The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-15
BOUND TO RETURN.

President Joseph +. Smith is report
ed TO be intending to return home i'm
mcdiatcly.
Even the antlered monarch of
the herd will fight for his do
mestic establishments; it is scarcely to
be expected that Joseph +, Smith will
do less than this. Besides, he owes 1T
TO the country that he shall return and
press for an early hearing in his case,
and that he shall plead guilty to the
charge which has been made against
him. He confessed to that charge, he
acknowledged that it was an infraction
of the laws of the State, and now it is
incumbent upon him as citizen-if he
love Utah-to show that the statutes
of this commonwealth are not a dead
letter.
Mr. Smith may never have thought
of the affair in this light; but it is
known to all other men that his def
ance of Congress and his contemptuous
reference to the laws of Utah made a
very bad impression abroad concerning
this State, Utah stood dishonored be-
fore the world so long as he should be
the chief and dominant factor in her
affairs. The issue has been raised now,
and it is in his power to show that he
meant what he said in his reply that
he was willing to answer TO the law.
His refusal TO do so shows that Utah
has all the time been under the dom
ination of man who breaks laws, who
has contempt for law, and who vio
lates his own promise and pledge to
hold himself amenable to tho local law.
Mr.. Smith is known rs the all-power-
full in Utah, An effort is being made
to try Mr.. Smith for crime that Mr..
Smith has confessed Can Mr., Smith
allow justice to be evaded, and can
he allow Mr.. Smith to go unscathed Of
the law7
If so, what reputation does Mr..
Smith give to Utah7 That Of safe
harborage for criminals who are per-
mitted to ply their nefarious vocation
in the State and TO be protected, even
in their temporary absence, by the le-
gal machinery of the State!
We have spoken Of Mr.. Smith as
criminal He is charged with felony,
on sworn information. He himself has
confessed that he is a felon before the
law Is be not criminal7 As he has
years in defiance Of law, is he not
professional criminal7
If Mr.. Smith loves Utah one iota
and desires TO clear her skirts he will
come back. submit to the law, confess
his felony, and urge some one of the
judges-with whom he is supposed TO
have some inf'uence-to sentence him
to prison for the full term that the
law permits. Then the State which he
processes TO love, and which he has
ruled with an arbitrary hand, can 90
before tho world with the claim that
crime is not rampant. unrebuked and
triumphant In Utah.
The people of the State have right
to demand this much from him. and II
he have one spark Of honor left he will
respond to that demand. Shortly after
he departed, his own son announced
publicly that President Smith would be
absent about SIX weeks. 1t is known
to inside circles that be started for
Utah from Europe recently, and if he
shall now turn back 1t must be because
of his contempt Of law and his disre-
gard Of his own promise.
Joseph F. Smith was on his way back
to Utah when the complaint against
him was filed, the least he can do is
to come and answer, 10 insist upon a
trial and conviction, and to serve his
sentence.