Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-08

SAYS lie Is NOT VICIOUS.
IL Able, Gcnticmsniy and Courageous,
aud would Make n Leader - Wis.
Robert. aud Eastern Smpudcnee.

Washington. Dec. 5.-Arthur Me-
Even has a signed article In today's
Philadelphia American. says q Herald
special. In which he tells Of an inter-
view he had with Congressman Roberts.
II r. said here that the statements
made by MIR. Roberts In the Interview
viii be used as a basis by the Taylcr
Investigating committee. Mr.. Me
Evans article says.
Roberts talks even better In private
than In public. lie Ia easy. earnest
and unaffected. Were he not a Nor
mon. nobody would question that he Is
u gentleman. and were II possible for
him to remain In the House. his brains
would soon place him among the lead
cra Of his party. which Is very much
In want OF leaders. He does not deceive
himself about his chances and IL scrc
To the soul. not because OF baked am-
billion, apparently. but from a sense Of
Outrage.
II can understand the sentiment that
has been aroused against me-" he said.
AS Mormon have had w much OK
| pcrloncc that new manifestations do
| not take me unnwurca. l can put my
self In the place Ut tho sincere people
who cry out against me, but seldom
nnd anybody who can put himself In
my place, or who viii even try to do
that"
on being told that the courage and
ability with which he faced the House
on Tuesday had won him respect.
Roberts smiled a rather sad smile and
said:
HE rs USED TO BEING DATED.
~ am accustomed to being batcd. YOU
know. From my childhood have been
used to the obloduy and hatred that
pursue one who protested an unpopu-
lar faith. so little time was given me
and ] had To leave unEaid so many
things that wanted To say aud
should be said. that have no very
clear idea OF what ! did say. was
confused with the unsaid things.
"i-thore he olenched his hand and
rmotc the desk n soft blow, while his
eyes fired upl-I would sign bond to
give ten years Of my life II this House
would grant me two hours In which to
Address 1.-two uninterrupted hours.
but. Of course, that's not To be hoped
for. II would require unanimous con-
sent"
or his wives and children Roberts
Hald You must place yourself where
We arc In order to comprehend. From
my earliest days I was taught the
tightfulness OF plural marriage. That
was part OF my religion. Nobody ever
tried To untcnch me. Many mission
aries have come to Utah. ministers OF
various forms of religion. but no one
ever sat down with me and In a Chris
tian spirit sought to convince me that
| was wrong.
ABUSE FOR ARGUMENT.
Argument or persuasion was rot In
their method, but Pronunciation and APP
peals 10 the law to apply force. As the
editor of a magazine. l invited clergy
men OF other denominations to show
W our errors II they could. but there
was no response. We are not to be
converted, but suppressed. II we mis-
took all this for persecution. I hardly
think We are to be greatly blamed.
"a seat In Congress does not mean
much for me, personally. though I viii
do my duty In asserting and demand
Ing recognition OF the rights ~ my
state, but my tlcs and obligations as
an honorable man mean everything,
Whatever sacrifice may be required
VIII be met now as before.
1T II demanded that | shall put away
my wives. Consider that these wo-
men came to mo In the bloom OF their
youth, They were moved largely by
religious feeling, MS I was. They have
been mine and theirs through these
years. Their life and my life have been
one. I have done what could to pro-
tect them from the storms that have
ovcrtnken US.
when Congress made II crime for
M TO live the lifo our Church made
right, they We're branded with ahnma,
IA far ms the law could do n. Men went
20 jail FOR the sake of their wives and
children In Utah. could have stood
IFl "a - saga nod annNffaflaft la Ia.
| ohoscn. But I preferred TO spare
these women all the publicity. all the
court inquiry that Il was In my power
to spare them. So ! ended matters by
pleading guilty.
HE SPEAKS or HIS WIVES.
These women have stood by me-
They are good and true women. The
law has said I shall part from them
My Church has bowed TO the command
Of Congress and rolnqulnhod the pruc-
tlce OF plural marriage. hut the law
cannot free me from obligations as
aumed before Il spoke. No power can
DO that. Even were the Church that
sanctioned these marriages and per-
formed the ceremonies to turn Its back
upon us ana say the marriages are not
valid now and that ! must give these
damned n | would"
That might have been either tho cx-
preston OF religious conviction as 10
consequences IN the noxt world, or
merely swearing. ! think II was swear
Ing. and quite In the fashion OF con-
grosHmon who ara strictly homogeneous
In their Views, Anyway Il was rcno-
lutte and from the face Of the serious
man who snapped II out. | should say
that you might apply thumb-acrcws To
MIR. Roberts. or treat him to the taste
OF the rack without changing his mind. |
TEARS GATHERED IN ROBERTS
EYES.
There were tears In his eyes when ne !
spoke OF the goodness and loyalty Of ]
his wives. II was after the manner of |
one dwelling on the bride of his youth, |
the mother Of his sons und daughters. |
the companion Of his manhood, the |
sharcr " HIS struggles and the depend !
cnt partner Of life's decline.
II moved me. quite forgot the plural |
number, and respected devotion |
which always ought 10. but seldom |
does. mark the husband who mnrrles |
early. has reached the age OF 30 and is
still n young man.
Whatever else he may be, this Nor