN The
way Of receiving a prolessed convert
though affecting only % small percent
age Of candidates. is most perpleN-
ing one, II ls that OF applicants who
have more than one wife. As Hinlo1
or Mohammcian they have entered in
good faith into marriage contracts
with these wives ana II man puts
away an but one. what provision shall
be made for the rejected, ana on what
principle shall be decide as 90 the one TO
be retained
while q Is a question easily answer
ed IN missionary society councils 40
home. II is a more serious problem at
the front. Some good missionaries hold
that where the husband Is lNing the
Christian lie in all sincerity J. is Det-
ter 20 receive into the Church such "a
oandidate-though not eligible 90 any
church ofiice--thau t0 require him 10
give up all but one wife and thus brand
with iliegitimacy his children by them,
as well as occasion The wives so put
away endless repy0agh am demDarrass-
ments."
In IndIa's Problem, Krishna or
Christ. which was published in 1903. ,he
author Of which IS John =. Jones ID,
OF southern India, A. 3. O.. F. NJ, the
author, In dealing with This question.
says. on pages 2Sy and -sO.
In the consideration OF the problem
many things must be Kept in mind.
None more important than the claims
to cordial welcome from the church
OF any man who, IN true faith and
Christian earnestness, seek admltyauce
II Il be demanded OF the man that be
put away all but one OF those wives
taken IN heatheuism, then we ask
whether It is Christian, or even Just.
to cast away one To- whom be was
solemnly and religlously pledged ac-
cording 10 the laws OF the land and
with whom he has been linked in love
and harmony for years and from whom
he has gotten children? And II he IS
TO put away one or more OF his wives,
which one shall It be2 Shall 8, be the
first wife?
Certainly that would not be Chris
tian. Or shall q be the second wife
who Is the mother of his children and
whom he probably married at the re-
quest OF the first who was Childless in
order that be might raise seed unto
himself? II is not easy on Christian
grounds 30 decide such a problem as
this. nor Is 70 very Christian 10 put a
ban upon any woman who, IN accord
ance with their religion and their cOun-
try's laws, has, formed this sacred al
lance with man and has lived with
him FOR years. Nor can % be right 20
brand with illegltImacy the children
born OF such a wedlock.
Il would not allow such persons, re-
reived into the Christian church, 90 be-
come officers Of the church. But | can /
hot see why there may not be a hum
bic place in the church OF God for such !
ana their families
Whatever may he our personal views I
rs to the propriety Of the conduct OF .
Inc people Of Utah. IN thus practically .
overlooking the continuance Of p1lyg- /
imous relations where those relations /
lrose out Of marriages celebrated be- .
'ore the manifesto OF 1890. there can be I
10 doubt that when Reed sm0ot in /
April. 1900 became an apostle OF the I
Mormon Church. the great majority OF /
me people ~ the state. nom Mormons /
Is well as Mormons. bad practically /
lgreed that 81 would De uuwlse % I
prosecute those who are living IN such .
relations. or 10 On anyWisc interfere I
With them. unless those relations were .
laganily obtrudei upon public notice.
Reed smOot Not Responsible for Po-
lygamy.
The charge Of the protestanis On this
.ase. IN substance. is that Reed Smoot
'onnived az and encouraged. thereby
becoming responsible for the palyga-
nous relations of certain 81 the officials
u the Church and of other r0lyga-
nlsts. There Is uo evidence 90 support
his charge except the fact that Doe ac-
luiesced without protest iu what the
leople OF Utah generally accepted as
M bis answer and ln lis
esum0ny on his oath. ho has posi-