Show THE HONESTY OF by leonard Ilen amidst this outburst against mormonism it is as well to admit its bo honesty nesty whatever else this lc galis ing and systematizing systematising of plural marriages may be called it was at least fair and above board were it not for the edict permitting plural marriages in utah there would have been many thousands of women without a home of their own without a purpose in life and without a good reason for existence in the newfound country of utah men prospered quickly the riches of the land added riches to their pockets they married increased and nd multiplied in any other rom community it would end edd there openly but one knows just what would have surreptitiously happened under the circumstances prosperity and a much larger women population over over men Is apt to result in conflict conduct with the ibe proclaimed moral laws the elders of the mormon church recognized this and so instituted under stern supervision a restricted permission of plural marriages when a man had been married happily and contentedly he be was allowed to take another wife and yet another it his prosperity permitted of him taking a separate boure hourc for each and keeping up a separate establishment under no circumstances was a man allowed to marry twice if his first venture had not been satisfactory the marriages were hedged around with the same responsibilities as are those in europe the wives were treated with the same deference and respect as here the file children were brot up with great care whatever may be anu wives alne 1 ing 19 9 to their laws afi there U tor for one more than another old 0 af pf 1 sung each wife had her own household lio to looi look after and the husband divided his time between each or where his presence was most required not simply desired polygamy worked perfectly well in utah tor for some generations and would be working as smoothly now but for the interference of the other states of the union the mormons cormons complied with the orthodox wishes of 0 the rest ot of the states because they wanted to be joined to the union and represented in the federal parliament not because there was any ill feeling in their own community or the slightest hesitation in n bellef belief amongst themselves that they were not carrying out the dictates of providence especially under the conditions of settling a new territory the great bet between w een a polygamous community and a monogamous one is that with the former woman Is protected by the laws of the state is respected by her neighbors and lives it a tranquil life fulfilling h her er natural destiny with the latter there is but one acknowledged now ledged wife to each family but there Is a large floating population of 0 aimless womankind earning their living as best they can and there is a v vat t submerged class who live clandestine lives of utter uselessness except that they administer to the unlawful desires ot of a certain type of men these women for obvious reasons are arc not received or recognized by their more fortunate sisters there is no joy lit in their lives they are a menace to their should they have any and these are brought into the world in unholy clience silence with a taint upon their infancy and a slur upon their names ilow how many thousand women and children there are in such a state it is difficult to imagine their very existence is hidden away from the eyes of the world without for a moment advocating t h hidden pleasa are V unknown itji salt like lake L rity until the advent d settlers other than mormon wa was s the most exemplary city in the rholo world not only in the matters of 0 sex but in all other morals as well it was a community of love friendship peace the tithes that their rell religion required of them made the church wealthy and without bills of parliament the poor were cherished the sick nursed the downtrodden down trodden defended of all the communities that I 1 have visited none was happier or m more ore prosperous ous than they their creed their faith their church were idealized in a manner that shamed most other communities and the present day salt lake city with which we have now to deal Is only different inasmuch as the city has been flooded with members of other faiths and their laws have been changed to the abandoning of the plural marriage it may be said that a church chucci that iea t can alter its ita inspired doctrine at the dictates of parliament cannot be reckoned with very seriously but they quote as their authority the words of the fo founder under of christianity render rende r unto caesar etc and the words of st paul where we are advised to be subject to the kings princes and rulers I 1 the mormons cormons Mor mons finding that to join the federal parliament necessitated abandoning plural marriage abandoned it without further ado but this discredit the worthiness of the system its honesty and straightforwardness london opinion may 20 1911 |