Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-06

issued. But higher than the civil law
was law of civilization which de-
manded that one SO tainted should be
excluded.
In all his investigation and study of
precedents Mr.. Taylor said, he had
failed to find a single case where the
House had hesitated to assert upon
proper occasion it's right to halt mem
Der at the bar when his qualifications
for seat were questioned.
1--WE are told,' said Mr.. Taylor, in
conclusion, his voice ringing out clear
ly, that we are about to create an
unhappy precedent. Why, Mr.. Speak
er, we are doing this in. the open gaze
of the whole world, not in a clustered
i Court. We are the servants of the
| people empowered to do the right as
we see it. The public eye is upon us,
the public conscience quickens us. In
that presence we can do no wrong II
we do but obey it,
Mr. Taylor's concluding words were
| greeted with storm of applause both
, from the floor and the galleries. Few
Democrats however, joined in the APP
| plause.
|
| followed Mr.. Taylor. He did not in
| tend, he said, to discuss the merits OF
! the case The question in issue was as
| to whether the representaitve-elect ROD
| erts, had a prima facie right to mis- seat.
| He was not willing to eject represen-
| tative-elect who appeared at the bar Oh
! the House with his credentials In due
| form. Ii he was denied admission
precedent would be created which
| would rise to plague the House in years
to come. The only constitutional OBJ
| lection raised against the member-elect
! related to his naturalization and that
Mr.. Roberts asserted would not hold
| He defed the other side to produce a
! single precedent where objection was
| raisd to the administration Of the cath,
| except on constitutional grounds. The
| presidents cited were made during the
war and were not to be relied upon
In those days the constitution was writ
| ten with the sword. They had all been
| since overruled, after the passions that
| followed the war had subsidized. Mr.
| Richardson declared that the minority
was in nowise bound by his position.
He spoke for himself alone. He was
| willing to say that il the charges
against the member-elect were proven
| he should favor his expulsion. eff
there is one thing the American people
are unit upon" said he, at is that
| the American home shall be preserved
| in all its loneliness, sweetness and pur-
| ity. (Applause).
But" he pre- ceeded, sit is not wise
to permit our judgment to be warped
by public clamor. To do so amounted
to condemnation without trial. Mr..
Richardson then brought forward sew
eral precedents In support of his posi-
ton. The first was the case Of George
O. Cannon, who appeared in the House
as delegate-elect from Utah in 1873.
Mr.. Cannon was Republican. AL
most identicallv the same charges
now being made against Mr.. Roberts
were made against Mr. Cannon. He
read from the speeches Of S. S. Cox,
Of New York, and other prominent
Democrats opposing denying a seat
| to Mr.. Cannon ON the ground that It
would establish dangerous precedent
| and produce chaos in the future Those
/ Democrats" said he, rose above party
| prejudice and stood by the constitution
and the right" Democratic applause)
He also quoted the late President
James A. Garfield in support of his
| contention that where the credentials
| presented are regular In form, there is
no power in the House to exclude him.
MIR. Richardson read the words of Mr..
| Garfield, which concluded:
| There are no personal objections"
But there are personal objections in
the case before the House." interposed
| Mr.. Taylor amid laughter and applause.
Not personal objections to the mem
| ber-elect," said Mr. Richardson. per
sonal disqualifcations only are alleg-
ed"
Mr.. Roberts himself took the floor in
his own defense after Mr. Richardson
had concluded.
He occupied a conspicuous place i'm
mediately in front of the clerks desk.
Several legal volumes were piled up in
front of him and bouquet of carna-
lions lay upon his desk. The most in
tense interest was manifested as he
| arose. Members crowded about but
were compelled to retire to their seats.
The galleries were hushed. The occu-
pants leaned over TO listen. eaSer to let
no word escape. Mr.. Roberts first sent
to the clerks desk and had read his
1ASbuA aAiAAllOA papo4S. ne lu6u DSSdu
to speak. His voice was soft and low,
but his enunciation was distinct and in
the stiffness could be heard to the
| furthest corner Of the hall.
AS he got into MS argument, his
voice grew louder until on several oc-
| casions it rang out Until the fretted
ceiling overhead gave back the echo.
Mr.. Roberts said two Presidents had
| proclaimed amnesty since his convic,
ton for a misdemeanor. He denied
that he had been law breaker since
| 1889 and asked why he had not been
prosecuted if a law-breaker. He refer
red to the present agitation as a Con
| spiracy to force this subject to the
front at this time
Proceeding he took up the charge
that Utah had broken her compact with
the United States by the election of an
alleged polygamous representative. II
that was true, then Utah had simply
followed the illustrious example of the
present national administration.
Il affirm" said he, that there is
abundant evidence that objections SINH
lar to those in the present case were
! made to the President and the Senate
against the appointment of certain fed
eral officials in Utah. but the objections
were waived aside.
DO you mean to say that polyga-
mists were appointed to federal Office
in Utah by the Executiye?" queried Mr..
Hopkins, (Rep.. Illinoisl