The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-16

ipsseret News Editorial, April 3. lapS)
In the United States Senate on Monday,
senator Platt presented a joint reSoiu-
don, adopted by the New York Legisla-
iure for an amendment to the Constitu-
lion OF the United States prohibiting
pclygamy. That Is not anything ne"
mder the sun. as attempts have been
uaee in similar direction several times,
Htrong feeling has been aroused on THIS
aehlsct, but IL is not nearly so fierce as
y vas year or two ago. great many
people who were then much excited over
H. have learned that they were greatly
teceived By exaggerated reports and
Ehole-cloth fabrcauons, and that as a
naltsr OF fact there was very little, IL
snTlhing. 10 warrant any great effort In
Ee Intended direction.
We do not believe that there are at
IftSent more than i've or six hundred pc
Ygamous families In Utah and the states
10 Territories adjacent. How many
Eygamists there are In the United
@lates We are not able TO determine or
zen guess at. AS to the consecutive po-
4eamlsts as they are called, We do not
t4nk there are any statistics that may
= considered reliable. But from the num-
- OF divorces that are obtained. 1ol-
2sed by rs-marrlages, as chronlolcd by
eR press, 1t is evident that they iar eS.
<eed In number the cases of old plural
Gairlages among the Mormons, the re-
EMns OF which seem TO shock so much
eW Christian friends. who tolerate the
"ner kind OF polygamy.
AS 10 new plural marriages, by which
- mean since $780, that being the time
n Luln which official inquiries nave been
eated. tho evidence. such as is, lmpn-
3les but very few individuals. and pos.
aye proof OF them IS yet lacking, And
'sc church Is not responsible for Them In
~ event. But conceding that the
<1arges concerning them are correct. TAX
an together they would be scarcely
xn suxn mentioning in comparison with the
Toseh cases OF Digamy and violations CT
Ss marriage contract. demonstrated to
-Sse ns occurred throughout the country
pl course the purpose Of the resolution
saopted by the New York Legislature Is
prohibit and punish" that kind oil
srwsamy which is supposed to prevail
ssnts TSe olnsns M9rm9ns snow or he c6%
e,ed In the city and State OF New York
nsslnst nsst the laws and regulations In sup
Er. Vi morality. arc not called by the
,lrnse ,lne name us that which the Legislature
stIa ns 70 prohibit So that body dlvcrts
A. asniion from real evils fourishing In its
es-a sn 9omain. by passing a resolution con-
,,r,..nns comparatively very small socia
Ssssuiarity Ssssya nearly three thousand miles
hSana.e apathy and Indifference of thai
s,1Isy OF lawmakers To the actual sexua
II 'nes 'ass restoring In It's own society. knowr
nil eatsl, sn, und"niably prevalent. patent tc
4 A. aHyoservers, Yilo beyond description
serv y;,n IN their effects, eating into thu
u Inc d,tais ,sitais OF the commonwealth, spread
! ,seese, dishonor and death. when con
An s,s with tho anxiety displayed abou
/ taina 'eged evil beyond the Rocky noun
tTtrse.,, appear not only incongruous. bu
wemely hypocritical.
MAJ nave before us now q statcmcn
thai hpS most eminent criminologist
men ,tne,e are more than 800 COO fallen wo
Ht,atss. New York City having more thai
taed 1uLaole proportion. The term Il
rupt ~ ~ relation to the professionally cor
who hemalcs saying nothing OF other
~. Mmo are kept as mIstrcsses S s' by g some 'o o
tant "os, ns violent male denounccrs ~oc dis
suercsgtp ygamy. What do these fiSure
Sonsorts concerning the number Of NAL
ano resortcrs, upon whose mean