The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-10
REVIEW OF ROBERTS GASE
JUDGE GOODWIN. OF SALT LAKE.
TALKS ABOUT IT.
The Old Free silver Leader says the
Mormon Congressman's Appeal In
. strange Mixture of Ignorance,
Audacity, Insolence and Untruth.

SALT LAKE, Dec. Gin an interview
with Judge c. G. Goodwin, OF the Salt
Lake Tribune, on the subject OF the APP
peal Of b. II. Roberts. he said:
''rhe address OF Roberts, under its pa
thetic appeal. Is strange mixture OF 81
norance. insolence and untruth. He COM
plains of the composition OF the COM
mittee selected to hear his case. because
not sure that he has any friends. and
his complaint Is an indirect accusation
that congressman when they SIT a. judges
From the fact that he was stopped on
the threshold OF congress and asked q
question which he refused to answer. he
all rights 3bnh tss
to which q state II entitled may be de-
MED 1t. He forgets that congress has con,
troll Of all It's committee and can call
that his trial Is an Indirect trial Of Utah
itself on matter involving the good
faith OF her people.
under Ter the criminal laws does not apply;
this is hearing merely 20 determine
whether he 10 or Is not entitled to seat
"iii s piea thai POLITICAL disabilities I'm.
der Federal law have been wiped out
by a state IL altogether untenaple. the
act wscn noss H ssna q
any lawful power In the house to prevent
his taking the oath assumes that the
house cannot take cognizance o. the fa sst
papers. Can Mr.. Roberts imagine no
case where congress would have to pro-
tect itselfs When he pleads immunity q n',,,iE
he should again be reminded that In his
case congress Is investigating him on a
matter Of character. and not with view
over. the Edmunds- Tucker law is in full
force in Washington. and under the
misdemeanor which he discusses is fel-
p pesi and answers wer because the right 81
the rule of the majority IN one OF the
sovereign states Of the Union IL being
It y e question Of
good faith of the state, are likewise Incl
dentally to be investigated.
"His assertion that there Is just now
against the Mormons wave or popular
sentiment is untrue. II there Is excite
ment and distrust. 1t Is due to him and his
friends. Judge King, and before him Hon.
of congress Hon. Frank Cannon served
his term out in the United States senate.
altogether without reproach, ana all were
Mormons.
at is truo that his nomination was de-
fiance alike to the state and nation; II Is
true that some Of the very highest Nor
mon officials have taken new polygamous
It is true that Roberts had for three years
been dropped from the rolls Of the Demo-
cratic party and was picked UP ana nom.
mated solely because OF MS Official place
in the church, and because he was de-
faint polygamist
when he says the only thing charge-
able to some few men In the state Of Utah
is that they have not deserted the plural
wives they married years ago, he willfully
ISLANDERS a generous people.
,"As to the time previous to the settle
ment OF the polygamous question between
the government and the state Of Utah II
may be proper to state that Roberts was
born March 49, 1857; that the Cullom law
was PASSED July /, 1861 that It was aft
firmed by the United States supreme court
January s, 1879 when Roberts was only
% years old and before he entered into
poiygamy. He was fully informed that
he was breaking the law. He was glad
of 1t. He was arrested for the crime OF
unlawful cchabitation December .. 1886.
He forfeited his bond and went to Eng
land. He returned. and on May l. 1889.
pleaded guilty and was sentenced to
fine of 5000 and imprisonment for four
months In 1896 he took the full oath to
obey the laws. In the meantime he had
added another plural wife to his possess
sions.
Ellis plea that 1t Is Mormon who y
the object of the clamor today, may 1t
not be the Catholic or the Methodist or the
Free Thinker tomorrow, may be answered
by saying Probably yes. II they involve
themselves in the same way His final
conclusion that justice win triumph is
probably a conviction that more than any
thing else troubles him at the present
time"