Show POLYGAMY IS NOT BIGAMY A FEW days ago eastern pipers papers gave an account of the trial of an officer of the russian army named at odessa on a charge of polygamy wit within 11 in three e e T years ears cars he had married three wives all of whom were living and anol the second wife on bein being brou brought ht into court as a witness refused to testify against her husband whom she pronounced the best man in the world she declared that she loved joyed him and had nothing bothin to say against him unlike the enlightened and ma magnanimous nani nant courts of the united states in the territory of utah the russian authorities semi barbarians as they are supposed to be did not send the second wife to a prison for convicts con corn vIctA ids because she infused ref used to speak against her dearest friend the prisoner found an able counselor for his defence in prince chersky who n ho boldly declared that polygamy was vv as not unlawful in russia he admitted that there was a law against bigamy polygamy But be he claimed wag was not bigamy they whey were essentially different one was a penal offense the other was not known to the law he cited the practice of ivan the terrible and other historical celebrities to show that a man roan may rightly have several wives at the same time A union of this kind with the consent of all the parties was not to be confounded with the f fraudulent and deceptive crime of bigamy the tile jury took this view of the case caso and acquitted the defendant the cudlic public the action of the jury an and applauded the verdict and amid the climers of the crowd the three div ed russian officer left the court triumphantly his bis second wife liall hanging ging lovingly loving lv on ills ins arm this with uhe the course pursued towards men meu similarly accused in this f free ree and liberty boasting land liere here that Is in utah not only esthe is the tha plural difed husband thrust into prison if it strong suspicion points against him but a woman supposed to be connected to him by the dearest ties that bind mortals together if she declines to explain the nature of her associations wita wila him lay bare her most private doings and relations and answer questions that are to her indelicate and offensive concerning conc eining her personal affairs is thrust into a prison intended only ier for convicts and thus punished as ane one f found guilty of crime tais Is done under a government that makes maket religion free with the avowed a owed object ot of breaking down a religion w which admits of plural marriage I 1 under ecclesiastical regulations and sanctions it as divine prince chersky and the jury at odessa had bad sense chou enough ii to perceive and appreciate the difference between een the crime of bigamy and the practice of polygamy this difference has been frequently pointed out in these columns and the tile attempt to confound them and make them identical is prompted by the same motives motia es as us actuated une the hypocrites of old who sought to make tile tiie servants ber her of god offenders off enders against the civil law because of their religion in the plura plural family i elation relation the parties are all consenting to the contract and if neither of them complains or is conscious of an any y injury why need others cry out laws lawa against plural marriage can only be justified on the plea piea eliat some one Is injured by t the h e pr practice atice in bigamy the lawful wife and the unlawful ua wife w ife are both injured deception and fraud from which aney both suffer buffer being tile the essential feature of the of fence is hurt by the wrong done to its members and properly resents the wrong wr by punishing ing the offender but sol soi society ety nas has nothing to complain of in the plural marriage of we bior mormons cormons Mor Alor mons 11 mutual consent and religious sanction bauc banc tion make it essentially different from bigamy and society cannot complain that it breaks out into overt acts against peace and good order the supreme court of the tile united states in the reynolds case reasoning on this very question laid down the rule that it was time enough for governments to interfere with religion when it breaks out into overt acts against peace and good order laws should not be enacted to restrain liberty but to pro protect it the freedom ot of the individual is the aim of just luit lu it legislation and it is to secure this that checks have hav e to be placed on those who while exercising their own liberty attempt to infringe on the liberty of others if the practice of 1131 mormon ormon plural marriage invaded natural matui al or legal legai right ss it might be properly punishable by law I 1 it t it created social disorder there inight be some excuse for legislation ag against adlist it but as it is of good order and calculated to prevent much disorder vice and crime it cannot be assailed on that ground As a religious establishment lish ment that infringes upon no human rights it is placed beyond the purview ot of constitutional enactments and le legislation directed against it is an anva invasion of that liberty chichis guaranteed to american citizens and a violation of the most sacred contracts and relationships tion ships into which enlightened men and women can enter the broad distinction tin tion between bigamy and G mormon plural marriage will some day come t to 0 be generally distin distinguished unshed |