The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-03-26

presence. His manner and beariD;
give the impression of one who i
enjoying the good things of life in
serious but contented way. He i,
affable without being sycophantish
has much Of the cautious discretion
of the Scotch about him, and is al
together such a gentleman as would
be likely to have large influence
among intellectual as we'll as litter
ate men. The person referred tc
is
BISHOP JOHN SHARP,
of Utah, one Of the foremost bishops
of the twenty one wards" under
the control of the Mormon re0irae
at Salt Lake City. He was ap-
pointed bishop in 1854, and has since
acted as gems 1 financial agent of
the Utah Mormuns. He is native
OF ClackmannanShire, Scotland. He
was a Scotch collier, and became a
Mormon proselyte about 1850. He
began as a laborer, and 'tshovelled
dirt in Salt Lake" for some
years, when his knowledge of lime
burning attracted the attention of
Mormon leaders, and from this on
his advancement to leadership and
great wealth was steady and contin-
uous. Bishop Sharp was here the
early part Of the week, and before
his departure on the day of the pas
sage OF the EdmundS bill by the
House, and before the announcement
OF the same was received here, your
correspondent had a long, careful
and earnest interview with him and
It's publication would seem to have
considerable value from the fact
that II was at least a partially sue
ceSsful effort to secure an expression
OF views from an Intelligent Nor
mon who is an appreciative man,
when that man was compelled, for
the once, to discuss the subject from
the broad standpoint of patriotic
citizenship.
Bishop Sharp expressed it as his
Judgment that the Edmunds bill
would pass, but with some, from his
view, just notifications; but that. if
it should pass both branches of Con-
greSS in its present form, President
Arthur would veto it. In other
words, he seemed to be very conf
dent that the present session of Con- |
gresS would enact definite legisla- |
ton regarding pOlygamy, but that |
such legislation would be far more
moderate, and therefore much more |
acceptable to the MOrmons, than the
original Edmunds bill. Regarding
AN INTERESTING CONFERENCE
Between Bishop Sharp and Senator
Reed, chairman of the committee
to whom the Edmunds Bill was re-
ferred, the former said: 81 begged
him 10 consider this matter from
our standpoint, and instanced nv
own ease frankly as an illustration.
l So i: ! married my first wife in
Sc lad in 1910. In 1854, after |
Il q become-and l say this with a
= erent regard for the convictions
It all men-certain that the plura-
-Ity Of wives was a Divine COM
l again married at Salt Lake.
We were isolated in those DAYS, and
the great body of our people were
religious enthusiasts in this direc-
ton, but we were the sturdy friends
that all people, living in isolated ,
and undergoing mu-
5ual hardshipS brayely, are. In 1861
[ married third wife. | pledge
you my honor as man that in each
IF these cases there was what we ,,
conceive to be, not only proper ,
regard and love, but absolutely har-
nOniOus assent, from all parties
Interested. These three wives are
Ill living. They have borne me :
thirteen children. [ have as happy :
/ home as any man on earth. ANY !
me who knows my wives will bear :
)ut my assertion that our home life
5 pure, harmonious, Joyous. [ have /
crown up sons who are educated, =
accomplished, refined. The daugh- :
eTs are everywhere received, both :
u this city and abroad, and one son !
las especially distinguished himself :
q his educational career. Now, :
1r. Reed, if this Edmunds Bill be-
ONES q law, want you to imagine | I
ny condition when l am compelled
0 60 back to my home, and say in
he presence Of these children that =
WO Of these mothers are no longer =
heir mothers, are no longer nv i
7ives, and must leave our homeI !
II. Reed was very frank, with me.
lie fully appreciated the terrible l
ondition in which not only nv
WI family but all other Mormon
antilles would be left. But he said q
q reply, "ThiS is one of those cases 1
yhere the innocent must suffer for
he guilty."
LEGISLATION M y
PRACTICABLE. .
l asked Bishop Sharp if Mormo-, h
eaders of equal intelligence and i
hought with himself considered t
ny legislation legalizing existing u
Marriages and existing parentage Y
Tut absolutely prohibiting polygamy C
n the future, possible, which would
'e FULLY and frankly received bv the e
ntITe Mormon people. d
we have hoped for that" he re-
lied, "as the least of possible great
wills to US. But, while that might
e apparently generous thing in e
ur behalf on the part of the more C
people of the United a
tates, to be perfectly frank with @
GU, | don't believe such result could b
e effected" :