Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-02
WILL BE UNSEATED
No Doubt About Roberts Exclusion
From the House.
OBJECTION TO THE PLAN ADOPTED
Democrats Claim That 1t is an I'M
proper Course.
LAST NIGHTS CONFERENCE


deal with the Roberts case before he has
taken his oath foreshadows a contest
largely on PARTY lines over the question of
method of procedure.
Most of the democrats take the position
that the House should have before it evil
GenCe of Roberts polygamoUs practices be
fore acting on the case, and that such evil
dencc cannot be presented to the body be
fore it is organized. They hold that to es-
tablish or to confirm d precedent prompting
member duly elected from taking his oath
of office merely on an objection being raised
might lead to endless confusion hereafter at
some time when party feeling might be eN-
trcmely bitter. Democrats making this OBJ
lection TO the method of procedure couple
it with the statement that when it has been
established to the satisfaction of the House
that the charges against Roberts are well
founded, it will be duty the House owes
to itself to expel him; but they say they
will insist that that which should be done
should be done properly and with due re-
speCt to orderly procedure and the dignity
of the House.
There is doubt about Roberts being
very promptly unseated even if the plan to
prevent his taking the oath should mis-
carry, but objection to his taking the oath
technical grounds. The decision of the con-
ference is not absolutely final, and a diff
ferent plan may yet be followed.
Conference of House Leaders.
At conference of about twenty-five
prominent House republicans at the Capitol
last night 1t was decided that the eligibility
Of Representative-elect Roberts of Utah
to occupy a seat in the House of Represen-
ia tiVeS ShOuId ne
termined ana that pending the decision he
should not be permitted 20 take the oath of
office
This decision was reached by those pres
ent without dissenting voice. Represen-
tative Taylor Of Ohio. who will have
charge Of the matter in the House, eX
planned after the conference had ad-
journed, that this proceeding does not in
volve prejudgment Of the case, but, ir-
| respective OF party, viii afford the mem
bers opportunity to vote after ii thor
ough investigation and complete presenta-
tfon of the case for their consideration.
Mr.. Tay.Or has made a study of the ale
cations and precedents and he presented
them at length to his colleagues He Of
feTed plan of procedure which was agreed
to after general exchange of views The
procedure Is TO be as follows:
The Procedure.
When Mr.. Roberts appears at the bar
of the House to take the oath objection is
to be made upon the ground that he is in
eligible. He will then step aside and after
the other members are sworn in the MEM
Der making the objection-Who probably
will be Mr.. Taylor-will recite the allie
cations and offer a resolution for their in
vestigation by a special committee.
This will give the House an opportunity
to vote in the first instance upon the queS-
tiOn of pOstpOning the administration of
the oath until after the allegations have
been investigated. The resolutions have
not been formulated yet, but they will in
Clude the investigation of the charge that
Mr. Roberts alleged conviction of violation
of the Edmunds act in 1889 renders him in
eligible by the terms of that act whether
the fact that he is an avowed poygamist
renders MIN ineligible and whether the
state Of Utah in eIecting him has not vio-
lated the compact by which she obtained
statehood
The Precedents.
Mr.. Taylor says the precedcnts for OBJ
jecting TO the swearing in of a member
duly elected and bearing proper credentials
are numerous and in point Among others
are the well-known cases of Proctor Knott
Boyd Winchester and John NJ. Rice of Ken
lucky, who were elected to Congress short
| ly after the war, and who were charged
| with ineligibility on the ground of disloyal-
| ty. All these precedents Were cited at the
| conference last night These precedents
| lcad TO the conclusion that objection can
Il
member where there are apparently we'll
grounded reasons for believing him to be
ineligible.
| The resolutions will provide for the ap-
polntment Of a special committee of either
seven or nine, to be appointed by the
| Speaker.
Representative Powers of Vermont pre-
| sided at the conference last night Those
| present were Messrs. Henderson of Iowa,
GrosrenOr, Shattuc, Southard Kern and
| Taylor OF ohlo Powers of Vermont, Nc
Pherson Of Iowa, DalZel of Pennsylvania
| Payn nd Sherman of New York Hill of
Come, -cut, Thomas Of Iowa, Alexander
and Ray of Mex York. Curtis of Kansas,
| warner OF Illinois, Lands of Indiana, Can
| non OF ILLINOIS, Morris of Minnesota, Steele
OF lndlana and Long of Kansas.
Exclusion of Delegate Cannon.
| When Mr.. George @. Cannon was de-
| MED his seat in the House as a delegate
| from Utah, the sole ground of being a
| polygamist, the committee report held
| that Congress has the right and power to
| say that a polygamist shall not be ad-
mitted as delegate. Under the high
power inherent in every organization on
| earth TO preserve its integrity and exist
| ence, Congress has the indubitable right
| to keep out of its councils any person
| whom it believes to be dangerous and hos
| tile to the government"
The right to halt member at the bar
| of the House was also upheld in this re-
| port 4 precedent was cited. as follows:
| During the war almost the whole con-
| gressional delegation from the state of
| Kentucky were halted at the bar of the
| House, and, on the objection of a member,
| were not permitted to be sworn until ii
| was aScertained whether they or either
| of them We're guilty of disloyaI practices.
| They had each every qualification usual
! ly required by the Constitution; they were
| duly and regularly elected and returned
| they were sent by a sovereign state, hold
| ing all her relations in perfect accord with
| the federal government; but the House pro-
| ceeded to inquire into each case, and not
until reasonable investigation was had
| We're any of them admitted"
| The committee which had the matter IN
charge reported, and the Houset adopted
| what was in reality an additional quaIifi-
cation for a members admission.
| Exclusion of John Young BROWN
| I'm the case of John Young Brown Nwho
was among the number. the committee\ \al-
most unanimously reported against Mis-
t right to admission on the ground that fse
had written an imprudent and disloyal let.
ter; nothing more. He had never COM
mitted act of treason. He was never
| arrested or tried convicted. He denied
all reasonable intent in the letter and