The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-08-29
Progress of Polygamy.

gamy is no longer taught advocated by the Nor
mon missionaries The Tribune has a letter
recently written by intelligent gentleman in one
of the southern States and just received IN this
city, which is decidedly racy in its reeking of poly
gamy This gentleman says in his letter that ''Some
time ago. about four years. / think, two elders
here and during the conversation | had with them
the spokesman said, in relation to bigamy that
David and Solomon were of much higher order of
religion than we are, for they could practice poly
gamy righteousy,' showing plainly as I told him,
that they had polygamy, hosted to their masthead
and are trying to work up to it, while we are thank
full that we have passed that stage and are now
working on higher plane" In which certainly the
writer of the letter had the Mormon missionary
completely at disadvantage
Writing further, the gentleman says: 1.-TWO years
later two others along, and in conversation with
them on the subject, after getting them a little
warmed up the spokesman said: Last week at
tended meeting of elders in , and the presi-
dent called on all who had polygamous brothers
sisters to stand tip. And [ am proud to say that
twenty-five out of the twentyfour present stood up,
continuing he walked out L hope to the
time when | may have seven wives That does not
sound like dead issue lost hope with them here
and cannot see why it should be so hard to discern
in Utah; for idea prominent ought to be per-
ceivable to some extent, matter how much they
may try to keep 1t under cover. The matter quoted
with regard to Utah shows somewhat of m1Sappre-
hension of fact There is attempt to keep poly
gamy under cover in Utah, SO far as poygamous liv
ing in established relations is concerned Poyga-
nous living has been notorious and general among
those who Git is caimed) acquired their poygamous
connections prior to the manifesto of 1890 And yet
there many young women in polygamy, SO
many wives whose husbands cannot be openly
avowed, that the pretense that but those who
married in poygamy prior to 1890 continue
in that relation is too thin to deceive anybody.
But the matter Of secrecy is absolutely and strenu-
ously insisted upon in the polygamous marri-
ages and connections. Every ndulging in this
secret vice and shame does under the most abb
occasion When Joseph + Smith made his horrible
revelations in Washington to his family life,
they so shocking as to astound this whole com
munity No one had any idea of the extent to which
his law1ess lecheres had carried him. And yet,
while he SO frank in disclosing his own shameful
family relations, he fasifed recklessy and by whole
sale in denying that new polygamy had been entered
into since the manifesto of 1890 He not only de-
MES it for himself, but he compes every else to
deny these relations, true though they may be. And
though the community is full of new of poly
gany, and though every one who is alive to the STU
alton here cannot but know that there is aStonsh
ing amount of new polygamy it is with the utmost
difficulty that any would undertake to establish
any of the kind, as legal proposition.
When one sees apparently unmarried women become
mothers and lose no social caste, but esteemed
as vrtuous women and honorable mothers by their
associates then it is evident that poygamy be-
ing entered upon and entered upon to as great
an extent is considered safe; the prime insis-
tence and requisite, the paramount injunction in
every CdSe De1g secrecy even 10 the QenalS OF TACT
and utter falshcation though the ruin of character
and standing might be threatened thereby
Under these circumstances the writer of the let
ter quoted above easily that there might
ist, secretly and guardedy, in Utah, a shameful
condition with regard to poygamous marriages
which those outside of the inner circle would have
no knowledge of in the least definite provable,
and yet the observer would be morally certain of
the existence of the crime and the continued in
crease of 1legitimate children under polygamous re-
lations. That there is revival of polygamy among
the "elect" that it is guarded with the utmost
crecy, and that those who know of it are wifu and