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Show WO MAN'S EXPONENT. 158 honoraite 'wive?, united by tW'hoViest covenants that hearts can make and worus ex- - M K3. L dcY: We were unable to , obtain' for' publication in full. The next address was by of Ogden press, must submit and bear silently whatever insulting questions 'judges please .to", propound to them, simply because they are members of the Church of Jesus Christ, founded by Him, aM they obey its principles every one of which is holy, pure and true. It is lor this 'to raise our we have assembled here voices before high heaven and to the world, and to Protest against the dignity of our woman hood beine outraged in this uncalled- for manner. I cannot refrain from asking here: Are we in America, that glorious country, proudly denominated 'The land of the free and the home of the brave," that formerly raised its voice to the world, and ' , was next read. ' DR. R. B. PRATT. .... . Mrs. President and Ladies: It is ourest policy, as it is our duty, and in to-da- d -- dowh-trotlde- n : y our-princi- ples . . . . . 1 to-da- y, es 1 , 1 " y -- - God-fearin- semi-barbaro- felons. - ,: world-re-nowne- an-oth- - accordance with our religion and the counsels. of our leaders, to meet all afflictions with patience, and to "suffer, wrong rather than do -our mottor" and wrong." "Defense should-b- e it is the motive power of this meeting The mountain of evil that has been and is in prospect of being heaped "upon our people, the real brunt and heft of which falls on the devoted heads of women and innocent children, has put it into the hearts of the women hea under nation and 'of- the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daofvery: be should of. religion ven, and that every form Saints Jo protest against sueh unjust and unallowed and protected : under the broad and necessary proceedings, and if possible to make hea-ve- n its and its folds of flag glorious fostering aud opina plain statement of inspired Constitution? 7 Where sliall this ions; for be it known to all the world we most oppressed people turn for redress? Who shall assuredly possess both, and are neither slow lift the heavy hand of oppression from off their, nor. weak in making them known.and felt as "Cursed is he who 3fc shoulders? Scripture says: r.as.we cau , j n ,.a Lri ght eo hs w ay We w ish ... . ' .1 i' il !.... ms me ana in trust oj ojui, uesiij and w?e there-- " puttetn to deal with stern facts should the Lord seo fit to raise up such an arjn fore asku the majority of monogamous fami-liit will be filled by His Spirit, and the power of the United. States, or. even the world of the Holy One will alone be wielded by it. are very profusely adorned with the flowers of Oh, my sisters, let us live closer to Hini than virtue and morality. Can a true and veritawe have hitherto done! Our marriage vows ble marriage whiclvteceives the divine sanc- n r mne t flp.rp.d TjfiLins : Jive. andxe4ice in tion he" immoral oTthaissuei egi t i mate? the knowledge which His everlasting Gospel Certainly at this point the bone of contention has bestowed upon us, and while our wounded is made bare and the question is asked "is hpnrta ftrA haiarr.innr hpnpnth the rrueltv of our it of divine Origin?" And who but the indienemies, let us echo5' the words of our blessed vidual can decide this for himself? A true Savior under more exquisite sufferings as' an. cannot be productive of evil, for it excuse for them: "They know not what they marriage is the perfect union of heart and soul, saueti- do!" tied by mutual consent and sealed by God's ' Miss Nellie Colebrook then read, the poem holy ordinance. The "Mormon" marriage of Mrs. Woodmansee, which is published on covenant is as binding on the man as the the first page of this .number. At its concluwoman, for any departure from the marriage sion the band played "Hail Columbia." law is a deadly sin punished by excommunication whichjve regard as spiritual death. The riti-imoI o r oilinQa-Jir- 3 Latter-daSaints regard plurah niarriage as an extension of all the privileges and good remattie it. tingey. sults arising from single marriage. Ha3 npt Mrs. President and Ladies: every woman the undeniable right to be an honorable wife and mother of fulfilling the We deeply regretthat within the confines of end of her creation, and do not the circumstances of life and statistics prove this to be have occurred which warrant and necessitate the impossible under the monogamic system? .. If ft'SiSPTnhllnfr ihptn- wnmpn nf a rnmrnnniKv the same ceremony seals each wife to her husselves together to protest against injury and, band, may not each family be a realization of insult, and that, too, by Federal officials. It the beautiful picture of one father and one is an acknowledged .fact "'that: the more civimother, each the equal of the other dn that lized, and highly educated a nation becomes, family, happy in the consciousness of mutual the more are women- protected, elevated and and eternal affection, to rear about the hearthhonored. Can it be that oii great Republic stone an intelligent: arid family? has retrograded to a Our faith and confidence in the chastity and state, that men are upheld and retained in office,who of our husbands, fathers,mothers seek honoraand to is and sons such that we challenge the maliciously drag willfully women into their presence, of a better system of marriage and the ble, for the purpose?; of