The age-herald., 1899-12-09

the only thing which is demanded and which he refuses In this matter we dis claim any desire to have him declared in- eligible because he is a Mormon, but solely because he is violating and defying laws of our state, of the United States and of com mon decency.
 Congressman W. H. King was and is a Mormon, and no claim of ineligibiltty was ever made against him. We point to this fact as showing that we oppose Rob- erts, not upon the ground of any religious opinions entertained by him. but because of his criminal practices. Neither is this matter of religious or political persecution or prejudice. The undersigned include men of different churches and men who belong to no church-those who are republicans, and those who are democrats.
 MT. Roberts denies and we assert that the compact between Utah and the other states has been violated. This compact was evidenced by many public acts. as fol- lows:
 1. By the manifesto of the Mormon church in 1890 which, by their leading men, was in- terpreted under oath to prohibit the con tinuance of polygamous relations, as well as the contracting of new marriages.
 2. By the Utah legislature which, in lss2, made unlawful cohabitaton as well as polygamy crimes against the territory.
 8. By the solemn pledges of the apostles of this alleged church that these iaWs would be obeyed and enforced, whlch pl6QReS were 0ldut III d pCtAeioi So president praying for a general amnesty proclamation.
 4 By the declaration made by prominent citizens of Utah before the congressioi,al committee having the enabling ac. uiiuef consideration where also the foregoihs eV dence and statements were used to secure statehood. ,,., s
 B. By the declaration in the consmtutioil ol Utah that polygamous marriages snail Iof- ever be prohibited.
 G. The act of the constitutional cohVen lion continuing In force the territorial iaWs nunishing unlawful cohabitation as well as nolvgamy. of which convention MT. Roperts was a member. ,o,, oon clusively that the compact includes the uis- continuance of old polygamous a rela''on' "' well as the prevention of new ones.
 As evidence that this compact mas peeh broken we point to the following; .r,
 i That in Utah 1s00 illegitimate chlloren have been born to polygamous wlVes siiioe sta tehood. olds now exist in Utah and that the attelnpe to secure punishment of these onenoeps is denounced by the majority as we peheSe oA Utah's citizens.
 & That the circumstantfal eVloehce u mistakably points to the existence or new wives in polvgamous households, the most conspicuous examples of which are the cases of Apostles Abraham H. cannon. John w. Taylor and Tuesdayle' m al .easl the first of which the church organ or the dominant church refuses to deny the mar riage and the new polygameus wire IS eih- ployed as a teacher in church acaoemy.
 4 That the very men who interpreted the manifesto of 1890 to prohibit unlawtui CO habitation with prior acquired wiVes' ho" publicly justify its continuance.
 E. That most of the same men, Who III u petition for amnesty, pledged thelr sacreo honor for the obedience Of the law py their people are now, by example ana precep', encouraging the commission of the crime of unlawful cohabitation. ,.,
 s As a furher evidence of this bad laltn we call attention to the fact that men holding high church offices nave pieau R,,iltv to the crime of unla wful cohaoita- tion hefore fine state courts without having their church standing affected, even ln some cases having their fines paid by sym pathetic friends. -
 T, All tbis is by necessary implication endorsed by a majority of Utah's people MI the election of Brigham H. Roberts, "no during the campaign for election was pup Ucly charged with being violator or the laws as evidenced by his illegitimate prog eny. and in spite of these undenied charges he was elected by an overwhelming ma iority That MT Roberts himself under stood that compact to mean the discon- tinuance Of u1la wful cohabitaMon, we point to his registration oath of 1895, in which he swore it to be his intention to obey the law prohibiting unlawful cohabitation.
 (Signed)
 T. c. ILIFF, Salt Lake.
 G. w. MARTIN, Manti, Utah.
 c. M OWEN, Salt Lake, Utah.
 J. M. COOMBS. Brigham City, Utah.
 A. T. SHROEDER, Salt Lake.