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Show ANTI-POLYGAM- 20 gtmthnl, gnii-ob(i'- mv SALT LAKE CUT, UTAH, JUNE, 1630. Entered at the Post- - OJlcc in Salt mail Lake City, Utah, as second-clas- s matter. Issued month'y by Tiie Standard Pubushing CompaSociety ny, iu the interest of the Ladies of Utah. y TERMS: OneY'ear, in adance Six months Three months $1.00 50 REMITTANCES: Remittances maybe made by draft, money order or registered lettvr, at our risk. Give Tost Office address in full, ncli d ng County and State. The receipt of the paper may be considered the rcc-.ifor the subscription sent tts. Advertisements inserted at reasonable rates, and should reach us on or before the 15th ef each month, to insure insertion in the succceeding number. Address all communications to The Standard, P. O. Box 3S5, Salt Lake City, Utah. Correspondence solicited from women in all parts of the Territory, which must have the name of the writer, not necessarily for publication, but as a guaranty of good faith. Anti-Polvsam- y of Christian Churches: If this paper should fall into the hands of any Minister of the Gospel , nilI he kindly give it to some energetic lady of his congregation , and ask her to get up a club for it. Will he please call her attention to the appeal at the head of tile 1st page, addressed to the Women of America. Let this subject be kept in agitation until public sentiment shall force the enactment of such measures that will tend to the total abolition of the other twin relic of barbarism. To the Pastors , POLY WAXY AM) WOMAN SUFFRAGE. In the February number of the National Citizen and Ballot Boxf the woman suffrage organ, appeared a letter from Mrs. Emmeline 13. Wells, of the National Woman Sufi rage Association for Utah, addressed to the convention held in Mrs. Wells, unable to Washington. be present, makes a brief statement iu writing of the condition of suffrage, and its exercise iu our TerVice-Pieside- nt ri ton We should not notice this letter, as the Standard lias no direct interest in the matter of f mnde suffrage, but for the fact that the editor of the Citizen is so grossly misled by it, and in consequence, advocates the admision of Utah as a State, a proceeding which it is the aim of the Standard to prevent, so long as the question of polygamy remains unsettled. And we confidently assert that if these workers for the of woman had the slightest conception of the condition of affairs in this Territorv, thev would not only combat the admission of Utah, but would also disclaim anv affiliation or connection with an organization that is constantly advocating the dishonoring mid enslaving of womanhood in preaching and teaching polygamy, and which was instituted for this express purpose, an organization whose guiding principles arc hostility to the government, and degradation to woman. Wc will briefly consider some points in the letter, as well as the misconceptions of the Citizen editor. After stating the fact that there-ia complete organization of womans societies throughout Utah, and extending into all surrounding TerriIn the tories, the writer says: meetings of these societies which arc held regularly, the subject of the free-doi- n r s STANDARD. Y franchise is one of the topics familiarly treated upon, and I feel safe in saying, is pretty generally comprehended in its true significance. Everything which tends toward reform, is embodied in our platform. In our societies women are urged to study the principles of government, and the laws of our own and other nations, and to regard as a sacre'd document the Constitution of the United States, as framed by our In this connection fore fathers. the Citizen remarks, When Utah is admitted as a State she will possess a large number of women educated in political principles. The falsehoods contained in the above statements are ail the more insiduous because they are sustained by a modicum of truth. A complete womans organization does exist in Utah and surrounding Territories, but instead of being devoted to the elevation and enfranchisement of woman, as Mrs. Wells insinuates, it consists of the Female Relief Societies, ostensibly a charitable institution, whose real object is to inculcate in the minds of the young girls the principles of polygamy, subservience to their husbands, and implicit obedience to the priesthood. We happen to be in possession of the facts in relation to the inception of these societies. After the Gentiles first came to Utah, the young girls, getting their eyes opened a little, began to have doubts regarding the religious principles of polygamy, and thought tho love and devotion of a sinner, and to be well supported by him, might be preferable to poverty or starvation with the fraction of a saint. The late Brigham Young was quick to see that these ideas must be crushed imme- diately, or the young people would soon be on the road to apostaev. .So he said to the elder women, something must be done to counteract these Gentile influences, and stop this feeling of rebellion against our holy practices; organize societies, bring the young girls more in contact with you, mothers in Israel, and instruct them in the The first of these relief faith Sis-tei- s, . societies was organized in Brigham Youngs own household, not to assist the poor. and suffering, but to teach the young girls subjection to the dominant power, and no woman ever has been permitted to hold office in one of these societies, except those who will carry out the plans of the Mormon theocracy. And what shall be said of women who permit themselves to be the tools of a designing priesthood? They mu't be either fanatics or hypocrites, which, it is not our province to determine, but either class are unfit to be leaders and teachers of women. God knows there arc enough s in this sorrowful world to render womens lives a dreary waste, without their own sex being the instruments to lure them to destrucinflu-ence- tion. It is true that the women in these societies discuss the subject of the franchise, and