The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-15
S.S.SIffff hs Blood

tie his crimes insists that he is only
charged with a misdemeanor. He
knows better. He knows that he has
been, under oath and before proper
prosecuting officers, charged with the
felony of adultery, as we'll as the mis-
demeanOr of unlawful c~OhabitatlOn.
Many sentimental people are being
misled by Mr.. Roberts very ingenious
suggestions from which some GeODis
infer he took his ~polygamOus lives
! when it was lawful to do SO. This is Il
mistake. Adultery was a crime in Utah
when Mr.. Roberts was born and at
the time of the passage of the CullOm
anti-polygamy act, Mr.. Roberts was
only 6 years OLD His plea for sympd-
thy, therefore, mount only to this,
that he should be allowed to continue
his criminal practice, Notwithstanding
he took his polygamous wives in deli
ance of law. We demand that ne should
support his families, but also demand
that he shall cease the begetting of fur
Their illegitimate offspring, and this IS
our only bone of contention, the only
thing demanded which he refuses 10
| yield. In this matter we disclaim any
desire ITO have him declared ineligible
because he is a Mormon, but solely be-
cause he is violating and defying the
laws of our state, of the United States
and Of common decency.
"Ex-Congressman w. H King was
and is a Mormon, and no claim of incl
igibility was ever made against him.
We point to this fact as showing hat
we oppose Mr.. Roberts, not upon the
ground Of any religious opinions enter
tanned by him, but because of his Grim
inal practices. Neither is this a matter
Of religious or political persecution or
prejudice. The undersigned include
men of different churches and men who
belong to no church, those who are re
pubIicans and those who are demo
crate
"Mr. Roberts denies and we assert
that the compact between Utah and
the other states has been violated. A
evidence that his compact has beer
broken, we point tO the following:
Il. That in Utah 1000 illegitimate
children have been born to ~polygamous
wives since statehood.
'2. That about 1000 polygamous
households now exist in Utah and tina
the attempt ito secure a punishment OF
these offenders is denounced by thu
majority, as We believe, Of Utah citi'
ZenS.
SO. That the circumstantial evidence
Enthusiastically points to the existence
Of new wives in polygamous house.
holds, the most conspicuous example:
of which are the cases of Apostle:
Abraham H. Cannon, John w. Taylo1
anu SpOSll6S uSSudlS, III dl ISdSl LIN
first Of which the church organ Of tbs
dominant church refuses to deny tht
marriage and the new polygamous wife
is employed as teacher in a church
academy.
Il. That the very men h inter
preted the manifesto Of 1890 to prohiDi
unlawful Capitalization with prior &C
quired wives, now publicly Justify it:
continuance.
"5. hat most of the same men wine
in a petition for amnesty pledged thei!
sacred honor for the obedience Of, th'
law by their people, are now by ex
ample n precept encouraging tn
commission OF the crime of unlawful
cOhabitation.
sc. AS a further evidence of this baC
faith, We call attention to the fac
that men holding high church offic,
have pied guilty to the crime of an
lawful Capitalization before the STATE
courts without having their churcl
standing affected, even in some case:
having their fine paid by sympathetic
friends.
~. All this is by necessary impliea
tion endorsed by a majority of Utah!
people in the election of Brigham II
Roberts, who, during his campaign fo.
election, was publicly charged will
being a violator Of the laws, as evi
denced by his illegitimate progeny, ana
in spite of these undenied charges h,
was elected by an overwhelming ma.
jority.
THAT Mr.. Roberts himself under
stood hat compact to mean the discon
tinuance of unlawful cohabitation W.
point to his registration oath of 1895
in which he swore it to be his inten,
ton to obey the law prohibiting un
lawful Capitalization.
Signed.-T. C. Iiff, Salt Lake; G.. W
Martin. Manti, Utah; C. NJ. Owen, Sal
Lake: j. NJ. Combs. Brigham City
Utah; A. T. Schroeder. Salt Lake.