Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-17
ARE ABUSED AND
misunderstood.
The Fate Of the mormon PEG.
pie, Says John P.
Meakin.
LECTURED IN PROVIDENCE.
Misrepresentation and Calumny the
Weapons Used Against Them--1old
Fasteners Some Plain Truths.

The Evening Bulletin OF Providence,
r. l.. OF Monday, March L., published
the following:
John Meakin, resident Of the state
OF Utah and of Salt Lake City, delv-
cred a lecture last evening in Area
mum hall on Weybosset street, on Utah
and the Mormons." Probably feeling
that a statemen as TO his religious be-
lief was expected from him, Mr.. Meakln
announced at the outset that he is not
a member of the Mormon" Church, but
rather "fraternalist. In the truest
sense" This meant, he explained, that
he loved his fellow man, believed in al
lowing him TO follow any religious creed
he chose. and also felt It his province
TO defend that same fellow man when
others began TO abuse him. Abuse,
misrepresentation and calumny said
Mr.. Meakin, had been the lot of the
Mormons," and he, for one, considered
II time for someone to go about In their
defense, explaining to the people that the
abused sect was comprised OF Il people
sober steady Industrious loving, etc.
instead of encouragers Of RIGHTEOUSNESS
and of all the other Vices Of which they
had been accused
Realizing that to most people Nor
monism" and polygamy are all but syn
onymous, Mr.. MeaNn devoted consider
able time and a great deal of vigor to
putting the Latter-day Saints on n
proper footing" IN this regard. Less
than 4 per cent of the Mormon" people,
he said. had ever been induced 10 "ac-
cept the responsibilities attendant upon
marrying more than one wife" Few
people realized, he went on how great
was the extent Of these responsibilities.
The Mormon faith compelled every
man who made plural marriages to
care for each wife and provide her
with a comfortable home, as well an to
look after her In the same solicitors
manner 'as did the ordinary individual
who cOntented himself with one wife.
Consequently, said the lecturer poly
gamy carried with 1t a care and re-
spOnsbility that few men would care to
accept.
Besides this, when Utah was admitted
TO the sisterhood of states, condi-
ton was imposed and accepted to the
effect that plural marriages be thence
forth forbidden by church and state.
This agreement having been made, il
had never been broken, said Mr.. Mea-
kin, except by persons who would
break any laws anywhere, and such
were to be found as much IN one sect
as in another About every man hung
for murder, affirmed the speaker, was a
member of some church, and II he was
not when he committed the deed, he
became one before the death penalty
was carried out. Instead OF being a
fundamental principle of the Mormon"
doctrine, polygamy was only a side is
sue anyway, explained Mr.. Meakln,
ana never had been demanded of the
Batter-day Saints.
After explaining thus lucidly that po-
lygamy, the most obnoxious part of the
Mormon" faith, had practically been
done away with. and for that matter
had never existed to anything like the
extent believed by some people out
side the fold Mr.. Meakin proceeded
TO "A vigorous defense Of the same.
II was he said. one of the essentials
OF Old Testament theology. Abraham,
lssac and Jacob, idealzed today from
the pulpit as Christians in the highest
sense were polygamists, and as for
iolomon--'why, Solomon had enough
wives TO start a city with. He had 200
wives and 700 others in his establish
ment, which proved. according to Mr.,
Meakin's deduction, one thing, namely,
that Solomon was either an old fool or