Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-03
THE NEW YORK RESOLUTION

In the United States senate on Mon
day, Senator Plntt presented "A Joint
resolution, adopted by the New York
Legislature, for an amendment TO the
Constitution Of the United States pro-
hibiting polyeamy. That Is not any,
thing new under the sun, as attempts
have been made IN a similar direction
several times, A strong feeling has been
aroused on this subject. but II Is not
nearly so fierce as II was year or two
ago. great many people who were
then much exited over It, have learned
that they were greatly deceived by
exaggerated reports and whole cloth
fabrications, and that as matter "
fact there was very little. " anything.
TO warrant any great effort IN the In
tended direction.
We do not believe that there are at
present more than five or ak hundred
polygamous families In Utah and the
States and Territories adjacent How
many polygamists there are In Tho
United States we are not able to deter
mine or even guess ut As 20 the Com
secutive polysamists." az they are cali
ed we do not think there are any sta
tlsties that may he considered rnla-
bic. But from the number Of divorces
that are obtained. followed by re-mar-
rlages, as ohronicled by the press. II
Is evident that they far exceed In num-
Der the cases OF old plural marriages
among the "Mormons," the remains OF
which seem 60 shock SO much our
Christian friends, who tolerate the 9TH
err kind OF polygamy.
As to new plural marriages, by which
we mean since 1890. that being the time
from which official Inquiries have been
dated. the evidence. such as II Is, i'm
plicates but very few individuals, and
positive proof OF them Is vet lacking.
And the Church ls not responsible for
them In any event. But concedIng that
the charges concerning them are COR
rect, taken all together they would be
scarcely worth mentioning IN compari-
son with the proven cases of bigamy
and violations of the marriage contract.
demonstrated to have occurred
throughout the country.
OF course, the purpose OF the resolu-
tion adopted by the New York leglsla-
ture Is to prohibit and punish that
kind OF polygamy which Is supposed to
prevail among the "Mormons' or Lat
ter-day Saints. The offenses known TO
New York against the laws and regula-
lions in support OF morality. are not
called by the same name as that which
the Legislature aims TO prohibit. SO
that body dIverts attention from real
evils fourishing IN its own domain, by
passing n resolution concerning a COM
paratively very small social irregulnr-
fly nearly three thousand miles away.
The apathy and Indifference OF that
body Of lawmakers to the actual sexual
crimes fostering IN IFS own society,
known 10 exist, undeniably prevalent,
patent 70 all observers. vile beyond de-
scriptlon, deadly in their effects eat
ing into the very vltals Of the COM
monwtslth, spreading disease. dishonor
and death, when contrastod with the
anxiety displayed about an alleged evil
beyond the Rocky Mountains. appear
not only homogeneous. but extremely
hypocrltcal.
We have before us now n settlement
made by most eminent criminologist,
that there are more than 100000 fallen
women In the towns and cities Of the
United States, New York City having
more than Its equitable proportion. Tho
term ~ used in relation TO the profess
,ionally corrupt females. saying Moth
Ing OF others who have lapsed from viz
tue, or those who are kept as nlStresses
by Some OF the most violent male de-
nouncers Of distant polygamy What
DO these figures suggest concerning the
number of male consorts and resort
ers upon whose means those fallen
women" obtain their support?
Yet we hear no outcry from the logis.
lators OF the land. nor OF the religious
ladies who have been 30 agitated cor,
corning Utah's morality, against M,
state Of AFFAIRS partly exhibited IN tn,
figures We have quoted, nor OF an,