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Show GINX S'ZxS UP 1018OTE1 Calls It "a Polygamic Theocracy," Non-Essential, but Chained to It by Women it Wrongs. "Instrument of Vengeanco and Host Uncanny Social Monster of the Modern World." It was Judgo James B. MoKan, who, whllo on the Supromo bench of Utah In early days, first sized up tho Mormon Qchomc as a "Polygamic Theocracy." lie felt that In his Judicial capacity ho represented rep-resented the dignity, tho power and tho lawB of the Republic, and that under his oath ho was bound to uphold, magnify and enforce them. It was hclldvcd that ho took upon tho bench with him a certain amount of "theological malice," but that was not trun. On tho stotuto books of tho United States was a law forbidding and punishing polygamy polyg-amy In tho Territories. In Utah ho found that lav.' openly, llauntlngly defied, and when ho undertook to enforco It ho ran a-foul of all tho barrlora that tho kingdom king-dom of God had raised to protect Itsolf In secular power, nnd, incidentally, Its Institution In-stitution of polygamy. Tho "theological mallco" therefore was discovered to bc at tho bar, In tho Jury box, In tho Mormon press and pulpit, and permeating the whole populace. Henco Judgo Mclvcan'a cplgramallc and exact designation of the Mormon scheme Whether ho over bollcved polygamy was regarded by tho Mormons as a religious conviction at ail. I question, but ho found too outward evidences of It, and ho found It, In tho conditions then existing, Invulnerably Invul-nerably Intrenched behind local laws, and a powerful adjunct to a theocratic local government potent onough to paralyzo tho Judicial arm of the United Stotes In Utah, with tho whole Inchoate- treason resting upon the religious convictions of the community, Polygamy in Palnce nnd Hovel. Polygamy was a general nractlco among tho big and little priesthood of the church, and was as frequently found In the hovel amid squalor and poverty as It was among tho higher or ruling class, who together did all In their power to enforco its general gen-eral practice, on tho ground that It was necessary as a means of salvation Another An-other consideration, however, played an Important part In Its general enforcement Knowing full well that it was Interdicted Interdict-ed by tho laws and customs of society, as woll as by the laws of the land, and know-lug know-lug that soon or late society would assault as-sault It through (he Instrumentality of tho statute law, the ruling priesthood con-cplvcd con-cplvcd It to bo good policy to tar as many of their community with tho polygamic stick as possible, that apostasy might bo minimized, and that when, If a crisis should eome, hanging singly might be forestalled fore-stalled by hanging together. Polygamy was thus mado a cementing agency of great strength. As to whether thoso men who entered tho practice were sincere or not, as a matter mat-ter of religious conviction. Is a mooted question when It is remembered that human hu-man credulity In religion Is boundless. There Is a lingering suspicion, however, embodied In all tho statutes defining and punishing certain offenses, that man In his barbarous state was a promiscuous male animal, and those lawB themselves arc tho evidence that society Is endeavoring to ovolvo him Jnto a civilized, monogamlc man. Excuse Afforded in Religion. Whero tho rudiments of the barbarian still exist to a largo degreo In the Individual, Indi-vidual, and an excuse is afforded him In religion to lapso Into his former state of animal happiness, It Is reasonable to suppose sup-pose that such Individual's religious con-victloiiB con-victloiiB In that behalf would bo as sincere a3 his predisposition might be strong. And this seems to mo to bo the measure of the average polygamlst's ro'.lglous sincerity sin-cerity In tho Initiation of his practice of It. Certainly thoso who may remember tho array of solemn apoalles and bishops at an old time conference or other assembly assem-bly of tho priesthood, cannot fall to also remember tho plethora of big necks and stocky forms that such an aggregation of polyKamlsts presented. Still tho question of sincerity Is an Individual In-dividual matter, and ono of degree. Onco entangled in tho polygamous relation with tho consequent numerous progeny that follows, fol-lows, thero are paternal considerations born of the entanglement that go far toward to-ward reinforcing tho religious sincerity of the polygamous father, by adding a domestic do-mestic anil comnles ehamcLer to Ills pfln. vlct'ons. Tho Mormon Justification of It Is. that In tho spirit world aro myriads of spirits clamoring to bo born Into the flesh that thoy may have a chanco to work out their salvation on earth. Tho puerility of this exctiso seems never to havo Impressed thoso people that It ia an Impeachment of tholr all omnipotent God's power to provide pro-vide a moro comprehensive method than polygamy affords to effeot such purpose, whllo to tho avorago layman It looks like a bit of the flimsiest kind of transcenden-tallBm transcenden-tallBm Improvised to do service in an overstocked over-stocked harem. President Smith as a Polygamlst. Tho history of tho general scampering by polygamlsts for the underground railroad rail-road some twenty years ago when tho crl9l3 was upon them for defiance of United Unit-ed States laws relating to their matrimonial matri-monial practices, is a fairly good. Index to tho sincerity, or rather tho Insincerity, of the ruling priesthood touching tho polygamic feature of Mormon faith. There aro ampin reasons for saying, however, that such courao did not suit all those who tn various dlxgulsen took to the highways and byways to dodge Um United States officers, and among tho exceptions was the present president, Joseph