The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-12
THE "HoNESTY" OF IT.


ing, from the London Opinion of May
Goth The title Of the article is, "The
Honesty OF Mormonism;' but as that
article is devoted almost exclusively
to the lapdation Of polygamy, and the
Identification of Mormonism with
polygamy, its reproduction is both
timely and appropriate, especially in
view of the assault made by this same
church organ upon Cardinal Gibbons
for identifying Mormonism and polyg
amy, For the purpose of assailing
Cardinal Gibbons, the News undertakes
to "refute'' the Identification made
by Cardinal Gibbons, but for the pur.
pose OF lauding polygamy, and getting
the support Of an English writer for it.
| 1t reproduces with commendatory words
that Engllshman S high appreciation of
| polygamy, and its Identification with
Mormonism. For, that English writer
begins his essay with the distinct iden.
tiflcation of Mormonism with polyp,
amy, in these words: amidst this
outburst against Mormonism, it is well
to admit its honesty Whatever else
| this legalizlng and systematizing of
plural marriages may be called, it was
at least fair and above board' That
is. Mormonlsm is this legalizing and
systematizing OF plural marriages. -
And the church organ copies this ap-
provingly!
The idealized conditions under
which man might 90 into polygamy,
as expressed by that English writer, are
something so far from the actual con-
ditions here, that one wonders to see
1T publicly presented in this commu-
nifty, where the actual conditions are
so well known. There was no ques.
tion of prosperity involved in plural
marriage, as is well known, and as is
proved by the fact that large numbers
of the unlawful cohabiters who were
sent to the Utah penitentiary Gin the
days of the persecution that is to
say, In the days when the Edmunds
law was being enforced. took the
pauper oath as being unable to pay the
$500 fine which the law fixed and the
| court imposed.
The English writer grumbles good
deal at the disturbance of the ideal
ized conditions which he imagines pre-.
vailed IN polygamy, but which ideali,
zations were very far from the truth.
Polygamy never worked well, as is
proved by the addresses of the Nor.
mon leaders in early days; it was al
ways menace and affliction to those
engaged in it, while. as Cardinal Glib
bons says. II was utterly destructive
of the laws Of inheritance. The con-
trast drawn by this English writer
between monogamy and polygamy, so
very largely to the benefit of polyg.
amy, is something that civilized men
of moral and Christian sentiments must
marvel at. The person who wrote it is
evidently theorlst, without one atom
of practical judgment or legal attain
ments in his mind.
The article is thorough laudation
and argument for polygamy; and yet
the author attempts to disclaim its real
purpose by using the words ''without
when he is advocating polygamy, and
setting forth its advantages all through
his article. When he says "the house
of the drawn blinds and the lady of
hidden pleasures are unknown in this
polygamous society," he states some
thing that was never the fact; and when
he proceeds further to draw such an ex-
emp)ary picture of peace, quiet and
content in Salt Lake City in the early
days. he draws bow as long as Robin
Hood s. for Salt Lake City was at all
times in the early days rough from.
tier settlement, and there were fre-
quent indulgencies in the rough
house. so frequently known in from
tier settlements generally. And the old
DANTE gangs here. with Porter Rock
well, Bill Hickman, AL. Huntington.
Lot Huntington, and others of that ilk
on the Mormon side of the house, were
fully able to hold up their end in any
kind Of an argument, not to mention
the gang Of police thugs, which were at
times the most dangerous menace to
The outrages committed upon Mr. and
Mrs. Stenhouse, and later upon u. s.
officials here twenty-five &c thirty
years ago, form complete answer to
any such foolish pictures Of peace and
quiet as this English author draws.
That author closes his article with
a further Identification of Mormonism
with poygamy by saying that, though
the Mormons abandoned poIygamy in
obedience to the requirements of what
he calls "the Federal Parliament, this
"doesn u discredit the worthiness Of
the system. its honesty and straight
forwardnese.' And still. he is not for
a moment advocating polygamy! OF
the honesty and straightforwardness
of polygamy, let those who remember
the shocking. depraved periuries which
were so common in the interest of
the defendants in the prosecution of
Il n