The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-06
Their Association Wants Roberts
Expelled From Congress.
MEETING HELD YESTERDAY
COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO PRE-
PARE RESOLUTIONS.
Position of the Association In the
Matter-Hon. R. B. Shepard Re
turns-Has No Senatorial Prefer
ence-Walker' Committee Very
Confident of Success.

The local ministerial association has
decided to take a hand in the move
ment to prevent B. H. Roberts from
representing Utah in congress. The as
ISOLATION is composed of the ministers
of the various Protestant denomina-
tions, and at their usual weekly meet
ing, held yesterday, Mr.. Roberts and
his three alleged wives and the twins
formed the principal topic of discus
sion. The subject had been mentioned
and talked over in the meetings before,
but no course of action was decided
upon until yesterday. 1t was the con-
census of opinion that some steps
should be taken by the association to
mark its disapproval of polygamy in
general, and particularly against, as
they say, a self-confessed polygamist
representing the state in congress. The
ministers say they are disposed to deal
fairly with the Mormon people, and
they do not blame them as a whole for
the alleged status of Mr.. Roberts fam
lily affairs, and they also believe that
many of them do not approve of Mr..
Roberts course. They have, therefore,
no quarrel with the Mormon people,
but as the members of the association
are monogamists and believe that
polygamy is an evil that ought to be
dealt with vigorously, they say they
feel it their duty to protest against
Mr.. Roberts being permitted to sit in
congress, and they also feel it to be
their duty to show their disapproval of
any one in the fix that Mr.. Roberts is
said to be being chosen to any office
of honor and responsibility in the fu
ture.
The exact nature of the proceedings
which it is proposed to take could not
be learned, for the reason that the
members of the association had pledged
themselves not to give out at the pres
ent time any information on that point.
1t was. however, learned that there was
perfect unanimity of opinion in regard
to Mr., Roberts and that a committee,
of which Rev. Richard Wake, the Sec
rotary of the association, is a member,
was appointed, with power to draft and
give to the daily papers for publica-
| ton, as soon as completed, an express
sion of the views taken by the asso-
citation in regard to Mr.. Roberts and
what ought to be done in his case. The
! idea, as far as could be learned, was to
give as wide a publicity, especially in
| the east, as possible to Mr.. Roberts and
thereby awaken a sentiment among the
religious denominations against his be-
ing allowed to sit in the nations halls
of legislation, which sentiment it is
hoped by the promulgators of the ad-
dress will crystalize into a protest be-
| ing made in congress and that the
members of the house would see proper
to expel Mr.. Roberts from among them.
They do not seem to have a great
! deal of hope that expulsion can be ac-
/ complished. as it requires two-thirds
of the members voting aye to carry an
expulsion resolution. but they do hope,
! bV their action to at least prevent in
/ the future, the election to office of men
in the position that Mr.. Roberts is
! claimed 20 be.
1t is expected that the address. reso-
| lutions, or whatever it may be termed,
will be finished by the committee to-
! day. and handed to the papers for pub
| LEGATION in tomorrow issue.
| The ministers have been keeping
pretty close cases on Mr.. Roberts ut
/ terances in his sermons and elsewhere,
| and have come to the conclusion that
he is thoroughly in sympathy with the
principle of polygamy, and that he is
bold and outspoken in its defense.