The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-02
SAY THERE ARE PREcEDENTs.
Republicans Attempt justification
For Refusing Oath to Roberts.

Washington. Dec. l.-At a conference
of about twenty-five prominent Repub-
licans, held at the capitol tonight, it
was decided that the eligibility of Rep
resentative-elect Roberts of Utah to oc-
cupy a seat in the house should be in
Vcstigated and determined, and thar
pending the decision he should not be
permitted to take the oath of office.
This decision was arrived at by those
present without dissenting voice. Rep
reSentative Tayler of Ohio, who will
have charge of the matter in the house.
explained after the conference had ad-
journed, that this proceeding does not
involve a prejudgment OF the case, but
irrespective of party. will afford the
members an opportunity to vote after
thorough investigation and complete
presentation of the case for their con-
sideraIion.
Mr.. Tayler had made a study of the
allegations and precedents. and pre-
scented them at length to his colleagues.
He offered a plan of procedure which
was agreed to after a general exchange
of views. The procedure is to be as fol-
lows:
When Roberts appears at the bar of
the house to take the oath, objection is
to be made upon the ground that he is
ineligible. He Will then step aside. and
after the other members are sworn in,
NIlc Uie1iflOcI the ilO
probably viii be Mr.. Tayler-will recite
the allegations and offer a resolution
tor their investigation by special
committee. This viii give the house an
opportunity to vote in the first instance
upon the question of postponing the adj
ministration of the oath until after the
allegations have been investigated.
The resolutions have not been formu-
lated yet. but they will include the in
vastigation of the charge that Mr.. Rob-
erts' alleged conviction of violation of
the Edmunds act in 1889 renders him in
eligi : by the terms of that act:
whether the fact that he is an ayowed
polygamist renders him ineligible and
whether the state OF Utah in electing
him has not violated the compact by
which she obtained statehood. &.
MIR. Tayler says the presidents for OBJ
jectiHg to the swearing in of member
duly elected and bearing proper creden-
tials are numerous and in point Among
Others are the we'll known cases of
Proctor Knott, Boyd Winchester and
John 81. Rice of Kentucky, who were
elected 10 congress shortly after the,
war. and also were charged with ineli-
gibility on the ground of disloyalty..
All these precedents were cited at the
conference tonight. These precedenta
lead to the conclusion that objection can
be properly made TO the swearing in of
wei grounded reasons for believing him
ineligible. The resolutions will provide
for the appointment of a special COM
mittee of either seven or nine, to be APP
pointed by the speaker.
Representative Powers of Vermont
presided tonight at the conference
Those present We're Messrs. Henderson
of Iowa, Grosvenor. Southar. Shattuc,
Kerr and Tayler of Ohio. Powers of
Vermont. Mcpherson of Iowa, Dalzell
of Pennsylvania, Payne and Sherman
of New York. Hill Of Connecticut.
Thomas of Iowa. Alexander and Ray of
New York, Cnrtis of Kansas, Warner
of Illinois. Lands of Indiana. Cannon
OF Illinois, Morris of Minnesota, Steele
of Indiana and Long of Kansas.
The Roberts case is not to come up
for consideration at the Republican
caucus tomorrow night. The Republic
can leaders do not desire to make the
question in any sense party issue.