insulting them with quesrecords of more moral or purer lives. Hand tions that .cause the blush of shame to mantlo in hand with celestial marriage is the elevathe cheek of every true lover.? of virtue and tion of woman. In church she votes equally with men, and politically she has the suffrage morality? It can not be possible. Shall we then, mothers, wives and daugh raising her from the old common law, mono-gami- c serfdom to political equality with men. ters of citizens of this great Republic, sit quietly down, .like slaves, and see our rights Rights of property are given her so that she, taken from us, our characters maligned and as a married woman, can hold property in her insults heaped upon us, all because of religion, own individual right. the free exercise of which is guaranteed to us Chaste and honorable women have been Constitution of our coun by the taken alone into a room with fifteen men and from Methinks hear nook and been baited and badgered by I try? every offcorner of this spacious building, the ringing icers and forced, ou pain of prosecuting impriuunieut, to a thousand times no! So loug as answer, the most insulting and answer,-No- ! iudecent questhe God of heaven gives us breath and power tions concerning their personal condition, their of speech we will maintain our rights as expected maternity, and their private relations nf t.hft United States. and nrnti-s- t 'nominet with their, husbands. .. Children of tender-yearvomen being subjected to such indignities as have bsn snatched from the pure home nave been offered the women of our community circle and plied with concern questions by Federal officials, who should be our protheir fathers marital relations quite beyond tectors against everything of such a nature.' their until they tremble with open-eyea surnug wruieu uuuress uy wonder. Some noble women, rather than re to-day- ply to these improper questicrKilsailtid under the most trying circuma mothers within a few became stances. One days afteTleaving the penitentiary: another was imprisoned with a babe in her arms; with a babe at the breast, passing months under the. same roof with the most degraded Ft MONCII, g us s pure-motive- pro-ductio- ri pure-minde- d - time-honore- d' citi-7.PT- is -- s , y.-urs- d er ' . We do not believe that the; administration of the laws as carried on in Utah would if understood, be approved or sustained. We will not yet believe that justice and equity for t;n want oi aresuug pmcc iniS the women of glorious land.. Therefore, we, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daSaints, once more make a plain confession ofl our faith and principles of convictions formed by the unfettered conversion of conscience, that we do firmly believe in the divine origin aud the eternal benefits of celestial mar riage that this system conduces, to the elevation 'and independence of women- - that the men of this . faith who are guided by the spirit of the Gospel have the highest regard for virtue and morality :a"re the most "to be trusted and the most loyal citizens of any earth. Therefore, iu men whodtve-upon-th- e the name of justice equity and conscience we ; protest against special legislation which inhibits the conduct of our lives according to our best judgment for this life and mosx especially for the- future. We appeal to the honest-hearteof this nation, from President Cleveland to the least one who will raise a voice against oppression, to use their influence. a? the constituencies of Congressmen and demand a stay in the proceedings against this lmve-jorauh.- y 4 - d; . " " people. T , Miss Nellie Colebrook then read a poetical address by MRS. REB A PRATT, which lack of space prevents us from publishing at this time. It will no doubt appear in a subsequent number. After the choir sang a piece compoed by Bishop O. F. Whitney, " . DR. E. R. SUIPP spoke as follows: . . Sisters a:sd Friends: We consider that in our case patience and endurance have ceased to be a virtue, and we 'cannot longer restrain our feelings of wounded' dignity and subdued indignation, when all that is; held dear by us is trampled upon and our most sacred rights and privileges withheld from us. Our fathers, husbands, brothers and son's and, indeed, many of our honored and, respected ladie3 are exiled from their home's and forced, to flee from the minioni of the law. Those wBom we love, and honor and who respect and honor us are imprisoued,. obliged to share the cells of vile and wicked men, and even to wear the badges of shame and infamy. And for what? We have dared to worship-Goaccording to the dictates of pur own consciences. Thw i3 our grievous offense. A certain tenet of our religious faith our opponents ' cannot countenance, because so contrary to their own sinful practices. The evil results of these practices we have personally observed,, particularly in the hospitals of "the world,, where fallen women seek the shelter they cannot obtain from those who should have protected them instead of throwing them and their offspring upon the mrcies of a cold, unfeeling world. By consulting the national statistics we find New York with 30,000 women living, lives-- qf Boston -prostitution,- - Chieago-20,00- 0, and Cincinnati each 10,000 and other cities with a like ratio according to the number of inhabitants. Unfortunately, a record of the opposite sex is not kept. We are accused of We deny: and oppressed. being , . . d , down-trodde- n . |