Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-19
BISHOP SHARP'S STATEMENT.
A Notable Declaration That Has
Knocked the Underpinntng
From the More Fanat-
zeal MOrmOns.

The late hour at which Bishop John
Sharp appeared before the Third District
Court yesterday afternoon and the inter
esting proceedings following thereon, pre-
vented more than general statement in
last nights DEMOCRAT. Below we give
the statement OF Bishop Sharp to the
Court, read by his attorney, P. L. Will
liams also the Courts interrogations and
Mr.. Sharp's answers:
! hold myself amenable to the laws of my
country, and in whatever degree l may have
infringed upon the provisions thereof, am
ready to meet the penalty.
l am the husband of more than one living
wife and the father of number of children
by each of them. The most of my children
have arrived at their majority.
I respectfully submit to this Court that the
marriage covenant that entered into with
each of my wives was made at time when
there existed no law upon the statute books
which made an offense of the plural marriage
relations as contemplated in our religion,
and that we entered those marriage rela-
lions and made those marriage covenants
with the most profound conviction that we
were obeying the law of God. Furthermore,
from the time we made those sacred coven-
ants to the present, we have sustained the
most devout reverence Cor the sanctity and
divine origin of that law, and we have not
designedly placed ourselves in conflict with
any of the laws of our adopted country in
embracing this cardinal doctrine of our re-
ligion.
Your Honor can readily conceive my dis
comfture and that of my wives when we
hot ho1 oro VIII 10
known as the "Edmunds law" which not
only subjected us to political disabilities.
but also forbade US the right to live together
Us we had done for so many years. BY this
new law we are made transgressors and de-
prived of many of the privileges of citizen
ship; and, while l consider this harsh law,
yet it does not, as understand it, nor as
understand it to be construed by the courts,
require that l shall disown the mothers of
my children as my wives or abandon them
to the charity of an unsympathizing world.
I expect to remain under the political dis
abilities placed upon me, but have so ar
ranged my family relations as to conform to
the requirements of the law, and am now
living in harmony with its provisions in re-
lation to cohabitation, as construed by this
Court and the Supreme Court of the Terri
tory, and it is my intention to do SO in the
future until an overruling Providence shall
decree greater religious liberation in the
land.
When Mr. Williams had finished read
ing the statement, the Court asked the
defendant if he had anything further to
say.
Notwithstanding further, believe.
Court-Am | TO understand by your
statement that you propose to hereafter
ohav tho 10 US cf tho 1ond
Defendant-Yes, sir.
CORTLAND you do not propose to adj
wise other people to violate those laws?
Defendant-No, sir
Court-It is gratifying to the Court and
to all law-abiding citizens to see men of
influence in the community and the
church which he is member of take
this stand. 1t will have the effect OF in
fluencing others to obey the law. In view
OF the statement made, am disposed to
exercise that discretion which the law
gives me and not impose an imprison-
ment penalty The example furnished
-T'ill have more beneficial effect on
society than any Imprisonment would
have. The law authorizes the Court to
impose fine OF $500 and imprisonment
for Six months. I shall simply impose
the fine