POLYGAMY. 



22S 



marriageable men and women are practically equal. ^ more civilized countries, where polygamy is confined to 

 What is true of the race is. in the great majority of the rich and the powerful, the number of a man's 

 oases, true of any particular community or nation, wives is looked upon as an index of his rank, and the 

 Exception*) causes sometimes interfere with this equi- women are hence led to regard it with favor as an in- 

 librium of the sexes. Neighboring tribes of savages dication of their own higher position. Travellers in 

 constantly engaged in war with each other sometimes countries where polygamy is allowed are unanimous in 

 show a great preponderance of the female population, their testimony that the mutual respect and affection 

 owing to the number of men slain in war. Such cases of husband and wife, which in countries where ino- 

 are mostly confined to the lowest type of savages. It nogamy is only permitted is regarded as constituting 

 is quite certain that no considerable portion of the the highest ornament of the ideal family, is almost 

 human race has ever been in such a condition that a unknown. The husband regards his wives merely as 

 majority of the men could each have as many as two the instruments of his pleasures, and considers himself 

 wives. Hence, even among barbarians, the practice as having discharged his whole duty to them when he 

 of polygamy is usually confined to a small minority has provided for their physical comfort ; and the wives 

 of the males. look upon the husband simply as a master from whom 



Among highly civilized nations economic tendencies they must get all they can by artifice but can demand 

 sometimes temporarily di.-turb the equilibrium of the nothing as a right. 



sexes iii particular localities. Thus, when gold was The effect upon the children is in the highest degree 

 discovered in California there was a great rush of the deleterious. Where there are groups of children by 

 male population of other countries to that territory ; different wives either the paternal care and authority 

 The same thing happened afterwards, in the case of i> dissipated among so many as to be of little account 

 Australia. or it is concentrated upon some of the children to the 



Although the preponderance of the male population neglect of the others. The rivalries, jealousies, and 

 in those countries was for a time very great, yet its contentions of the wives are shared bv the children 

 ratio to the population of the countries whence itcame and haired rather than love is fostered. Hence in those 

 w.i- H small that, it ha_d u|M>n them no perceptible 'countries where polygamy is practised by the rulers 

 effect. In the Tnited States there is a constant euii- the old age of a monarch is a season of plotting and 

 gration of young unmarried men from the Eastern to conspiracy, and his death is the signal for revolution 

 the Western Stales. This tends to produce an excess am! bloodshed. 



of males in the West and of females in the Kast. But A general review of the past history and present 

 the means of rapid and cheap transit have so greatly condition of the human race leads irresistibly to the 

 increased during the last halt century, the npportuni- following conclusions: 1st. Tn the vast majority of 

 ties for self-support afforded to the female sex have communities of any considerable size the number of 

 been so inulti|med. and the tendency of U>th sexes not married and marriageable men is substantially equal 

 to enter the marriage state until they have a rea-mi.-i- to the number of married and marriageable women, 

 ble iirosjx-ct of being able to rear a family in a social I'd. Whenever from any cause this equality is de- 

 conuition :it least equal to their own has so nim-h in- st roved the natural laws which govern the reproduc- 

 creased. that they have more than counterbalanced any timi of tin? human race will, if the cause ceases to 

 effects of the slight inequality of the -exes tlm* pro- operate, restore the equality. :;d. Except where the 

 dnced. Hven in a community when from some c;ui-c male population of a community is constantly reduced 

 the female population had become so great in compari- by coininiial warfare the practice of polygamy by a 

 son with the male as to render it possible for each man majority of the males becomes a physical impossibility, 

 to have three or four wives, unless that cause were unless wives are obtained l>y capture or purchase from 

 constant in its operation, natural laws would in a few some other community, and this stale of things is con- 

 generations bring about an equality of the sexes, and fined aluio.-t entirely to the lowest grades of humanity. 

 jiolyuamy. though tolerated by law and custom, would Where polygamy exists in semi-civilized nations the 

 inevitably be confined to a small minority of the male number of women obtained by capture or purchase 

 population. hears but a small ratio to the whole population, and 



Another circumstance tends to restrict the practice | such women are most frequently regarded as slaves 

 of polygamy. Where a people is so far advanced in and concubine.-, not as wives having equal rights with 

 civilization as to have a permanent abiding place and ; those legitimately married. 4th. Wherever polygamy 

 to depend for support principally upon its industry, has co-existed with a high state of civilization it has 

 each one of the great majority of the male population J been confined to the wealthy and powerful, who are 

 finds the support of one wife and her children all that : necessarily a small minority, and in such cases it has 

 In- i- able to achieve, and thus polygamy can only be [ always been a survival from a previous state of bar- 

 practised by the wealthy and powerful, who necessarily j barism. 5th. Natural laws, the progress of science 



si it nte a small minority. Hence though polygamy and the industrial arts, and the spread of Christianity 



was allowed by the Gauls. Germans, and other bar- ' all tend with irresistible force to its final extirpation. 

 IKIPHIS races from which the modern nations of Ku- In modern times the attempt of the Mormons to 

 rope are in great part descended, yet practically it was revue polygamy within the limits of a Christian na- 

 confined to the chiefs, and as a rule among the mass of tion is the only one of such extent and importance as 

 the people each man had but one wife. | to demand attention. 



During the flourishing periods of the Greeks and In regard to this only a few words are necessary in 

 Unmans no man among them could have more than addition to what will be found under MORMONS. 



one legitimate wife at the same time. As fast as the 

 barbarous nations that overthrew the Roman empire 



When (1847) the members of this sect, after their ex- 

 pulsion from Illinois and Missouri, selected as their 



were converted to Christianity the last remnants of abiding place the region south of the Great Salt Lake, 



polygamy were blotted out. they were separated on all sides by a vast extent of 



In its effects on the family nothing can be said in unsettled country from all contact with civilization, 



favor of polygamy except in comparison with those They undoubtedly expected that many years, probably 



lower conditions of mankind where the domestic rela- two or three generations, would pass before they would 



tions can hardly be said to exist. When it exists l>e interfered with by the advancing tide of emigra- 



among barbarous tribes the husband regards his wives tion from the Hast. When in 1850 they were organized 



much property and treats them as slaves. The into a Territory, Brigham Young was appointed gov- 



women are i-omp -lied to do all the labor, and hence ernor, the other territorial offices were filled by mem - 



they do not object to an increase in the number of bers of their own sect, and the delegate elected by 



wives, thinking that by this me.iii- tlic aiuount of \\uik themselves was admitted to Congress, these expecta- 



which each witl'have to pi-i-form will be lessened. In tions were strengthened. They hoped in a few years 



