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Show -riti-i liT,.-.. ., rh i. ifr rrW'ftiiw i iiMi-rJ""-" ! HOW THE BOMBSHELL STRIKES. i Criticisms on Bishop Sharp's Action Ac-tion Saints Are Glum and Some ; Are Dumb, but a Swrnljer of ! Them If app) . - j A Dfmochat reporter in his round-up i to-day accosted several of our leading i citizens on the street and in their places of business, with the following question : I "Give me your opinion on the stand that Bishop Sharp has taken?" and received j the following answers : I 'Prominent lawyer: I think he has j done right. Southern Utak Mormon: Had the Territory been put under martial law, it would not have struck the people with greater cortsternation. It is a great boom for the Government and an example for others to follow. A young Mormon : " I am exceedingly surprised, intensely grieved ; but have no word of condemnation. If he is satisfied,-Tarn. satisfied,-Tarn. Young law graduate : Only kind of a man I respect. A Mormon liable to be in Sharp's place : Is not my kind of a man. I act independently. A young Democrat: Under the circumstances cir-cumstances a display of courage that will doubtless have the effect to inspire like courage in others. Main street Merchant: Sharp's statement state-ment is the keystone to the situation. Bishop of Seventh "Ward : Don't know what authority Bishop Sharp has received for acting as he has, and so could not give an opinion about the matter. I don't know how he has been counseled. P. L. Williams : He has taken the only position a good citizen" could take, and cannot be criticised from any standpoint. If the religion of his church makes him an outlaw, his church cannot criticise him for doing as he has done. Mormon La ly: The Bishop could not afford to go to the Penitentiary. The church could not afford to let him go. Judge Dusenberry : I thought there was nothing to condemn in the action of Bishop Sharp, but on the contrary, considering con-sidering all the circumstances, thought it rather commendable. . He looked upon the matter as one entirely jersonal and an affair of conscience. He did not believe be-lieve that Bishop Sharp had acted under advice from the church authorities, but upon his own volition. He did not think that Bishop Sharp had in any way compromised com-promised his standing as a" Latter-day Saint. He could not tell what effect the Bishop's course would have upon the body of the church generally, nor upon those who were liable to he placed in the same position. A Democratic Druggist : I like it, and think he was honest. I want to give John Sharp credit for it. He did so because be-cause he thought it was right. 1 County Official One : "I fully approve of Sharp's course and think he did the light thing. I cannot say what effect his course will have upon the masses of the people." " "Do you think he acted on his own responsibility or not?" "I do, butl think he had good advice from some quarter, though." "Do you think the leaders of the church advised him to pursue pur-sue the course he did ?" "No, I don't. I think he was advised by some one who has more sense than they have got." Thus ended the conversation with countv official one. County Official Two "Well, what do you think of Bishop Sharp's course?" "I hardly know. I guessJt's all right." "Do you think he "acted under advice from the leaders of the church or upon his own responsibility?" "1 think he acted on his own responsibility." "Do j'ou think the statement he read in court and the promises he made therein consistent con-sistent with his faith as a Mormon?" "Yes, I do. I can see nothing in that statement inconsistent with his faith and duty as a member of the church." "Do you think lie was sincere in his promises?" prom-ises?" "Yes, so far as the statement he read in court is concerned, but not when he said that he would not advocate the doctrine of polygamy nor advise people to enter it." "If the written statement is sincere, why should not the other promise be sincere?" "That is a hard question to answer, but if John Sharp was sincere as to his promise not to advocate advo-cate polygamy, then all I have to say is that I don't think he is a fit man to hold office in the church." "Then if he is sincere in that promise, you think that to that extent he has renounced a principle of his religion ?" "I do, and no i such man ought to be in office in the church." County Official Three : "What do vou j think about the Sharp business?" ""I hardly know, as I have not had time to ! any more than glance at the accounts in the papers, and have not thought the matter over." "Does it look to you as though Bishop Sharp had in part renounced re-nounced his religion?" "Well, he is getting somewhat old and it looks as though he could not. stand the pressure, and had weakened." "Then you think that he has gone back a little on his religion, re-ligion, do you?" "Well, looking at the matter as it is, it looks us though Sharp thought it a little thinner than he used to." Editor of the Home Sentiucl: "What will Iks the effect, in the country, of Bishop Sharp's promising to obey the Edmunds law, Mr. Harrington?" "I can scarcely say. I do not think it will be so great in the remoter settlements as you in Salt Lake expect. Bishop Sharp is known in the settlements chiefly as a railroad man, and I am inclined to" think that his influence with the people is chiefly confined to this county and to Weber and Utah counties. I look upon his conduct as very much a matter of conscience and a personal affair." Salt Lake Herald: Perhaps Bishop Sharp did right, and perhaps he did wrong; but in these matters of religion each individual must act for himself. The Herald feels rather rattled upon the subject, sub-ject, and will refer its readers to the Dcseret Xcics. C. II. Parsons: Just the thing they all : ought to do ; and just a3 soon as the peo-! peo-! pie do it, it will be the end of the trouble here, and business will boom. |