Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-29
PLURAL MARRIAGE,
The Po|ygamous Congressman
Elect on the Subject
PLEDGE OF MORMON CHURCH.
No Illegal Marriages Celebrated Since
Il Was Given.
THE UTAH SEAT IN THE HOUSE
That There Are No Legal Obst"cIes
in the Why of His Taking 1t
References to Scripture.
References to Scripture.

NEW YORK, December pa salt Lake
special to the Evening World says
Congressman-eIect b. II. Roberts to-
day made the following statement to the
Evening World correspondent:
'If a time comes when it is necessary
| for me to defend myself. shall be night
there on the spot, and ! appreciate that
the members Of Congress and the Ameri-
can people are more liberal, broad-mind-
| ed, and generous than few bigoted and
contracted preachers Of the Presbyterian
Church, whose training. mode of life. and
trend of thought tend to unfit them for
practical life.
Joseph Smith received a commandment
from tho Lord to introduce our order Of
marriage into the Church, and on the
strength of that revelation, and not by
reason Of anything that is written In the
Jewish Scriptures, the IAtter-Day Saints
practice plural marriage.
"Polygamy is not adultery. for were 1t
| so considered. then Abraham. Jacob, and
| the prophets who practiced 1t would not
| be allowed inheritance in the Kingdom
and If polygamy is not adultery then II
cannot be cassed as a sin at all. 1T ap-
nears 10 me that modern Christians must
either learn 10 tolerate poygamy or give
M forever the glorious hope of resting In
Abraham's bosom.
ABANDONED FROM EXPEDIENCN.
"That which God approves, and so
strlkingly approves. must be not only not
| had but positively good, pure, and hoV'
Notwithstanding this. however, the hand
| of the Gentiles was laid heavily upon the
| neople of the Lord, so that In HIS mercy
God permitted them 60 cease theieiroin'
from expediency, and true to the pledge
given by the Church, no poysamous mar
riages have since been celebrated py the
| Church. But not even the Church can
take away from a man the wives 1t has
already given him. They are his for time
and for eternity, and l think the great,
broad-minded. and just American people
will not require man TO cast or the
wives he has. with whom he has lived.
| nor TO abandon his children
At the most Mr. Roberts says his
offence is unlawful cohabitation, and he
remarked: Il am here, and the courts
are open. If any one wants to test the
point, the way is clear.
NOT BARRED FROM CONGRESS.
1t has been urged by some that Mr.. Ro-
berts, owing to the operation of the Ed
munds- s-Tucker act. which disfranchised
all polygamists. is legally barred from
taking his seat in Congress.
In regard to this, Mr.. Roberts says he
| has had the best legal advice obtauable,
which convnces him that there are no
| legal obstacles in the way of his taking
the seat.
MR.. ROBERTS DENIES THE INTER
VIEW.
SALT LAKE CITY. UTAH, December
29 -Congressman-elec Roberts was to-
day shown the dispatch TO an eastern
paper claiming to be an Interview with
| him on Church matters. Mr.. Roberts said
| he had not given the reporter for the
paper anything of the kind. He said he
was called upon for a statement and told
| the reporter he had nothing to say on
the subject
Dir. Roberts says he called the reporter $
attention to the difference between poly
gamy and unlawful cohabitation. Further
than this he said nothing that is contained
| II, tho alleged Interview