Show I MORMON MARRIAGES i A Mormon Missionary In Denver Who Talks About the Mormon I I I Religion j II I He Says That He Has Seventeen Wives i And All Are Satisfied With Their Lot i He Thinks That He Could Secure Seventeen More in Denver I I He Wanted Them I Prom the Denver News August 2J A W Hanson was the name a Niws reporter noticed on the register of the Windsor Hotel last evening The name is a common one and would have been passed by l unnoticed had it not been that Salt Lake was written opposite Even j I then his name would have been passed by had not the clerk said HI believe that old fellow is a Mormon I will introduce you to him and you may get an interview out of him An introduction followed and the I reporter was not slow in getting into a conversation and Mr Hansen Han-sen proved to be as loquacious I AS ANY XElVStAlKK MAN WOUU DESIRE 11 Hansen is a man of robust build I silvery hair Hashing blue eyes a long beard of tawny hue streaked wfth grey I and a most magnetic voice I And you are really a Mormon was I asked I askedReally to you and truly i that is any help I How long have you lived in Utah Twentyfive years You are muchly married I suppose I Tel i having seventeen wives is being married to any considerable extent I suppose I can come in that category How is it you have never been prosecuted prose-cuted for bigamy I Theres where the joke j comes in Do you know that there hasnt been a single prosecution for bigamy in Utah that hasnt been instigated by women Some cranky female IIKCGTOS JEALOUS OF HER HUSBAND Not receiving as much attention as she desires and makes a fuss which comes to the ears of the Federal officials and the result is i her husband is arrested and I tried and in some cases conviction follows I lows Women that arc satisfied with j I their husbands never squeal I But can a number of women be satisfied I satis-fied with one husband I I say yes though there are thousands to dispute me Talk about heart aches I j I jealousies and everything of that kind i Its all nonsense Why I have never I had a bit of trouble in my households I The matter with the women is simply I this I they are treated right they are all right and i they are treated wrong they are all wrong I would be useless for me to enter into a disquisition on woman Everybody knows what she is but it takes a good man to so understand her that he can get along with a dozen 0 two IwoI I suppose you have had quite an experience I I ex-perience in courtship 1 never courted but one girl in my life That was my first wife I courted and married her in Sweden Of course I was foolish enough to believe that loved her I was youngonly 19 years of age and she was a year younger We were poor and I like every other young fellow became enamoured of a pretty face and married Two years later a Mormon missionary CAME INTO OUSt NEIGHBORHOOD I And we became converted to the faith I We went to Utah and I like every other man I have ever known looked upon polygamy with favor though it had not been preached to us when we were converted con-verted Strange to say that when I concluded con-cluded to take another wife my wife did not protest She may have had some objections but she didnt make them known Did you marry a young woman I diel I didnt have her sealed tome to-me as a gicat many of my Mormon friends would say 1 married her I believe that a mail can mary as many women as he wants to And love them Pshaw Love is all nonsense As I told you all a woman wants is a good home A man that cannot provide for a woman has no business to marry There are plenty of women 1 admit who have i good Homes who want to marry but they I comprise only A bMALL PORTION OF HlMANITV There are so many poor women who have to struggle along for a living that they would be glad to be the fortysecond wife of a man i they knew they would be well lrovided for That is all nonsense You may think so yet I will wager a cigar that I could go out in Denver tomorrow to-morrow tell women who I am that I ama am-a Mormon that I have seventeen wives and want seventeen more and I would find no difficulty in procuring them In the language of the cay you have your gall with you I may have but I have had more experience with women than you have and know what I am talking about 1 Now I have as I told you seventeen wives I provide well for them and they ask nothing more When one of them want a new dress she asks me for it and i she needs it I give it to her Of course I discourage extravagance but I have found out that the mOt pxtrnmmmt woman in the world can be taught to be economical i he has thright kind of a teacher You must have had quite an experience experi-ence in courtship I never had any experience at all except with my first wife My other wives I have married simply by asking I them to have me According to the tenets of our faith we have a right to have a many wives as we want They talk about the Mormon religion being monogamistic IX ITS CHARACTER IS ALL I5OSII We are polygamists practice what we I preach The true cause of the war being made against the Mormons is the desire I of a few thieves to possess our lands We went to Salt Lake and made a paradise out of a desert We are a thrifty people I and deserve credit for our enterprise but enterprse the longing eyes of a few worthless agita j torn have been cast on our possessions and i they are trying to excite indignation I against us so we will be driven out of the j country we possess in order that they may inhabit it This cry against polyg j amy has become popular but as I tell you it has been raised by thieves They j can send me to the penitentiary if they want to for bigamy but i they do it will j wi be for the of b gaining the possession of my gressor property and not because I am a trans VOAINST TiE LAW I believe in the Mormon religion The j j Mormon religion teaches that polygamy is right I have a number of wives I have fortyfour children I provide well for my wives and children I I wel die tomorrow my wves and children i would not be paupers I think that if pauper thik i a man believes in my religion he should I have as many wives as he Is able to sup I 1 port A man that isnt thrifty shouldnt i have one wife She would be just one too many A man is the natural protector and if he can protect a protect tector of a woman 1 I hundred he should be allowed to do so Our country is rich and prosperous We now rid of the fanatic Danites and are fanatc i people of that character and i allowed to remain where we are we will prosper bother nobody and earnestly de We will hothcl earnesty sire that NOBODY SHOULD BOTHER US Where are you going from here I am on my way to Sweden Do you go as a missionary Certainly I shall preach when I get there and will try to form a colony to wi tr I come to Utah I have no doubt but I will succeed I have money enough to pay the passage of those too poor to pay I I want good industrious people and I will not mis am sure I will get them wi wi I will loll lead any one When I preach wi tel my hearers that I believe in and practice I polygamy and that they can do the same if they prefer That is an incentive you seeMr Hanson after havimg made the last brilliant remark gave a slight yawn which was indicative to the reporter that the interview was at an end so he took his departure and the gentle Mormon took his gripsack and went to bed |