The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-12
THE CASE OF

The usual method in the congress is
for a m with a governors GER
tificate of election to take his seat,
and then raise the committee of inVeS-
tigation. This has been set aside in
the case of Mr.. Brigham Roberts, the
man with three wives, each having a
separate home, but he takes his seat in
the house as if a member in good
standing instead of a suspect. He ap-
pears to be trying the patience of the
house, and it's forbearance. 1t is quite
probable that a bad precedent has been
made in failing to seat him upon the
certificate of the governor, and then to
investigate his case. But at any rate
no Mormon with three wives or more
should be permitted to hold a seat in
the United States congress. A Nor
mon propaganda said, as we hear,
the other night, in a public talk on one
of our streets to q crowd, that Rob-
-erts had seven lives really. Old
Brigham Young, after whom he is
probably named SO fittingly, had a
dozen or more wives or women, we be
lieve. The so-called religion of the Nor
mons is a deliberate burlesQue upon
the religion of the Christ. 1t is a
travestie at best, n is based upon the
leacherous practice of the turkish
harem. 1t is beastly, polyg-
amous indecencies practiced in the
open sunlight and in defiance of all the
convictions of moral men and all the
practices of truly religious men. 1t is
an outrage, a profanity. a curse, a
stigma, and should not be allowed in
any country apprOpriating to itself,
however unmerited and far-fetched, the
name of Christian. No one can doubt
the sincerity of Roberts for he has
practiced according to his belief for
decades. He is a man of some ability,
and a speaker of gifts. SO what he
does he does deliberately, and he knows
hat he offends the purest convictions
and antagonizes at every point, the
teachings of the Son of God and the
apostles. The covenant of the Mormon
church adopted as far back as he 18th
of July, 1S43. lays polygamous a
riages ait the very foundation of the
thing they all call a church. 1t has
this: "And if we abide not that cove
mama that is, plural marriage-'then
are We damned; for no man can reject
his andabe permitted to en-
ter into my glory, The way to the
Mormon's heaven by impurity and
~uncleanness. 1t isVo be hoped that
never so long as there is a United
States that any ~polygamous Mormon
will ever be allowed to darken the door
of the federal congress. The New York
Herald in a we'll conceived and long
editorial on Roberts, has this:
"Polygamous c~ohabitation, with con-
SeQuent families Of children who are
pronounced i~llegitimate by the laws of
the land, is considered a virtue among
the people whom he wishes ito repre-
sent in congress-. He is an honored
member Of the Mormon church, Occu-
plying a position of considerable author
ity, and that church openely teaches
that no man can aspire to an exalted
place in the hereafter unless, as the
Mormon phrase is, he lives his religion
and takes unto himself several wives.
Mr.. Roberts is al eloquent advocte
of polygamy. Ever since he signed his
naturalization papers and took oath to
obey the laws of the United States he
has defended polygamy with an earn
estness which betokened strong con-
victions on that subject. . If a
man believes it to be his duty to break
the laws imposed by the federal gov
eminent, is it just to the people to al
low him to make their laws for them.
Putting sentiment aside, we have here
a practical question Of the utmost i'm
portance, upon which we await the de-
,cision of the house"