Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-12-30
ARE UP IN ARMS.
Minister'S Will Ask Ihnt Roberts BE
Denied II Seat in the House
of Representatiyes


of Representatives.
| The rabid words Of Congress,nan-elect E.
| II. Roberts. of Utah. printed in the press
| dispatches Yesterday. upholdirg polysamy,
| terming it good. pure. holy and a pre-
requisite to the glorious hope OF resting
! IN Abraham's bosom" has stirred the min
/ lSterS of Kansas City to indignation. The
I Ministers Alliance will take action next
Monday and memorial Will be sent to
| congress urging the house of representa-
| tive 10 refuse seat TO the member who
! declines TO put away his surplus wives.
! The alliance COMMITTEES on moral reforms
met informally yesterday morning al the
| home OF Rev. Dr.. Northrop. Of the Baptist
| church. who IS the Chairman. Other
| members Of the committee are Rev.
| DR.. II. d. jenkins. Rev. DR.. j. W.
| Haucher, Rev. Dr. u. H. Combs and
| Rev. Mr.. j. z. O'Brieu. The commit
/ lee agreed that some action should be TAX
! en-, lest the man from Salt Lake should
! have the floor all TO himself. II was de
| cided that a memorial TO congress would
be the proper mode Of procedure, and this
| Will be recommended TO the Ministers Al
! lance.
Judging from the sentiments expressed by
| several ministers there is little doubt that
| the recommendation Of the committee Will
ne made the official action Of the alliance.
AS member of the Alliance committee
/ on moral reforms. said Rev. DR.. II. u.
! jenkins OF the Second Pres byterian church,
! i cannot discuss the question at length.
! But to elect such 4 man as Roberts to con-
! Sress is no better than to elect 4 Turk.
m, The Turk Is brought up and i've IN IN
! century, and III AmerLc;G.
Roberts was especially severe on The
! Fresby terian preachers, 10 whom ne Ie-
! ferrad Is "bigoted al d contracted, whose
| training. mode OF life and trend q thought
/ tend to unfit them Tor practical life.
| But the radical utteranges of Congress
| man Roberts have wiped out denOInira-
! tiou&l lines. and all the ministers h.tEs
! united TO rebule the utteranees OF Con-
A man who viii defend polygamy as
| revealed 10y God in this age OF civilization
! is in a sad condition Of eclipse. said ReI.
I t!onlI church The sooner he's consigned
/ 10 the boot heel Ihe better.
| ANY man who can defend such prae-
| tice condemned by the laws OF his coun-
/ Try is not a safe man TO help max" the
| laws Of the land. outside OF all moral -on-
! siderations, the laws of the United Stdtss
/ condemn polyeamy. and no good citizen
/ can openly advocate the violation OF IN"
! y see that Representative Roberts paid
| particular attention TO the Preshyterians.
/ said Rev Dr. ". p. George, of the West
] minister PRESBYTERIAN church. But he will
I find the MetEodists and the whole Amer
| lean people opposed 70 him He Is going
| up against a big proposition. Polygamy
may have been permitted in the early
! times like some other things. or account OF
! the hardness of heart OF the people But
| when Christ came all This was changed,
and We are living under the New Testa-
ment diSprnsatiou. Christ said that d man
! must be permitted but one wife.
| Il am not in favor OF any man going 10
/ acter," said Rev. Or. s NJ. Neel. OF the
! Central Presbyterian church. one wife
! at time Is enough. II Is all the law al
| lows and all good citizens will obey the
! law
! God may have permitted the patriarchs
| in the Old Testament days to have more
I than one wife. but God does not teach that
/ u IS right TO have more than one wife a
/ a time Any man. who as a public man.
/ elected to the nigh Office OF congressman.
| who, upholds polygamy. flies i'll the face Of
/ the law OF God and man"
! Rev DR.. :, a. Northrop. of the First
Baptist church. was very vigorous in cou>
demnins the utterances of Congressman
/ Roberts
/ He is not only immoral" he said but
saucy and impuuent. as well. If ws'r 60
/ ing into the polyeamy business wholesale
! other congressman will want to have the
] same privilege accorded Mr. Roberts. The
! agltatIon of this polygamy question IS par
ticularly unfortunate at this time. when
I the nation is entering on a new era OF eX-
/ panSion. and Is about 10 carry the light of
/ civilization = island nations now in dark
/ ness. But II We permit such representa-
tiyes Of discarded barharisnn TO sit in our
( legislative halls it might be better. after
all. for the FilipinoS 10 send missionaries
/ 70 us. l understand that they are not Po-
Rev. Father ". ] Dalton was equally
fornib!e in his condemnation of Congress
i man Roberts Ut-eraEceS.
He lilies in the facs Of the law said
Father Dalton. As a minister OF the Cos
pei condemn his defense Of polygainy. and
as citizen I must condemn his defense
Of the violation OF the law He has no right
:" seat in congress when he counsels
defiance 10 4 law passed by that very
body ! am heartily in favor OF any action
which will deuv 70 him seat In congress
Laws ara made to h- observed and ubevsd
..rf - aHFafa.
boasts of K = not q good citizen.
Rabbi Schu!mau said: "T am not inter-
eS-ea IN the pO.smtCS thar may grow ont
Of Congressman Roberts defense OF polyg-
/ amy between himself and the clergy Il
I the Christian churches can't Sc how
/ am concerned In II, or now the Jewish
.'Roberts cited the poIysatny of the faith
81 Of our race and Of the patri2rchs in
Jewish church answer that arGume1t2'
Isn't Abraham in heaven. and Isaac and
Jacobo w don't need - answer that.
( lie Christian preachers may t"h" Up the
gauntlet. What Congressman Roberts says
about the early jews does not worry M.
have assurances that they are all right.
ana nv Rihle Is clear to me. what viii
rha Christians s-tv III reply 20 him. .s the
question. Did jesus say anything. against
Uolygamy" No. He did not. Let them eN-
PLAIN on what ureg epts Of their testament
they claim the practice unholy and Un-
7Don,t understand that favor polygamy
to-day. | do not. But merely say ths
defense Of poly Samy by a Mormon con-
gresham NAV stir up the Christian preach
..r-- but I am not interested. and. more
. over. I have not thought about the sub
PoIygamy i very expensive. l. could he
/ INDUCED IN by men who owned vast nerds
and occupied extensive domains over which
they ruled. A population Increased and
wealth hecam" divided and the system of
government hanged II was naturally abau-
dtned. People Who could afford II do not
car. 10 return to such an expensive mode
',7,'T lIT CtT.s..-