The San Francisco call., 1898-11-21
OPENLY DEFIES THE LAW
SAID TO MAINTAIN THREE
 HOUSEHOLDS.
Has Served Term in the Peniten- tiary Because of His Violation of the Federal
 Statutes.
Special Dispatch to The Can.

SALT LAKE. Nov. 2O.-Brigham H. Roberts, the Mormon Con- gressman-elect in Utah, will have to fight for his seat in the House of Representatives When Congress as- sembles in December and contested election cases are given consideration 1t is likely that his will be among the first to come up. Roberts is fanatical in his belief in the Mormon faith, and it is charged by his political opponents that he has been living in polygamy in open defiance of the Federal statutes since Utah became a State. The de- feated candidate for Congress in his district will rely on this fact in his eff fort to gain the seat won by Roberts in the election, and he claims to have an abundance of evidence to back up his claim.
 Should the contest be brought, as now seems certain, it is probable that when Congress assemblies an inquiry into the domestic life of Roberts will be insti- tuted. This move is quite likely to have the support Of the Republican majority, which will Ill thls case be simply upholding the Federal con- stitution. It will establish the prece- dent once and for all that a polygamist shall not hold a place in the councils of the nation.
 That Brigham H. Roberts Is an active polygamist is beyond the shadow of d doubt He was charged with it by the Salt Lake Tribune during the late cam paign and he never denied it, merely saying his family relations were not an issue. Roberts was a polygamist long before the passage of the mani festo by the Mormon church and the subsequent admission of Utah to state hood. That children have been born to his polygamOus wives since Utah was admitted to statehood is well known ill that State. No attempt was made by any of the leading Democrats to dis prove it.
 Roberts has three wives. He lives at CenuerVnle, a short distance north of Salt Lake. Two of his wives live in that village, the other in Salt Lake. He is a fanaucal Mormon. Two years ago he ran for Congress against the wishes and without the consent of the Mormon leaders, by whom he was disciplined. He fought the church, but finally sue cumbed to its demands. He was for a short time engaged on the Salt Lake Herald, and it was in that office that he was first arrested for pGlygamy. He gave bonds and fled to Europe Three years later he returned and was sen fenced to a term in the penitentiary, which he served. It was after this that he married third wife, by whom he has no children.
 Leading Democrats in Utah now ad- init they made a mistake in nominating Roberts and some have grave doubts as to his being seated.
 California delegates to Congress are a unit in the expression Of their inten- tion to assist in enforcing the Federal statute relating to polygamy. Though the representatives from this State were guarded in their utterances as to the particular case in question they were of the belief that one who prac- ticed polygamy in defiance of the laws of the nation should not have a seat in it's councils. Judge James G. Ma guire said in an interview yesterday:
 T certainly am in favor of uphold ing the provision of the Federal statute directed against pGlygamy. Where the law of the country is violated there is but one course for national lawmaker to pursue. AS to the case of MT. Rob- erts, I am not sufficiently informed to express an opinion and do not care tU state whether I shall make a personal inquiry into his domestic relations"