The Topeka state journal., 1899-11-20
Makes a Statement In His Own
Behalf.
PEOPLE ARE DECEIVED
He Says They Are Misled by
FalsehOOds.
Declares That Utah is Keeping
Faith With the Country.

ing the efforts being made to exclude
him from the house. Mr.. Roberts says,
in part:
Those engaged in working up pub
lie sentiment against the representative
from Utah demand of the house OF rep
resentatives, either that he be not al
lowed to take his seat, to which it is
admitted that he was legally elected,
or, after being admitted that he be ex-
PEELED That the house can do either
of these two things is extremely doubt
full
LAS many we'll meaning people and
Christian ministers outside of Utah are
misled by the falsehOOds of those at the
bottom of the religiO-political scheme
to unseat Utah's representative, and
thus defeat the expressed will of the
people of a sovereign state, 1 point out
some of the false charges on which the
agitation is based.
1T is falsely charged that the Nor
mon church has broken faith with the
government of the United States in ref
erence to pOlygamy; that is, it is charg-
ed that the practice of pOlygamOus
marriages has been resumed by the
church.
In the first place, it must be remem-
bered that no compact exists between
the Mormon church and the govern
ment of the United States on the sub
ject of pOlygamy. The only compact
existing on that subject is between the
people of Utah, acting through their
representatives in the state cOnSutu-
tional convention and the people of the
United States, represented by the pres
ident and congress
I affirm positively that that compact
has been kept on the part of the people
of Utah. There is no attempt made to
repeal or annul the parts of the consti-
tuition prohibiting pOlygamOus or plural
marriages. There is no desire to dis
rupt that compact with the United
States. The Mormon church has not
/ violated the compact and has no desire
| to annul it, but, on the contrary, the
I hi Of 4Ioc ra71T hoe nf-
( ficially aVOWed his determination to ad-
/ here to its settlement of the question.
| THE represent ntative to congress from
1 Utah has not violated this compact,
/ the assertion of his enemies to the con-
| trary Notwithstanding. When the lit
/ tie cOterie of sectarian ministers and
| disappointed WOuId-be political bosses
] in Utah who began this agitation, say
| that the Mormon church its mem
| bers violate the compact between our
! state and the people of the United
( States because a few men in Utah feel
morally bound to fulfill their obligations
/ to the women they married under
| sanction of the Mormon church, prev
/ ious to the issuance of the church man
! ifesto of 1890, disseminating pOlygamOuS
| marriag ages-when they say this is vio-
| latiOn of the compact with the United
! States, they say that which they know
| to be untrue; disrupting and diScOn-
/ tinuing those pOlygamOuS relations was
no part of the compact. 1t was not de-
! manded by the enabling act.
| 1T was not any part of the action
| of the constitutional convention, but on
| the contrary, steps were studiously
| taken not to disrupt these relations by
constitutional provision. by discarding
| the parts of the anti-pOIygamy law,
| which would have brought about that
| result. What good would come to the
| people of the United States by a dis
| ruption of those plural families? What
| good would come to either morality or
religion to turn those plural wives and
| their children adrift? What Christian
wOman's home would be securer for
/ knowing that a Mormon plural wife s
home was now destroyed?
{ Let it be remembered that the home
and family of that plural wife was
/ established under the sanction Of-tO
/ her-a holy church ceremony, and with
( the approval of all her people. The
fountain of the evil was dried up, the
( people of the United States can be gen
| erous enough to allow the streams that
/ flowed from it to take their course until
| lost in the oblivion of death.
Some men-the number is few and
( rapidly growing less-who entered into
plural marriage relations previous to
1880, when the church formally and Off
/ cialIy discontinued such marriages and
/ hence, of course, previous to the set
| tlement of the question by the compact
| of our state constitution, have felt it
/ morally binding upon their cOnsciences
| to fulfill obligations of their marriage
! vows to those pOlygamOus families
| This is the only 'poIygamy' that has ex-
| listed in Utah since the admission of
| the state or since 1890, in fact.
I 1t is IalSe4Y charged IDdI LUe MOT
| mon church controls the politics OF
! Utah, and that the representative from
| Utah was nominated and elected by
| Mormon church influence.
1T is falsely charged that the Nor
| mon church leaders sought to have
| Roberts elected to test the sentiment OF
the people of the United States as to
| whether Utah would be held to the
agreement in the matter of the aban-
! dOnment of pOlygamOus or plural mar
riages. This is too silly to require re-
| futatiOn.
1T is falsely charged that Roberts
| was elected to crowd polygamy down
| the thrOats of the American congress
| and people, to fulfill an alleged predic-
tiOn of Brigham Young that 1t would
| yet be done.
1T is falsely charged that the con-
! gresham from Utah was elected to
| represent pOlygamy; that If he is seat
| ed and retains his seat it will mean
| that congress indOrses polygamy, and
| that there Will be an immediate reviv-
al of the Mormon plural marriage sys-
tenn in Utah.
Does the house of representatives
| indorse the individual views of all the
| men it admits to membership? II So
| cialists should, from some cOngressiOn-
| al district, elect a congressman, would
his admission to the house say to the
/ world that the American congress in
| dorsed socialism?
Il don't go to Washington as a rep
| resentative of polygany, 1 am not sent
| there by my constituents to ask con-
| gress to consent to the repeal of the
| clause in our state constitution which
| defines, prohibits and Furnishes pOlyg-
| army-and it should be Temem beFed
that this particular clause in our state
constitution cannot be repealed with
| out the consent of the United States.
| I shall not go to Washington to advo-
cate or even defend polygamy.
1T is falsely charged that the repre-
sentative from Utah now advocates po-
| Iygamy-that is, the present contract
ing of polygamous marriages, notwith-