Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-23
Says He Has Never Haunted His
Family Relations Before
The Public.
STATEMENT OF THE CASE.
Entered Plea Of Guilty and Was
Fined Three Hundred Dollars
By Judge Ritchie,
Case Was Transferred From Judge
Armstrong; Court--Detalls of the
Entire Procedure.

Upon request Of Attorney y. $. Rich.
ardS' the case Of the State Of Utah
against President Joseph y. Smith.
charged with unlawful coha bitation.
was today transferred from judge
Armstrons's division OF tho district
court to Judge Ritohie's division. be.
iore which President Smith appeared
forthwith and entered plea OF guilty
ana was fined three hundred dollars.
me ine was promptly paid and the
defendant discharged.
District Attorney Loofbourow was
heard in behalf Of the prosecution and
asked for penalty Of lmprisonmen,
Hon. f. 5. Richards replied and argued
against such a procedure. Preslden,
smith himself made statement to the
court which follows in full.
PRIEST. SMITHS STATEMENT
May II please the court desire re-
spectfully 90 present n brief statement
IN my behalf My first marriage was
contracted IN lit5, and my last IN 1884
more than % years ago. These mar
riages were all entered Into with the
sanction Of the Church Of Jesus Christ
OF Latter-day Saints, and as we be-
lieve, with the approval OF the Lord
according TO our faith and the law Of
the church they We're eternal i'm dura.
ton.
In the taclt general understanding
that was had In 1890 and the wears
subsequent thereto regarding what
were classe1 as the old cases of cohah.
itation, | have appreciated the mag
nanlmity OF the American people In not
enforcing policy that In their minis
was unnecessarily harsh. but which as
signed the settlement OF this difficult
problem 10 the onward progress OF
time.
Since the year 1890 a very largo nor.
centage Of the polygamous families
have ceased to exist until now thu
number within the jurisdiction OF ths
court Is very small and marriages h,
violation OF the law have been and now
are prohibited. In view of this situa-
tion, which has fixed with certainty 4
result that can be easily measured
up. the family relations I'm Inc
Old cases Of that time have
been generally left undsturbed. SO far
10 my own case Is concerned /, like
others who had entered into solemn re-
ilgious obligations, sought 10 the best
or my ability TO comply with all re-
quirements pertaining to the trying po-
sluon IN which we were placed 7
have felt secure IN the protection OF
that magnauimous sentiment which
was extended rs an olive branch in
1880 and subsequent years TO those old
cases Of plural family relationships
which came within its peryiew. as did
mine
When I accepted the manifesto. is
sued by President MILFORD Woodruff.
did not understand that | would be ex-
pected to abandon ana discard my
wives. Knowing tho sacred covenants
and obligations which | had assumed.
By reason OF these marriages, | have
oonsclentiousiy tried To discharge the
responsibilities attending them, with
out being offensive TO any ono. l have
never Haunted my family relations be-
fore the public, nor have 7 felt a spirit
of defiance against the law, but. on the
contrary. ] have always desired 10 bn
q law abiding citizen. In considering
the trying position IN which | have
been placed. ! trust that your honor
VIII exercise such lenienoy. In your
sentence, as law and Justice win per-
init"