fully comprehend it in Mormon significance, go to the polls and vote the ticket given If it were suspected that a you, Mormon woman would not do as she ' t was told, she would'first be labored with, and if she still evinced an un willingness to obey counsel, she would not be allowed to approach the polls. They do also study the laws of their own and other nations, but to contrast the one with the other, to show that tho laws of other nations contain nothing against the practice of polygamy, while our government has been so unjust as to legislate against it in the law of 1862. It is true that they regard the Constitution as framed bj our forefathers , as a sacred document, because there is nothing in the original Constitution prohibiting polygamy, any amendments to that document they consider null and void, and not encum- bent on them to recognize or obey. 13ut the main topic of discussion at these meetings is polygamy, and obedience to the priesthood. Obey the laws of the United States when they do not conflict with those of the Mormon leaders, but in all cases, and under all circumstances, give When preference to the latter. these teachings are taken in conjunction with the endowment oaths, which are sworn to by all Mormon wTomen, that they will obey the laws of the Mormon church and all it enjoins, in preference to those of are ever ready' to lend a helping hand to our sisters in the United States and elsewhere, so far as wc have influence and ability. This is a little sop to Cerberus, a bait which the Suffrage Association has been silly enough to swallow. The Citizen editor says: By an unlooked for combination of circumstances, the political rights of the women of the United States are indissolubly connected with tho political rights of tho women of Utah. What imperils them, doubly imperils us. Their religion is no part or A good deal parcel of our women. of this appears mere twaddle to us, but the offered bait lias evidently' been accepted, and here is where the suffragists have injured their own cause. Wc have good authority for stating that this letter of Mrs. "Wells was written at the dictation and under the supervision of the priesthood, and the falsehoods contained therein circulated on purpose to induce the suffrage party to give their influence to Statehood for Utah. But in so doing the party has made a grievous mistake. We venture to assert that the suffrage movement has received a blow from which it the United States; also that they will avenge the death of Joseph Smith on the American nation, and teach their descendants to do the same, it may be imagined what sort will not recover for years, in virtually recognising Mormon polygamy. The loyal wives and mothers" of the United States in vindication of their own honor, should ignore the very of political principles are possessed existence of such a party. by the women of Utah. .No, ladies of the National Suf- THE WOMENS HOME MISSIONARY AS S0C1AT10X. frage Association, let Utah come in as a State at the present time, and A society has lately been formed in she will possess a large number of women educated in hatred and dis- Boston, with the name of the Woloyalty to the government, and in mans Home Missionary Association, defiance to its laws. A great many for the purpose of enlisting the women of these women are unwilling dupes of the Congregational Church in the whom wre hope to see freed from work of Home Missions. The societv their shackles before statehood is has been successfully inaugurated and will soon be ready to commence active granted to Utah. Mrs. Wells further says: Its labors will be principally We work. have now enjoyed-anexercised the among women and children, and its franchise for nearly ten years, and operations conducted mainly through ft during that time no difficulty what- the American Home Missionary Soever has arisen from it. That the cieties. franchise is a powerful educator in The Constitution provides that lothe hands of women, is proved be- cal organizations may become auxiliyond a doubt by its effect upon the aries of the association by the contriwomen of this Territory. bution of not less than io annually Why no difficulty h as arisen is to its fund. We understand there is very easily explained, because the some talk of forming an auxiliary orwomen have done exactly as they in this city, which could have been counseled a synonym ganization fail to be productive of for commanded very useThe only' effect not ful results. that the franchise has had in this Territory', has been to increase the TO THE MEM HERS OF THE lKENIJYTEH-IAspread of polygamy and the conseCHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES. quent degradation of woman, to! make them, if possible, greater slaves than before, and to enhance the! We have received circulars from power of the Mormon priesthood. the Womans Executive Committee Suffrage, as it exists in Utah, is nil of Home Missions of the Prcsbv-teria- n church in New York, in reentirely different matter from what the suffragists in the East are work- gard to the proposed erection of a ing for, but they do not comprehend chapel and school house in Logan that. There it represents a principle, City, Utah. Every church or school here it was established to place house built in this Territory aids greater power in the hands of the the cause for which the Standard men, and instead of representing was established, consequently wc the sentiments of the women, it is will gladly assist in erecting these For1 every subscriber only a reflex of the opinions of tho buildings. who belongs to the Presbyterian priesthood. We connection, and also for every' one Lastly, Mrs. Wells writes: may be able to render some .assist- sent us through Presbyterian sources, ance to the cause of universal suf: we will donate twenty-fivcents for frage in the future. Wc wish to be this purpose, and1 will deposit the counted with you in the same in the hands of the Itcv. It. cause of suffrage arid reform, and G. McNiece. d N e co-work- ers 1 |
