Evening star., 1899-12-04
ENTERS A PROTEST
Mass Meeting Opposes Seating Of
Representative Roberts.
The SPEAKERS CONDEMN POLYGAMY
Extracts Bearing Upon the Alleged
Mormon Revelations.
SOLU TION OF PROBLEM

\ mass meeting to consider the case of
r. epresentative-elect Roberts of Utah was
held yesterday afternoon at the First Con-
gregational Church. The large auditorium
and galleries and every available spot of
standing room were occupied. The eXer-
ciSss were opened with a voluntary on the
organ by Miss Alice NJ. Kimball.
At the conclusion of the voluntary Rev.
Or. ). Nj. Newman requested that the au-
dience sing a part of the hymn. beginning:
Come Thou Almighty King" which was
done. \ selection of Scripture was read by
| Rev. DIR. J. G.rButler The selection COM
Frised that portion of the book of Exodus
which contained the Ten Commandments,
following which prayer was offered by Rev.
DR.. Wishard.
Letters of regret at inability to be pres
ent and expressing sympathy with the OBJ
JeCts of the meeting were read from Rev.
DR. Hamlin of the Church of the Covenant.
Rev. DIR. Wallace Radcliffe Of the New
York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Rev.
Or. 5. II. Greene of Calvary Baptist Church
ard Bishop Satterlee of the diocese of
Washington, following which Rev. Dr. JO-
siah Strong of New York was introduced
the presiding officer of the occasion.
Here TO Protest.
DIR. Strong said. in part: I'VE are here to
protest against a lawbreaker taking his
place among the lawmakers of the country.
He and his friends very willing to have
the country think that the opposition to
Mr.. Roberts arises from sectarianism. We
are here not as republicans democrats,
not members of denominations, but as
Methodists. fresbyterians, Episcopalians
and others, all united i'll maintaining the
saUcIity of the home.
1t is impossible he said TO strike at
Mormon politics without striking at the
Mormon religion. In Utah the Mormon
church and the state are identical. We op-
pose Mormonism because its practices tend
to uprOOt the affairs of the nation.
Instead of wishing that these pOlyg-
amists throw their plural wives and Illegal
children aside We wish it was in our power
TO compel them to support the women they
have wrOnged and the children they have
branded with infamy."
Dr.. Strong asserted that it practical
ly settled that Mr. Roberts would not .he
pt rmitted to sit in the House of Repre-
sentatives. About the only question in the
matter that Of the size of the vote
But what was wanted was an amendment
to the Constitution of the United States by
which polygamy will be made Il crime
against the nation. and this il was intended
To secure, If possible.
DIR. Mckim's Views.
Rev DR.. R. H McKim. rector of the
Church Of the Epiphany, said one of the
most important questions before the nation
today was. Shall d convicted felon stand
in the Capitol and assist in making the laws
for the country? A second question was,
Shall not Utah be deprived of its repre-
sentatiOu in Congress because she has sent
a fragrant YiOlatOr Of the law to represent
her in the House of Representa- We
oppose MOrmoniSm, he said, because it is
a system which threatens liberties and
menaces our homes. In the discussion of
Mormonism there shall be no republicans
or democrats-aH should be patriots. Mr.
ha mics nf he
purity of wOmanhood and the sanctity of
the home. Mormonism aims to hold the
balance OF power in the states west of the
Rocky mountains and the question is, Shall
they be stopped now or be permitted to go
on until they shall be able to hold the bal
ance OF power in the electoral college and
the system becomes very upas tree in
Rev. DR.. Frank NJ. Bristol of Metropoli-
tan NJ. Z. Church. in part. said: We are
not opposed to the singularity of the Nor
mons religion, but to the plurality of his
wives. We are here to challenge the en-
croachments of Mormonism upon the very
government itself and to prevent It from
spreading its poisonous breath upon the
land. For thirty-siX years pU,Ygamy has
been crime, and 1t has been defended in
the very halls OF Congress. 1t has been
said that polygamy is dead: polygamy is
living. Roberts is not only a polygamist
but he glorieS in 1t, and If he is admitted
to Congress 1t will soon be found thai
p0lygamy IS not only alive, but kissing and
biting.
The glory OF the American nation, it has
been said, is our country's wornanhood,
and If our glory as a people Is to be maiJ,-
tained the purity of our womanhood must
be main aimed"
Mrs. Sarah ]. Elliott. who for seven years
labored as deaconess Of the Episcopal
church in Utah, said in part: Many of
the Mormon women are just as honest in
their belief as are the women Of this part
Of the country. They are Just as good
mothers. Not long ago. she said she visit
ed a home where there We're plural wives
and one Of them told her what a beautiful
tnIng plural marriages are. You women.
SAID the plural wife. marry the man you
lpEe; we marry man because it Is our
duty Continuing. the woman visited said
sne would not want to be the single wife
of one man, because she would be bored o
have man around all the time Her hus-
band. she said, visited her once month,
she entertained him the best sha could and
then dismissed him for 4 month.
Women Favor PoIygamy.
The Mormon women are not opposed to
polygamy. and there is no use to try to get
them to abandon It. The only hope in eff
lectIng reform is through the children 1t
often happens that a man marries d mother
and daughter, or two or three sisters. There
are. however, instances in which women
have gone insane when their husband took
IL second wife
Continuing. Mrs. Elliott said the chill
cren are willing to learn anything and
her experience had taught her that mis-
sion schools wherever planted in Utah have
done great good. Mormon women are not
ar ignorant lot of people; they read a
great deal Some people have asked why
O." not these women leave the polygamous
husbands. 1t would not be an easy thing
Tor a woman to DO this. II she did she
would have to leave her children to her
husband. He is the god who Is to take
them into heaven. She made an earnest
appeal that work be done toward reaching
the children of Mormon parents, and de-
cIared her belief that the education of the
children along high moral lines was the
only solution of the Mormon problem
Dr. Strong explained that Mrs Elliott
was as much opposed to polygamy as any
one. but she had spoken in the strain she
had because of her great love for the Nor
me n mothers and children.
MIR. A. t. SChroedeG. a lawyer of Salt
Lake City, said in part: "The question Of
the admission of Mr.. Roberts was not one
OF politics. but one of decency The fight
Is not one against Roberts, but against the
ln;qultous system he represents In Utah
20 per cent Of the people are Mormons and
OF course control legislation In Idaho and
Wyoming they hold the balance of power
ana they have in both states been able to
tie up the legislature az each until a mos
SCuCer from Salt Lake reached the ca,ito1