The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-11

''His plea that physical disabilities under
federal law have been wiped out by
State is altogether untenable. The enabling
act, which authorizes statehood granted
no such power. His denial of any lawful
power in the House TO prevent him taking
the oath assumes that the House cannot
take cognizance OF any fact beyond the
prima facie showing of his papers. Can
Mr.. Roberts imagine no case where Con-
gress would have to protect itself? When
he pleads immunity from arrest in Wash
ington, even if guilty, he sould again be
reminded that in his case Congress is in
vestigating him on matter of character
and not with view Of turning him over TO
the courts. Moreover, the Edmunds-Tuck-
er law is in full force in Washington, and
under il the misdemeanor which he dis
cusSeS is felony.
His assertion that there is just now
against the Mormons wave of popular
sentiment is untrue. If there is excitement
and distrust il is due TO him and his
friends. Judge King, and before him, Hon.
John I. Caine were undisturbed In or out
of Congress. Hon. Frank Cannon served
his term out in the United States Senate
altogether without reproach. and all were
Mormons.
1T is true that his nomination was de-
fiance alike TO the State and the Nation.
and it 5 true that some of the very highest
Mormon officials have taken new polyga-
nous wives since the enabling act was
granted; IL is true that Roberts had for
three years been dropped from the rolls OF
the Democratic party and was picked and
nominated solely because of his official
place in the church and because .le was
defiant polygamist. When he says: The
only thing chargeable to some few men of
the State of Utah is that they have not de-
serted the plural wives they married years
ago, he wilfully ISLANDERS generous
people.
LAS to the time previous to the settlement
of the poylgamy question between the gov
ernment and the State of Utah. 1t may be
proper to state that Roberts was born
March Is, 1857 that the Cullom bill was
passed July i, 1862; that IL was affirmed by
the United States Supreme Court Jan. o,
1879, when Roberts was only twenty-five
years old and before he entered into polyg-
amy. He was fully informed that he was
breaking the law-he was glad of 1t. He
was arrested for the crime OF unlawful CO.
| habitation Dec. 2. 1886. He forfeited his
| bond and went to England. He returned
| and on May ], 1899, pleaded guilty and was
| sentences to a fine of 500 and imprison-
| ment for four months. In 1895 he took the
| full oath, to obey the laws. In the mean
| time he had added another plural wife
| to his possession.
His plea that 1T is a Mormon who is the
| object Of the peculiar clamor of to-day,
| may ii not be the Catholic or the Methodist
| or the Free Thinker tomorrow may be
answered by saying, probably yes, If they
| involve themselves in the same way His
| final conclusion that Justice will triumph
| is probably conviction that this. more
than anything else, troubles him at the
present time
When asked about the RawlinS reSolu-
| tions, Judge Goodwin said: Regarding the
Rawlins resolutions Congress and the
country should not be deceived. If the
resolutions are amended so as not to carry
| an implication against the President,
and If the president of the Senate will ap-
point some other senator rather than
| Senator Rawlins as chairman of the COM
| mittee to have the hearing here with open
doors, the committee will be most heartily
welcomed. And it will be shown that every
guaranty was given that poygamy should
cease in Utah, both the marrying of new
wives and living with old ones; that this
was affirmed by the president of the domi-
nant church under oath; by one Of his
counseors. Joseph F. Smith; by Apostle,
| now President Snow, by the petition for
| amnesty; by every outward evidence Of
sincerity. Further, that it was fully un-
derstood as made clear by the act of the
| first State Legislature which legitimatized
| polygamous children born up 60 a certain
date. Further, it will be shown that sew
eral Of the very highest officers of the DOM
| inant church have taken new polygamous
| wives and that the State is being filled
with children born of polygamous parents.
Rawlins does not want any commission
sent here; his resolutions were but diver
sion put out in the hope Of helping Rob-
| erts."