The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-03-07

the ghastly plains from the operation of the laws
of man, found the dumb testimony of the skill of
the ancients in the valley where they halted and
that their instincts told them that the methods
through which great had sustained itself
in comfort would respond as readily to the toll of the
fugitive band of modern tramps.
At any rate irrigation was brought to the rescue
of perishing landscape and again it attred itself
in the verdure that had witnessed the growth and
the extinction of prehistoric tribes, which left be-
hind them only voceless idea traced in the bitches
and 1aterals that beguiled revvifyng moisture from
far away reservoirs.
Ranchmen and orchard growers domicled on
the long silent arid stretches following the example
of the unknown departed, are recainng the land
and reproducing the luXuriant growth of centuries
gone Possibly they, too, may fade away and dis
appear, leaving the same indelibe marks of fruit
full system to suggest comforts and luxuries to the
new races of centuries to come
Mrs. Unruh secretary of the Oregon w. c. T. u.
touches upon another topic in her contribution to
newspaper literature and it is fully interesting
as the light she throws the irrigation problem.
She says:
In common with other portion of the southwest,
Arizona has the Mormon problem on her hands and
it promises to be of small proportions In
deed, it seems high time that Pacific coast
people awakened to the danger particularly
1t is that they make loud and vigorous denials
of this doctrine and its practice. These denias,
however, lose much of their force when one comes
face to face with of the internal evidences
that may be by the most superficial observer in
the Mormon communities
For instance, in small place which I visited
few days ago they only lay claim to 1,500 nhabi-
tants but | addressed in the public schools 500
pupils, not many of whom from outside of the
village.
On tombstone in the cemetery is engraved,
"Mourned by 23 children, grand children and 100
great grand children" | was told as a matter of
interest that by the of Johnson died
but little more than year in the place who
claimed $50 direct descendants. He had 80 children
Sc of whom sons and 80 daughters.
This to a superficial observer seems to be pretty
conclusive evidence of a disregard of the Edmunds
law. Since the famous Smoot investigation the lines
between the Mormon and the Gentle population
more tightly drawn, and any effort to reach them
with Gentle" influence is stubbornly resisted by
their leaders. The younger portion of the Mormon
church are popularity supposed to be opposed to plural
marriage particularly the young women, and in this
lies all of the hope that there will from within
the Mormon church itself reformatory influence.
There is, however, the teaching of the church
ITSELF the call of the (human) Wild" to which plur-
al marriage is such satisfactory institution, the
power of religious fevor and fanaticsm
to make martyrdom glory, to take into account
in the analysis of this problem | have myself heard
women of more than ordinary culture and refinement
women of more than ordinary sensitive natures de-
clare plural marriage to be the ideal home life
| very we'll recall woman of this character who
said, 1T takes much grace to live in plural marriage
hope that God will not ask it of me, but if he does
trust that may be given the grace to bow to his
will and live | ought"
This spirit, together with the fact that the Mormon
woman is taught by her religion that she only has
through her husband and that if she
angers him or opposes him it is optional with him
whether he shall call her. to the resurrection holds
all of the womans nature that rebels against the u-
natural condition of polygamy, in check.