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Show 13 WOMAN'S EXPONENT. and desolation, ruined, homes, blighted hopes, and, all the attendant evils, cruel and remorseless, that result frpm religious persecution. If Mrs. New man has a human heart, if she can feel for those whose sorrows should make them satred, especial ly so to all their own sex, who possess genuine womanly tenderness, she must know the torture the anguish of soul the Edmunds law child-ren . innocent women and is inflicting upon and to insult them by asking alms from the National Congress, to which they themselves are , appealing throughpetitions, eloquent and strong, with forcible truthsforsimple justice and a humane administration of law, is too great an insult to be borne without remonstratingprotesting and declaring against such measures. ThVtables will turn by and bye, and the persecutors of .this"peo: pie will need aid and assistance far worse than the JLMormonj5needitnpwLtheireli'er. the "Mormons" want is justice, and those rights and liberties guaranteed by that glorious Constitution of our common country, nothing more. Having these and the blessing of God upon their efforts and endeavors, happiness and prosperity will abound, and many people will flock hither and find peace and security, and oppression and bond-- , age will be unknown. . EDITORIAL NOTES. The Relief Society, Y. L. M L A. and P. A. conference of Tooele Stake was held June 12th 'and I3th,in Grantsville,Mrs. M. A. Hunter presiding. Sisters E. Howard and H. M. Whitney of this city were in attendance,and give an interesting . report of the proceedings. do ne away with on constitutional principles." When the Constitution irsilentmpon the question " of polygamy," and does not refer to religion at all, "? 7 Editor Exponent: that "no religious test shall ever be reDear Sister: In' reading the papers one is except as a qualification to any office or public quired struck with the unqualified and groundless extrust under the" United States?' and, in its first the lipsj-- and pressions, so frequently-falling-froamendment, that,"Congress shall make no law reflowing from the pens of speakers and writers on specting an establishmfcnTof 'religion or prohibitthose questions which relate in any manner to the ing the free exercise thereof," it would certainly Latter-da- y Saints. I noticeji fair sample of this beHnteresting to know how: plural marriage in wholesale, unreasoning declamation "against :an Utah, an essential part of the religion of Hhe Latterin a short publetter, recently unpopular people, -day Saints, ''can be done away with on Conlished in the Deseret News, over the signature of stitutional principles?" Yet she further says; "If Helen M. Gougar, copied from the "Inter men in Congress are incapable of killing this Ocean. monsler of polygamy, tfiat they have nursed by She makes use of the following language: their lo, these many years, thtn "every right minded woman in the country wants let the Loziers take their seats for a time and it polygamy in Utah Stamped out, and the sooner will be done without adding another wrong to the ' the better." great wrongs already inflicted." She has an idea As a woman I claim the right to dispute this it would Beem, that the "great wrongs already inproposition as emphatically as it has heen made." flicted," are the failures, from time to time, of I am aware howvery unpopular it is in the world Congress to settle the Mormon question and that to take this position, but America is a great and the methods of doing this, or killing the monster a free country and. I presume J have the same of polygamy "to be adopted by the "Loziers," right of free speech, and to" my opinion, and per- - would be speedy, effectual and harmless -hapsas good autherityto .sustain mypositionJis- This can be regarded only as a meaningless she has. The strong prejudice in the mind oLthLsUady,. boast or hoax, unless she can show us that the as in the minds of those of her class, and the ruination of our homes, the destruction of peaceful and happy families, the unjust and cruel interpublic generally, perhaps, upon this subject,arises . from their education, traditions and the many ference with the sacred rites of religion, by secu-lar authorities, and the innumerable attendant, other circumstances surrounding them which interrible consequences, that must ensue, would not fluence their thoughts. be as "great" and as infamous wrongs' if comBut there are thousands of women "in the counmitted by the cold blooded, heartless Nero of the try," not excepting Utah, who have been brought Senate Mr. Edmunds, and a male Congress, who up under these same traditions and circumstances, have already demonstrated, notwithstanding all and educated in the same schools of learntheir cunning ingenuity and sophistry to gloss over ing and experience in the world, who through the ugly fact, now utterly impossible it is to touch deeper research and thought on the subject and tht question of piural marriage in Utah, except by more thorough investigation have come to the opthe passage of cruel, proscriptive, posite conclusion which warrants my emphatic denial eluding stringent, "religious test" oaths which. are The presumption is, and it is a fair presumption directly forbidden by the Constitution, expunging from my standpoint, that the lady who made this the rights of citizens without process of law, alo broadassertionJusstudidthepolitics f the theviolaTion of sacred contracts, and the disrupcountry more thoroughly, and "has paid more attion of pure and