The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-12
THE ROBERTS PoLYGAMY CASE.

THE ROBERTS POLYGAMY CASE.
No case concerning the sitting OF a
member of Congress in the House OF
Representatives has ever won so much
attention as that of Mr.. Roberts OF
Utah. The constitution makes eacn
House the judge of the qualifications OF
it's members, and either House may ex-
pei a member by two-thirds vote
Against the admission of Roberts there
is to be presented the largest protest
ever sent to legislative body. 1t is
estimated that it will be several miles
in length, and that it will contain
million names
The objection to Roberts is that he
is a polygamist; that he refuses to
abandon polygamy and breaches that
only through it's practice can man ex-
pect to obtain a seat at the foot OF the
great white throne. That he has been
convicted of his offense and was Or
dered fined and imprisoned. That he
seved his term, but has not paid his
fine That it is indecent and an insult
to the nation for a Representative from
Utah who is polygamist to sit In the
House of Representatives when Con-
gress admitted Utah to the sisterhood
of States upon the express condition
that polygamy should be abandoned
and it's practice made criminal.
Roberts on his own behalf has this,
in substance, to say in defense. I was
elected by the people of my district
who were fully aware of what was.
You have no right to rise superior to
their judgment and deny them repre-
sentation in the Congress of the United
States. AS to the charge Of polygamy.
1 married my three wives before the
anti-polygamy law went into effect. l
cannot in honor abandon them now.
Should 1 do so l would be worthy the
contempt of all men, and the very peo-
pie now denouncing me would then
fay me the more. 1t would be as much
cruelty to abandon either of my wives
as it would be for a monagomist to
one loving wife.
This is a strong plea, but answer is
made to it by a dozen or more bodies
which are principals in the remarkable
crusade against the Utah Congressman
1t is replied that If 1t is true that he
married before the anti-polygamy law
went into effect, 1t is not true that he
married all his wives before the law
don them to want and suffering since
he is able to support them properly and
still cease to violate the Jaw. and may
cling to his first wife, who is the only
lawful wife he has. That he is in
sincere in his declaration and is really
a polygamist in belief and still breaches
it, because, as late as the spring of last
year he wrote to and had printed in a
Mormon newspaper these words: 1T ap-
pears to the writer that modern Chris
tians must either learn to tolerate po-
lygamy or give up forever the glorious
hope of resting in Abraham's bosom"
The opponents of Roberts cite in con-
tradistinction to such utterance the
declaration of President Woodruff of the
Mormon Church, made when Utah was
asking admission into the Union, when
he said that if the laws of Congress
prohibited plural marriages, and such
laws were upheld by the courts, he
would submit to such laws" and use
his utmost power with members of the
church ito have them do likewise"
That head of the church is also quoted
as saying in an article prepared for the
very purpose of securing Statehood to
Utah: There is nothing in my teach
associates during the time specified
after the passage of the law-"which
can be reasonably construed to incul-
cate or encourage polygamy."
There is unquestionably very deep
feeling and powerfully aroused senti-
ment against Roberts sitting in the
American Congress. 1t is stirring the
people far more than is generally sup
posed While women for the most part
are pushing the agitation, it is seconded
and promoted also by churches and in
dividuals. by men who are recognized
leaders of thought, and by host of
Christian people who have made the
matter excuse for a sort of crusade
which is being pushed forward with
enormous output of energy.
1t is not likely that the House of
Representatives will turn a deaf ear to