Semi-weekly herald., 1909-10-25
MORMON PoLYeAMv Is
AN OBSOLETE QUESTION
tBy William T.. Curtis. Correspondent
Chicago Record-Herald.)

SAIL LAkE CITY, Oct. l3.--Presi
dent Taft's sermon in the Mormon
tabernacle about the blessings OF tol
GRAFTON. charity and brotherly love
does not seem to have had much effecr
on the hearts of those for whom Il
was intended. His amiable word.
seemed to have fallen on stony ground
The bitterness between the Gentle
and Mormon politicians. particularly
on the former side. has been even
more intense since his visit and the
attacks on the Mormon leaders and
the church at large by the Gentle pa
pers have been fiercer and more furi
ous, chiefly because Senator Smo6t
Mormon, with one wife and life.
long opponent of polygamy, had charge
of the presidents reception and en-.
|tertainment.
stranger finds 1t difficult to I'M
derstand the situation here, and a
friend who has lived here nearly all
his life advised me not to waste any
time In trying to understand II. He
said the hostility between the Nor
mons and the Gentiles Is confined to
n few people, but is incomprehensible
and eternal, and they could not agree
on any subject
The polygamy question Is obsolete.
The leaders and members of the Nor
mon church-except a small minority
still adhere TO the principle of plur-
al marriages. as iustied and author,
lied not only by Joseph Smiths reve-
lation, but by the example of the pa.
triarchs and biblical command to in.
crease aud multiply. They assert that
plural marriage is nowhere forbidden,
but is encouraged In the scriptures !.
but. so long as II Is forbidden by the
constitution and the laws of the state
II cannot be pracilced, and they yield
their religious convictions TO their civ.
II obligations.
Polygamy has been prohibited by ev
cry president of the church and by
every successive conference that has
been held since the Edmunds bin was
passed There have been occasional
plural marriages, perhaps an average
os one a year, entered into deliberately
by fanatics as q defiance of Gentle
authority, but those who have partlci.
patcd have been disciplined by the
presidency In such way as to make
an example for the warning of others.
A prominent member of the church,
in conversation the other day, used
the prohibition laws that recently have
been passed In the southern states
10 Illustrate the sentiment and the
attitude of the church toward a large
and respectable element In Alabama,
Mississippi and Georgia, which he had
recently visited, which regarded the
recent legislation prohibiting the sale
and transportation of liquors, an In.
fringement of their constitutional
rights and liberties; but their respect
for cis,l authority comDelled them TO
submit and obey. The Mormon church
recognized the authority of the legis-
lature of the state and the congress
., the United States in The same man.
ner, although It's members believe that
their action was tyrannical and that
the law prohibiting plural marriage is
tyrannical and unjust.
Practically all of the plural wives
have been put away. and their hus-
bands. as a rule. are living with the
woman TO whom they were first mar
ried; but the discarded wives are be
ing literally supported and their chill
dren are being given the same oppor.
tunities and advantages as those of
the first wife. The government Of
the United States appropriated $780,
900 to provide an asylum for discard
ed polygamist wives, and large
comfortable building was erected for
that purpose, but It never had an in
mate. The women for whom 1t was
intended either declined or did not
require the protection or the hospital
Ity OF the government. II has since
been transformed into hospital
The polygamy issue having become
obsolete. the Mormon church is now
charged with violating the constitu.
tion and conspiring to destroy the
American home because the presiden-
cy, the apostles and other officials die
tate In n despoiic manner how the
members of the church shall live and
work and exercise their privileges and
duties as citizens. The church Ia call.
ed an oligarchy whose practices and
principles are repugnant to the Amer.
lean standard OF liberty and civiliza-
ton.
1t Is not necessary TO say that this
charge is not made by the members
OF the chnrch-those whose interests
are most affected. The victims Of the
tyranny seem to be contented and sat
lsfied with their situation, and there
is no more prosperous class OF peo
pie under the sun.
The officials OF the churche exercise
a paternai interest over all the mem