peaceful communities, and the tention to the subject of woman's suffrage than plundering of helpless families, and ruining them ever jhe has done to the . subject of plural mar by fines imprisonment and costs, inflicted upon Saints, and while I riage among the Latter-da- y their natural protectors, and attempting the'utter speak for her readily concede to her the right-tspoliation of an industrious, peaceful, moral, repolitical friends, I doubt her authority as to the and intelligent people, a people law abid"wants," or desires of "right minded women," ligious the beginning, and still so, in spite of the or upon the question involving the righTminded-nes- s ing from illiberal, partial,' cruel and unjust laws enacted exof women,at all on this subiect let her speak clusively against lhem,and mercilessly and wantonfor herself, and for those who hole! the same views enforced ; the attempted political capture, and that she does, if they do not object, but that this ly and coruption of one of the most class will include "every right minded woman in degradation best governed,' purest, happiest, and the country," is a part of her assertion-whicJ prosperous,Territories of the United States inand best deny; I claim that intelligent ladies who have volving untold and unspeakable anguish and sorpassed through the narrow limits of the views enrow and misery, needlessly wantonly upon hontertained by this lady, upon matters of religion, orable men, innocent women and helpless children. in all their details, into broader conceptions of. Would all these evils become less if committed' by God's law, and who have, perhaps studjel polithe "Loziers" temporarily filling the seats of contics, equally with herself, but through earnest ingressmen? Could the women suffragists accom quiry and investigation, and prayerful study and plish, under the Constitution, or by constitutional reflection have become convinced that, plural means, what they have no warrant for doing, nay, marriage,as designed, sanctioned and commanded what they are forbidden to do by the constitution, and blessed by ' Almighty God .from tirre any more innocently or harmlessly than perfidious demonstrated by the Holy Scriptures ; are now trying to do? Saints, is politicians and as. practiced by the Latter-da- y ' There is butone wayforthem todo any differentneither criminal nor sinful, will come as near to ly and that would be to wisely withdraw from the, being "right minded women," as this "prominent lady" does,or those of her class ;and it is my attempt, as they only can do constitutionally, aad leave the great "Mormon problem" to settle itself. opinion that there are thousands of these "right minded women in the country," who do not "want But in the judgment of this lad, polygamy is a "monster" .which must be grappled ..with and polygamy in Utah stamped out" nor to hear it interfered with in the least, either by such bigotedj "killed!" Thus heHnconsistency becomes appar-an- t. While she opposes interference by conpresumptuous,arrogant aad tyranical men as Senagress with the established .rights of female sufftor Edmunds,' the Congress of the United States, women of the rage in Utah, she soundly berates Congress for or by the supposed ''right-mindelo for these many years" with country" who do not understand the Latter-da- y the Religion of the Latter-da- y Saints, and the Saints nor their religion, and are not authorized of. their plural marriage rights I sacred rights to sDeak for them. established for long years ; before there Again this .lady says: "polygamy can be SOME SOUND REASONING. -- 1 . m -- x - shilly-shallyin- g, . ! -- retro-activ- The annual meeting of the Sixteenth Ward "ReTierSdcfc city will be held Notice of these meetings will appear in our next issue. The annual meeting of the Relief Society and Y. L.M.I.A7of Granger willbe held y in the ward house at that pkfee; Sisters Mr I Home, B. W. Smith and Nellie Colebrook will attend. to-da- y. to-da- The conference of the Relief Society of this Stake will be held on Friday, the 25th of June, in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Kooms in this city. It is desirable that there should be a good attendance of the officers and members from all parts of the Stake." The Primary conference will be held on. the Saturday following, June 26th, in the Salt Lake Assembly Hall. e, , o - h The Tucker Edmunds Bill has been reported by the Judiciary Committee of the Houseof Representatives of the U. S. Congress. It is harsh and cruel in its measures with respect to Utah and those who respect the liberty of conscience could scarcely wish for its passage, whatever opposition they may feel towards "Mormonism." It is nor very likely to be reached this "session, at any rate, and before another session of Congress there may be great changes in" the affairs of the nation. From Sister Betsy C. Glover and from Sister Catherine Woodbury we have received charming bouquets of choice and fragrant flowers to grace the ditorialtable. Many thanks for these beautiful remembrances, which caH'forth sentiments of love and esteem. Flowers are always a fitting gift, though simple ; the modest wild flower carries as many memories with it as the most highly cultivated exotic, perhaps even more. We also extend our thanks to Sister Mary Gray for the delicious cherries sent us, not only this year, but it seems to have become an annual token of her affectionate generosity. I t is sweet to be remembered by one's friends, and trifles often tell more than an elaborate display. -- ,, d "shilly-shallyin- g, |