The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-12
ACTION OF CONGRESS
CRITICISED AS UNJUST AND UN-
CONSTITUTIONAL.
Discussion at the Springville Meet
ing Was Confined to the Consti-
tutional Question Involved-Reso-
lutions Voice a Protest Against
the Methods Employed.
Special to The Herald.)

meeting of Democrats held here tonight
| to discuss and take action on the Rob-
erts case Many women and few Re
publicans were present
The discussion and the resolutions
adopted were confined to the conSntu-
tional rights of Mr.. Roberts and the
action of congress in "sandbagginS
the Utah representative without
hearing was vigorously denounced. The
sentiment was unanimous that the
course pursued was unconstitutional
and unjust. the only dissenting view
| coming from a Republican who wanted
to speak against Roberts.
Resolutions Adopted.
The resolutions, which were intro
duced by S. r. Thurman of Provo, were
as follows:
Whereas. It is our desire as citi-
zens of the United States and OF the
state of Utah to uphold and maintain
the integrity, honor, rightful functions,
privileges and authority of both the
| federal and state governments, in or
der that the blessings of free govern
ment may be perpetuated and pre-
served; and
! Whereas, 1t is constitutional right
and privilege of citizens of sovereign
state to be represented in the congress
| of the United States by representatives
of their own selection, having the quail
! ifications prescribed by the constitution
of the United States; and
Whereas. The state of Utah is a SOW
ereign state, and as such is entitled to
representation in the house of repre-
sentatives of the United States, in order
that the rights of the states and the
people thereof may be preserved and
maintained; and
Whereas, The Hon. B.. H. Roberts
was duly elected at the last congress-
4 Tot
of the people of Utah in the congress
of the United States, and has the quail
| fications prescribed and required by
| the national constitution for the office
to which he was elected by the people;
and
Whereas, His election was duly GER
| titled to in the manner provided by law
and his name placed on the roll of.
members of the house of representa-
/ tives and by all the just and proper
presidents in such cases. both. under
| the rules and enactments of the house
and provisions of the. constitution, he
was entitled to be sworn in as a mem
\ Der and to take his seat in the house
of representa- tives; and
s'Whereas. The house of representa-
| tives, at the beginning of the present
| session of congress- to-wit, on the Ind
day of the present month. by arbitrary,
unjust and unconstitutional methods,
TeIuS6u 10 DcIIuIl SdlQ ID L. iNOOCi -,
our representative as aforesaid. to be
sworn in as a member or to take his
seat as such, as representative from
this state; and
Whereas, There was no candidate
claiming or contesting his right, and
the act of said house in refusing tot
admit him as a member thereof under
the circumstances was arbitrary, I'M
constitutional and revolutionary, and
was a menace to the perpetulty OF the
Union itself; and
Whereas, Under the rules of the
house. provisions of the constitution
and precedents aforesaid, the people
of Utah had no reason to expect that
the house of representatives would deny
them a representation in congress, at
least until legal objection to the quail
fications of their representative were
judicially ascertained and determined;
and
Whereas, AS American citizens, as
citizens of the state of Utah, we be-
lieve it be not only our privilege, but
our patriotic duty to solemnly and ear
nestly protest at this, the earliest prac-
ticable moment, against this destruc-
tive and unprecedented innovation upon
the rights of the people of this state; |
therefore,
Violated the Constitution.
Resolved, That the action of the
house of representatives of the United-i
States congress in refusing TO permit
the Hon. B. H. Roberts. our duly elected
representative, to take his seat in that !
body as a representative from this
state was arbitrary and without au-
thority of law and in violation of the
constitution of the United States. which
provides that states may be repre- i
scented in congress by representatives
duly elected by the people thereof.
hot fboi
house of representatives in proceeding
as it did to deprive this state of repre-
sentation without judicial inquiry into
the merits of the question, is revolu- |
tionary in the extreme and serious
menace to the rights of every state in |
the Union and dangerous to the liber- |
ties of the people.
..Third-That in a free government
like that of the United States there is |
no place for the exercise of arbitrary |
power but every department of the
government is controlled by law and
should and must strictly and conscien-
tiously conform thereto in order to per-
petuate the ends and objects for which
such government was established.
..Fourth-That independent of law
and without regard to the question
whether or not Hon. B. H. Roberts is |
or has been guilty of some crime
against the state of Utah or the United
zens of Utah we do most earnestly and
solemnly protest against the revolution
airy methods adopted by the house of
representatives by which he was pre-
vented from taking his seat, thus de-
priving the people of this state of rep
resentation in congress without first
having established his guilt by judicial
investigation"
Expression of Opinions.
As soon as the call had been read.
signed by prominent residents and pub
lie officials of Springville, Mayor Hall,
chairman and chief promoter Of the |
meeting, expressed hin. self. He felt |
that an outrage was being perpetrated |
upon the state, and that the duty of |
not only the Democratic party. but of /
the whole people was to stand behind |
Roberts.
John s. Boyer followed Mayor Hall. |
characterizing the action of the house
as un-American.
State Representative w. NJ. Roylance
said: IF Roberts is guilty of misde-
meancr, do not believe he is entitled
to a seat. but, like the others. l pro-
test against such summary action No
d. q