The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-06-04

settled that to entitle person to q seat in
Ibis house he must not only pessess those
smrmstive qualifications mentioned IN,
tae constitution, to-Wit, age, residence.
and citizenship, but he must bg rPee,
from those things which by common par
hamentary Law disquAlify. In other
words. . representative, though dulv-
elected, 8 citizen, and Of proper ace.
| would not be entitled to mem bership nm
less free from personal disqualification.
An idiot or . madmAn would not be en-
titled TO membership. though duly,
elected and possessing all the constitE--
tlensl qualifications. We would dsny.
admission to q person infected with o
contagious disease, and would be justified
In SO doing. Should . membsr-eleot.,
AFTER ne was chosen, be arrested and con-
Vleteo or some Infamous offense and
punished By imprisonment In the state
prison, would it be commended that IL he,
| should present himself at the bar of this
House at the expiration OF his term of
imprisonment and demand to be received
into embership, that it would not be
within the constitutional power Of this
bod3 TO refuse him admission7 Instances
Of personal disqualification might be
multiplied indefinitely. This is sufficient
however, to illustrate my point.
hold that George Q. Cannon ,Iby COR
Tossing himself in this tribunal and in.
this contest guilty ofpolyRsmy, an ofense
punishable ey imprisonment in the state
prison, has that personal disqualification.
which renders him ineligible and 8 it
subject for the exercise of our cOnstitu-
tlonsl power OF exclusion. could fortify
this position by long citation Of author
tiles, but will detain the House with only
single case.
In 1870 B. F. Whittemore, a member
of Congress from the state Of South Caro-
lima, was charged with selling 8 cadet
ship in vislatian Of law. He admitted
the charge but pleaded in extsnusIion Of
the ofense that be used the money for
charitable purposes in his district. He
was about to be expelled from the Forty
tirst Congress when land the day before
be expected the vote to be taken) he re-
signed and ousted the House Of Repre-
seDtaLives Of jurisdiction to expsl.
A new election was ordered and.
Whlttemore Was returned q member to-
the Congress in which he committed the,
otense. The House refused 70 receive.
him By 3 vote Of 100 to "a. Now, he
bad not been convicted OF any crime, bpk.
the House to which he was reelected WaEs
10 possession of his own confession, that.
he had done that which was an offsnss-
against the law Of the land,and for which
he might be imprisoned, and it exercised
what conceive to be its common parlia--
mentsry right to decline to receive him
into membership. Other and numerous
cases might be cited sustaining the same,
principle. So in this case, Cannon
comes into this presence and solemnly-
admits his great crime, even in his speech
just closed does not avoid, but rather
justifes and seeks to shield himself unds2-
that broad mantle of religious tOleratioRs
beneath which sll religions in this coUn--
try have ever found the Rmplest shelter.
regret, sir, that he should have sought.
to justify his crime by appealing to Holy
Writ, and claiming that the inspired
word Of God sanctioned this monstrouss
crime. The words Of the poet coma to-
my lips:
Just Father, what must be thy look
When such a wretch before thee stands
Unblushing, with thy sacred book,
Turning the leaves with blood-staineoE
hands,
And Wrestling from its page sublime
His creed of just and hate and crime2
repeat, the issue is made up. Brig
ham Young once declared in his OWE
peculiar and Cneouth phrase, 81 will
send TOlygsmist to their Congress and
cram polygsmY down thsrthrOat Of the
American naJion." 1t was in execution
Of this Audsclous menace that he CON-
manded the election of George @, Can
non to the Forty.third Congress, since
which time the representative of polyR-,
apoU has cot rnab a Ian nod - Fb;s ho1
Hitherto Mr.. Cannon has effected hiss
entrance into this chamber through the
fundamentally of q certificate Of cleo,
ton, that potent instrument against
which it is difficult to interpose a success
full barrier. He presents himself, how.
ever, at the door of the Forty-seVenth
Congress disarmed of this weapon, con-
Tossing himself guilty of an offense made
by law q felony, but challenges the con-
stitutional power Of Congress to deny
him admission for that cause. And 30
the issue is squarely made up, and We
are now to see whether the constitutional
power OF living Congress is sufficient to
cope with and overcome the infamous
ediet Of dead priest. trust that the
report of the majority Of the committee
will receive the unanimous support Of
this House, that the FortY-seVenth Con-
gress may place its seal of condemnation
upon this relic of barbarian. The
American people have long enough en-
dured the shame Of having seated ia their
high council q man who ofendI public.
decency, disiurbs social order, defess
n9tional authority and outrages the
moral sense Of all Ohristendom Let
the humiliation end now and forever.