The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-18
THE ROBERTS CASE.
Editor of The Tribune.

Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Would you please kindly insert this
letter in Il prominent place in your valu-
able paper so as to correct certain false
rumors which arc atloat in regard to the
Roberts case, which will come before the
next session Of congress? Also please pub
lish the accompanying letter from the
Salt Lake Ministerial association.
o
/. 1t is frequently stated in the public
prints that the hight which is being made
against Mr.. Roberts is prompted by par
tisan motives. The utter falsity of this
charge becomes apparent when we re-
member that his predecessors belonged to
the same political party that Mr.. Roberts
does, and that no Fight was ever made
to have him expelled from the house.
Such thing was rot even thought of in
connection with Air. King.
Moreover, the present political condi-
tiOnS in this state clearly indicate that,
If Mr.. Roberts is expelled, the man who
is elected to fill the vacancy will also be
a member Of the same party. Hence,
neither party has anything to gain or to
lose in numerical strength in the present
House by the expulsion of Mr. RobiNAs;
but both would gain in prestige before
| the country and before the whole civilized
world by doing their full part in promptly
vindicating the historic position of the
American congress in it's attitude toward
pOlygamy, the arch-encmy of the homo
and the greatest foe to our civilization.
The non-partisanship of this movement
| is further evidenced by the fact that a
/ large percentage, II not the majority, of
/ its staunChcst supporters belong to the
/ Democratic party to which Mr.. Roberts
| processes to belong. These men strongly
resent the insult offered to the party of
] I.rf.t 4 To-.
| that it shall become the champion of the
| pOlygamist; ana well they may, for as
| every intelligent person knows, there is
/ nothing in this country which Is more
| ant-demOCratic, or anti-rcpubliCan than
! a polygamOus aristoCTacy, such as Mr.
| Roberts is seeking to have established
| upon our American soil.
2. Again, it is frequently stated that
we are lighting Mr.. Roberts because he il
a Mormon, that our campaign is there
| fore species Of religious persecution.
The falsity of this charge is evident from
the fact that Mr. King, Mr.. Roberts pre-
decessor, was also a Mormon and a high
officer in the said church, the same as
Mr., Roberts, though no fight of this kind
was ever made upon him because he
respected the laws and the covenants
made by his people in order 10 secure
amnesty and statehood.
o
| g. Then the apolOgists Of Mr. Roberts IN
various parts of the country are still in.
dustriOusly asserting that he married ali
his "wives" before there was any law
against polygamy, and they therefore
maintain that il Is too much to expect a
man to put away "wives" whom he mar.
ried before II was unlawful for him tc
| do so. This is Just as false as the Other
statements referred to, Mr. Roberts mar.
ried all his "plural wives long after the
law against polygamy had gone into eff,
feet; and he married each of them ir
willful defiance of the laws Of his coun
try as well as In defiance of abe mora
conscience of civilized mankind.
| 4, Again II is persistently claimed by
Mr.. Roberts jealous but ignorant cham
pions that he has obGyed tho laws agains
polygamy and 'unlawful cshabltation'
ever since the manifesto of Presiden
Woodruff. of the Mormon church. b,