The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-09
MORMON ROBERTS.
Utah Citizens Reply to
His Appeal.
show That He Persists in Defying
The Law.
Is a Felon by the Laws
of Utah.
PolygamOus Practices Persisted
In by Mormon Leaders.

10 Mr.. Brigta an, Roberts's address to the
American people was issued today BY
delegation representing ths GENTLE eie-
ment of Utah, who are here to oppose Mr..
X )bsrts. The answer In part Is rs fol.
lows:
MIR. Roperts claims that the precedent
made by his exclusion IL both now and
dangerous. That it is not new was
shown by Mr.. Tayl,r of Ohio, in his able
argument before the Honss and rot
single precedent to the contrary wa'
cited where the ground OF objection vas
ineligibility. Neither is the precedent
dangerous. Whenever ''prima facie"
case Ia made against a members citizen.
ship by showing that under conviction
of felony a a'nst the laws of the United
States, he IL d s'rauohised and further.
that by reason of his present II a 'ntenance
T the status of polygsmist, he 8 ngain
suffering frcm civil diiabili y under the
Edmunus anti -polyzamy act. such mem
Der refusing even to deny the charge
should bs excluded.
Nor Is this dangerous; fer 1t Is not
likely, w hObcit' ScC'NH w eoo"thNt
that an entire deief a,ion Of all represen-
tativss of large siair, are coming to
Congress aging such burden.
MIR. Robsrts-s contention that no evil
dence of his guilt IA, be received ex-
oept a judiciai record Of his convict!Gn
IN Utah. as q IN after OF law. Is erroneous,
prac'ics, dangerous
sls,d his all powerful
: Sy.sNsDt such conviction IL
aeat worth while.
SErts claims that whatever wers
I1fs civii disal ilities before statehood. they
were removed by the adoption OF the state
constitution.
II al tn, time OF Tbs passage OF the en-
ablipg at Mr.. Roberts vas. as he seems
In his appeal to Aumit, disfran c iised ty
act of Congress and, therefore, not n full
citizen Of the United States, a. by the
Constitution. he must be. to become q
meinb of Congress, then he 10 still In
the same condition because the constitn-
ton of Utah could not restore him TO fed
eraI citizenship, and the enabling act cid
not do 1t. The enabling act CT Utah re-
quired citizenship of the United States IS
a qualification for voting and did not
oonfar that oitizsnfhip upon tn oss then
not such cit.zsns.
MIR. Roberts Gays he haI not been CON-
yictsd since statehood. 1t does not fol-
low that he is innocent. He Is now a
fugitive from justice in Salt Lake coun-
ty on charge OF unlawful cohabitstion
and In LAWS county, Utah, where resides
one of his po;ylamous wives with her
illegimate twins. born August il, 1887,
a charge of adultery Ia felony under the
laws of Utah), has been for two months
pigeon. h oled by a Mormon prosecuting
attorney
Mr.. Roberts Insists tia. he Is only
charged with misiemeanor. He knows
better. He knows that he has been
charged with the felony Of adultery as
we'll as the Disdem6aror of unlawful
cohabitstlon. He asserts that In 1889.
he pleaded guilty to mis1emeanor only
and also says TIA. II hs were guilty Of
the same acts in the District VI Column
bia. "Even 1agrantiy so" as member
of Congress, be could not be arrested
therefor because 1t 10 only misde
meaner. Here again MIR. Roberts states
what is not true Unlawful eohabita-
ton under the Edmunds act, under which
no pltaied guilty, was felony. as also
is adultery, with which MIR. Roberts is
charged in Davis county, Utah. In the
District of Columbia both unlawful CO.
hAbitation and adultery ars felonies.
Many sentimental people are being mis-
led by Mr.. Robsrts's very ingenious sug-
sestions, \ from " hioh some people infer
Il at he took his polygamous wives when
IL was lawful to do so. This 10 "a mistake.
Adultery was crime in Utah when
Mr.. Roberts was born and at the time OF
the passage Of the Cullom anii-polygnmy
act. MIR. Roberts was only six years old.
His plea for sympathy therefore amounts
to this:
That he should be- allowed TO continue
his GRIMM nal practices Notwithstanding
he took his polygamous wives In defiance
of law. We demand that he should sup
port his families. but also demand ttat
he snail cease the begetiing Of further
illegitimate offspring.
Ex-Oongressman W. H. King, was and
is Mormon, and no claim Of insligibili-
ty was ever made against him. We point
to this fact as showing that We Oppose
MIR. Roberts not upon the ground of any
religious opinions entertained by him,
out because OF his criminal practices
Neither 10 this a matter OF religious or
political persecution or prejudice. The
undersigned include men OF different
churches and men who belong to nj
church. those VINO are Republicans sne
those who arc Democrats.
Mir. Roberts denies and we assert thai
the compact between Utah and tue othe'
states has been Violated. The compact
WAS evidenced by many public acts. AL