P. Smith, whose conviction aa to polygamy, whatovcr its real basis may be, 1 do not question. What procedure ho would havo adopted had ho then been at tho head of tho kingdom Is hard to surmise. In temperament tem-perament ho Is somewhat after tho type of Mahomet, Intense, dogmatic and courageous, cour-ageous, and unless he had been curbed by a senso of responsible power or tho diplomatic di-plomatic ndvicc of hta f rlonds, a very ugly mesa was not beyond tho probabilities. To those who know him Intimately his testimony before tho Senate committee sitting on tho Smoot case lost winter could havo been no surprise, for whatever else may bo said of him ho Is a man of both physical and moral courage. The ordinary hypocrite or dissembler never would havo faced that committee under llko circumstances circum-stances and not shadod the truth as to himself. That he did a little "eldo stepping" step-ping" when It camo to Incriminating hlu confederates may not bo pardonable, but It showed a gcncrOus side of hla nature. Religiously Sincere. In Justlco to him as a man who is probably prob-ably tho most religiously sincere polygamlst polyg-amlst In tho whole Mormon church, It is but fair to nay that he tries to llvo his Ideals, although In themselves they aro neither conventional nor lawful. He la said to be gentle and kind to each of his wives, and a most loving father to all of hlo children. President Joseph F. Smith has been singled sin-gled out In this discussion to represent tho malo side of Mormon polygamy Lecauac, conceding him to bo tho most slncero of all tho priesthood. It Is desirable to give to all the males entangled In It the benefit of whatever doubt there may be as to tholr sincerity. Tho case Is different with thoso Mormon women who are members of polygamous famlllea no wives. In entering the relationship rela-tionship they cannot be suopectod of tho possible motives that actuato men, Thoy know It cannot bring them the Ideal hus-brwid hus-brwid and the ideal home; they know they turn their backs forever upon tho world, and that the world turns Its back forever upon them and their children; thoy know thoy lake up a cross upon which their hearts must bo Immolated every day, thoy know their Ideals of love, their Ideals of happiness In this world are abandoned; that so far as those are concerned they know they havo .entered tho gate of an Inferno. ' For this causo they not only bear all tho burdens of motherhood, all the drudgery of poverty, all tho contumely of the world, but unmcntlonablo Indignities besides; and against all. through all. singularly true to their religion, true to their covenants, true to their children and true to their polygamous polyg-amous lords arc these Titans of the faith. Glorious Howard of Heaven. Sincere? Savagely! And why not? Did not their ' priestly wooers whisper tho glorious rewards of heaven Into their misshapen mis-shapen oars, attuned to maniacal hallucinations halluci-nations of an immortal spirit life? Did not even tho sacred name of eternal lovo flguro In their wooing? Are thoso women slncero? Could they bo anything else Or loss In their Insane devptlon to polygamy? Perhaps these women do not know, or. If knowing, do not realize that they owo certain duties oven to their unborn children, chil-dren, among which la the right to bo born according to law, and the right of children chil-dren to abandon the faith of their fathers without having to bear the snubs of the world and the added contempt of an arrogant arro-gant priesthood. One of tho meanest things In Mormon-Ism Mormon-Ism is tho attempt to hold the children of the system to the faith by so mean a tie. And these slncero women, more Js tho pity are chief boarera of the whole burden of I VBIJUIIBimiliy. 1U1 niUIUUl linril oniv.""; the system of polygamy would perish In a slncle hour. But when driven to tho wall, as thoy were In 1SS0, what were these people who had contracted polygamous tics to do? Should tho mnn havo said to the woman: "Begone. What I told you to win you was a delusion." And would not tho woman wo-man havo had to answer: "Alas, I havo no refuge on earth or In heaven." In good faith tho American Nation gavo Statehood to thoso peoplo, and accepted their promises to abandon polygamy and to divorce church and Slate. Tho peoplo stood ready as thoy would now to blink tho non-producing polygamous household, willing that It should pass out by natural process. Faith of Nation Betrayed. But tho promises wcro Insincere; tho faith of the Nation was botrayed, becauso tho chiefs of tho kingdom felt relntrenohed stronger than ever behind Statehood. Secret Se-cret polvgamous marriages therefore continue, con-tinue, and every ward in every Infected Stato continues to bo a breeding ground. Even this flagrant breach of faith might havo passed for a long time unchallenged but for Mormonlsm's overweening deslro to twlek the noso of Christendom In general gen-eral and tho United States In particular, flrst with its polygamous hand when It Bhovcd Elder Itoborts at the lower houso of Congress, and next with Its political hand whon It saddled Apostlo Smoot onto the United Statos Senate. Shades of McKcan! A "polygamic theocracy," the-ocracy," a "kingdom of God on earth." and In tho mlro Instead of in tho hearts of men, polygamy Its Nemesis1 Strange, this non-essential of tho political scheme of Mormonlsm should be chained to Its sldo by tho slncoilty of the women It wrongn, a furv that cannot bo shaken off. but stays "to tho end. tho instrument of that vengeance which must bo requited In the final dissolution of this, tho most uncanny uncan-ny social monster of the modern world. JOHN C. YOUNG.' Known to tho readers of Tho Trlbuno of twcnty-tlvc years ago as "Glnx." and a membor of tho then reigning family of Utah. |