CASE FOR POLYGAMY.

Northern Advocate, 28 August 1913, Page 3

CASE FOR POLYGAMY.

BLACK CHIEF'S POSER.

The Chiefs from Southern Nigeria lately in London were entertained to tea by the National Free Church Council at tha Memorial Hall after which an interesting conference was held with the Rev F. B. Meyer in the chair. A number of questions were put to the visitors, with reference to the large importation of spirits into the Colony, Polygamy, and the progress of Mohammedanism. Over 6,000.000 gallons of ardent spirits are shipped to West Africa per year, and Mr Eduii. Secretary of the State of Abeokuta, was asked in the event of /prohibition, was there iany other method of raising revenue.

He replied that every effort was being made to reduce the importation of spirits by increasing the duty thereon, but prohibition was impossible at the present moment, because direct taxation might be substituted, and possibly a tax on land, and the remedy would be worse than the disease. Mr Edun added that lif spirits were prohibited the people would return to their old native drinks: "Your people," he said, "are primarily responsible—until Europeans introduced spirits, our people were unacquainted with them."

As regarded polygamy, Mr Bright Davies, of Lago said it was difficult to get the natives to accept the Christian view of marriage. The orthodox churches refused membership to polygamists, though they did not object to baptise their wives, and a secession church had been erected which allowed native Christians to retain their wives. Mr Edun put the problem in a nutshell when he said. "The native argues—am I to give up my wives whom I have legally bought, and who have borne me children to save my own soul?" Mr Edun attributes the progress of Mohammedanism chiefly to the fact that, while acknowledging the one God it permits polygamy.