The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-08
HE MAKES APPEAL.
Brigham h. Roberts Makes q Public
Address to America
REGARDING HIS PECULIAR CASE
Mob Law Has Entered the Precincts Of
, Congress
AND aGHTs INVADED.
Reviews His Po., People
for Moro. mi
SAFEGUARDS OF LIBERTIES THREATENED
Lengthy Statement from the Mem
Keep Him Out OF Congress.

Washington, December brigham II.
Roberts of Utah. who was not permitted
to take the oath as representative in
congress of that State, has issued an ad
dress TO the American people. II contains
much that was said by Mr. RobN.ts N
the floor of the house and by Mr.. Richard
son, who opposed the resolution of Mt.
Taylor tOhio). After reviewing the acts
and proceedings resulting in the ippo.nt-
ment of the committee, he says:
The member from Utah is no. allowed
TO take the oath of his oftlc, and 4 com
mttee is appointed to try him rs TO his
alleged guilt of the offenses charged. Nay,
even more Is granted than asked, at least
more than was asked upon the floor Of IBIS
house. For hostile committee has leen
appointed to inquire into The case. It's
membership Is made up enti;e Y OF hose
who voted to adopt the method Of proLed
ure. Not one man who voted against II
committee; and IL the crel.i)n OF such
tribunal for such a purp ,se be- allowed,
there is no reason why the commit Ice
should not be made up of members of
one political faith-for the r1al,ci.y D'fy
do as it pleases about that. asa the
American people TO stop All think what
this may mean to this country in times
OF high political excitement aal party
strife and passion.
/. A formidable minority In the house
may be reduced either to a very 'nsig-
nifcant minority, or even blottsd out OF
existence.
.. The representation to which state
is entitled on the floor of the house may be
denied to it--as In this Utah case-'for any
length of time this committee may elect
TO deny Il such representation. suppose
that in this case the committee shall sec
proper to proceed with reasonable expe-
dition to consider The questions III
volved, what is there 70 hinder il DELAYING
its action under one pretext or another
as long as it pleases? It may take d "oak,
a month or year TO make its investiga
lions, for it is authorized 10 send fci
papers and persons. to examine witnesses
and is not even instructed to report a.
as early date as possible 1t can FRO
long its investigation for two years as
well as a month OF year If it 50 elects,
ana meantime deny to a State representa-
ton and may defeat altogether the "a
pressed will of a people of State as -
their choice OF representative. II the
republican house can thus deprive Utah
of her representation there Il TO reason
Why it could net deny Virginia hers, even
though she has ten representatives, for
ten representatives, as easily as one. can
be turned away from the har of the house
and one State as well as another II the
bare majority In the mousse chooses 10
have il so. And II the prese 1t republican
house can do this in the case Of Titan or
Virginia, there Is no reason why the next
democratic house could not proceed ir
like manner with republican repreg@n-
tatives under this new and unprecedented
rule of procedure.
8. This new precedent also strikes
down the constitutional guarantee Of right
to one accused of crime. speedy and pub
lie trial by an impartial jury of the State
wherein the crime shall have been com
mitted. The proposition is not to de-
prive me of my seat in congress by the
representation OF records of conviction for
crime before courts before which I have
been found guilty. under the due forms of
law The proposition is to try me before
the committee of the house. TO send for
persons and papers and witnesses TO as
certain my guilt or innocence OF an al
legged misdemeanor, reported TO have been
committed in Utah, 1t Will be useless to
charge against me, which resulted in the
appointment of this extraordinary COM
mittee of investigation. il said that a
transcript of the proceedings of court
in Utah evidences the fact that the mem
Der from Utah pleaded guilty II mis-
demeanor in 1ss9-twelye years ago, and
when Utah was Territory. Whatever
political disabilities were created by that
event were removed by the sovereign
state Of Utah when, in the adoption OF
her State constitution in 1885, she. by her
sovereign power. declared what should be
the qualifications OF her electorate. and
POSSESS them all And this side of the
enabling act and the admission of Utah.
am at the defiance Of my enemies TO pro
duoe any court record OF conviction for
crime. or at any time since the misde-
meanor of 1889, and the house has no right
to proceed on any other evidence than such
court records.
deny the existence OF the lawful power
of the house to prevent me from being
sworn In on the presentation OF the same