The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-08

tion under on pretext or another as
long as it pleases? It may take a week,
a month, or a year to make its inVes-
LEGATIONS for it is authorized to send
for papers and persons, to examine wit
neSSeS and is not even instructed to re-
port at as early a date as possible. 1t
can prOlOng its Investigations for two
years as well as month or a year, if
it so elects, and meantime deny to a
state representation and may defeat al
together the expressed will of a, people
of a state as to their choice of a repre-
sentative.
IF the present Republican house can
thus deprive Utah of her representa-
tiOn, there is no reason why it could not
deny Virginia hers, even though she has
ten representatives for ten representa-
tiVes as easily as one can be turned
away from the bar of the house and one
state as well as another, if a bare ma
jOrity in the house chooses to have it 50
and if the present Republican house
can do this in the case of Utah or Vir-
ginia, there is no reason why the next
Democratic house could not proceed in
like manner with representatives from
Republican states under this unprece-
dented rule of procedure.
g. This new precedent also strikes
down the constitutional guarantee of
right, to one accused of crime, to
speedy and public trial by an impair
tial jury of the state wherein the crime
shall have been committed. The pro-
position is not to deprive me of my
seat in congress by the presentation 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 COM
Inittee of the house, to send for persons
and papers, and witnesses to ascertain
my guilt or innocence of an alleged
miSdemeanOr, reported to have been
committed in Utah. It will be useless
to deny this statement by saying that
in the charge against me which result
ed in the appointment of this extraOr-
n n IT1T ion ion
is said that a transcript of the proceed
ingS of a. court in Utah evidences the
fact that the member from Utah plead
ed guilty to a m1SdeTneanOr in the year
18S9-tWelve years ago and when Utah
was a territory. Whatever political dis
abilities were created by that event
were removed by the sovereign state OF
Utah when. in the adoption of her state
constitution in 1895, she by her sovereign
power declared what should be the
qualifications of her electorate and I
possess them all And this side of the
enabling act and the admission of
Utah am at the defiance of my enc
conviction for crime, or at any time
since the misGemeanor of 1899 and the
house has no right to proceed on other
evidence that such court records.
Il deny the existence of the lawful
power of the house to prevent me from
being sworn in on the presentation Of
the same evidence of prima facie right
upon which others are admitted to
membership.
Z deny the right Of the house Of rep
resentatives to resolve itself into the
justice Of the peace court to try me for
a miSdemeanOr, alleged to have been
committed, in order to find grounds of
expulsion or exclusion from the high
office to which I was elected
I deny its right to confer any such
power upon its committee.
IF I were guilty of the misdemeanor
charged, even hagrantly sO-here in the
capital could not even be arrested
for the Offense 50 slight is it considered
under the law. The constitution gives
the members of congress immunity
from arrest for misderneanors, except
for breach Of the peace, and yet for an
alleged misdemeanOr for which I could
not be arrested while in attendance upon
the house or while going to or from it
am deprived of the right to take the