Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-05
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| fining butter and regulating the sale of
oleomargarine.
By Mr.. Finn, for free homesteads in
Oklahoma.
The first joint resolution was by Mr..
Capron Comm, for constitutional
amendment against admitting polyga.
mists tocongress.
Among the other measures in the day S
deluge of bills are those giving to states
the custody of accoutrements of Philip
pine volunteers; amending the pension
laws; providing for the election of sena-
tors by the people; for constitutional
amendment allowing the president to
negotiate treaties of peace terminating
a war; giving to veterans of the Spanish
war the same rights under the civil SER
vice as are enjoyed by veterans of the
Civil war.
The principal interest centered in the
case of Mr.. Roberts, the Mormon rep
resentativo from Utah. Those who an
ticipated a sensational denouemenJ
were disappointed. The program
outlined by the Republican leaders at
their conference on Friday night was
partially carried out. The objection to
the administration of the oath to Mr..
Roberts was entered by Mr.. Taylor, of
Ohio, as predicted, and he stepped aside
without protest except to ask if by so
doing he waived any of his rights. To
this the Speaker responded in the mega
tive.
There was not protest from any
quarter against the objection to the ad-
ministration of the oath to Mr.. Roberts.
But, on the contrary, the only voice
raised except that of Mr.. Taylor's, was
that of Mr.. McRae, Democrat, of Ar.
kansas. who joined with Mr., Taylor in
his protest. MIR. Taylor offered his res
olution to refer the case to special
committee, but by mutual arrangement
the consideration of the resolution was
postponed until to-day.
Although Mr.. Roberts was not sworn
in, he secured a seat. This, however,
was an accident pure and simple. In
the seat drawing lottery no provision
had been, made for Mr.. Roberts, but
when the drawing was completed, two
others as well as himself had not been
provided with seats and the speaker
asked and secured from the house gen.
eral permission for those members
who had not drawn seats to make
such selections as they could. Under
this authority, Mr.. Roberts got seat in
an obscure portion of the hall. His
daughter sat in the gallery and watched
the proceedings from beginning to end.
The election of Speaker Henderson and
his induction into Office, the appoint
ment of the usual committees to wait
upon the president, the seat drawing
contest, with the usual amusing features,
went off without hitch. The only
feature out of the ordinary was the
adoption of the Reed rules for the pres
ent congress. The Democrats knew it
was futile to more than protest against
the adoption of these rules after
the Republicans had decided upon this
course in caucus, and the debate upon
the resolution to adopt them was very
brief. They were adopted by a strict
party vote, sEaax
Mr.. Taylor, in obiecting to the sealing
of Roberts, said:
81 object to the swearing in of the
representative-elect from Utah and to
his taking his seat.
81 do SO, Mr.. Speaker, on my RESPONSE
bility as a member of this house and be-
cause specific, serious and apparently
well grounded charges of ineligibility
are made against him. A transcript of
the proceedings of court in Utah evi-
dences the fact that the claimant was
In 1889 convicted, or that he pleaded
guilty, of the crime of unlawful cohab-
itation. Affidavits and other papers in
my possession indicate that ever since
then he has been persistently guilty of
the same crime, and that ever since
then he has been and is now polyga-
mist.
In this transcript and these affidavits
and papers tell the truth, the member
elect from Utah is, in my Judgment. in
eligible to be member of the house of
representatives, both because of the
statutory disquaificat of the Ed
munds law, and for higher and graver
and quite as sound reasons. I ought to
say, in addition to what have just said
that have in my possession certified
copy of the entry under which the
claimant to this seat was naturalized
and that eminent counsel assert that if
this be the record in the case this claim
ant is not a citizen of the United
States. offer and express no opinion
upon that proposition.
'.Mr. Speaker. if it were possible to
emphasize the gravity of these charges
and the responsibility that is at this
moment imposed upon this house, we
will find that emphasis in the memori-
ais, a small part of which could be ply
sically cared for in this hall, but all of
over 100000 Amelesan men and
women protesting against the entrance
Of this representative-electf from Utah"
In his speech Mr.. McRae (Dem., Ark.)
brify expressed his concurrence in the
protest of Mr., Tayler. If the charges
hanging over the head of the representa-
tive-elect from Utah were true, he said,
his being sworn in would be an assault
upon every American home. If true,
Mr. Roberts was guilty of a violation of
the laws of the United States and OF
Utah, and the charges should be inves-
tigated. If they were proven true. he
said emphatically in conclusion, there
should not be vote in the house in
favor of allowing him seat in thi
body.
The resolutions were not offered un
til after Mr.. Roberts had stood aside
and the remaining members DreSept