Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-12-14
A MORMON'S PLEA
Jongressman-e elect Roberts Issues
An Address.
He Claims that the Committee of In
vestiSation il PrejudIced Against
Him and that u had Prece-
dentis Being Established.

Washington, Dec. 8.-Brigham II.
Roberts, of Utah, who wos not allowed
to be sworn in as a representative in
congress of that state, has issued an
address to the American people. II
contains much that was said by him
on the floor of the house and by Mr..
| Richardson, who opposed the resolu-
ton of Mr.. Tayler, of Ohio. After
reviewing the facts and proceedings
resulting in the appointment of the
committee, he says:
The member from Utah is not al
lowed to take the oath of Office, and
"A committee is appointed to try him
as TO his alleged guilt of the otfenses
charged. Nay, even more is granted
than was asked, at least more than
was asked upon the floor of this house.
| For Il hostile committee has been APP
pointed to inquire into the case. It's
membership is made up entirely of
those who voted to adopt the method
of procedure. Not one who voted
against it was allowed a place upon
that committee.
II ask the American people to stop
and think what that may mean to this
country in times of high political ex-
citement and party strife and passion.
| IA formidable minority in the
house may be reduced either to a very
insignificant minority, or even blotted
out of existence.
| 2-The representation to which a
state is entitled on the floor of the
house may be denied to it-as in this
| Utah case-for any length of time this
committee may elect to deny it such
representation. Suppose that in this
case the committee shall see proper
to proceed with reasonable expedition
| to consider the questions involved, but
what is there to hinder it delaying
its action under one preteXt or anoth
er as long as it pleases. 1t may take
a week, month, or a year TO make
! its inVestiga tiOnS, for it is authorized
to send for papers and persons, to cX-
| anime witnesses and is not even m
| Structed to report at as early a date
as possible. 1t can prolong its inve5-
| legations for two years as well as n
month, or a year, if it so elects, and
meantime deny to n state representa-
ton. If the present republican house
can thus deprive Utah of her reprcseu-
| tatiOn, there is no reason why it could
not deny Virginia hers, even though
! she has ten representatives. for ten
| representatives as easy as one can be
| turned away from the bar of the
| house, and one state as we'll as anCth-
er if bare majority in the house
| chooses to have it so. And if the
| present republican house can do this
in the case of Utah or Virginia. there
is no reason why the next democratic
| house could not proceed in like man
ner with representatives from repub-
| Iican states, under this new rule of
| procedure.
"3-ThiS new precedent also strikes
down the constitutional guaranty of :,
right to one accused of crime to
| speedy and public trial by an impav-
| tial jury in the state wherein the
crime shall have been committed The
proposition is not to deprive me of my
| seat in congress by the presentation
of records of conviction for crime ue-
| fore courts before which / have been
| found guilty, under the due forms of
law. The proposition is to try me
before the committee of the house. to
| send for persons, papers and wit
nesses to ascertain my guilt or inno-
cence of an alleged misdemeanor,
THE constitution gives the mcm-
bers of congress immunity from az
rest for misdemeanors, except for
breach of the peace, and yet for an NJ
legged misdemeanor for which | could
not be arrested while in attendance
upon the house. or while going to or
from it am deprived the right 20
take the oath of office; my final right
to my seat is in jeopardy; the people
of one of the states are denied repre-
sentation, so long as it shall suit the
purpose of the committee to have it
so, and the expressed will of the Dc0-
pie OF a state is in danger of being de-
feated.
ut is true that the Representatives
from Utah is a Mormon, and just now
there is against the Mormon people
wave of popular sentiment, created
by falsehood, chiefly by the charge
that Utah has broken her compact
with the United States in the matter
of polygamy; that her people contem-
plate the revival of polygamous mar
ragcs; that the seating of Utah s
representative would be regarded by
her Mormon population as m endorse
ment of pOlygamy and would be a
menace to the American home. Upon
my honor as Il representative from
Utah / solemnly deny those charges
They are not true.
american citizens, it is Mormon
who is the object of the popular
clamor to-day, may it not be the Garh-
olic, or the Methodist or the free
thinker tomorrow. If the rights of
the representative from Utah and of
his state cannot be safeguarded by
the provisions of the constitution and
the laws, from the frenzy of popular
fury, set on fire by falsehood and dis
tortion, what guaranty have we THAT
any ones rights are secure?"
Can't Insure Children.