Arizona republican., 1899-11-17
Members Of the House OYER
Vhelmed With Petitions.
.BARHAM'S VIEW OF CASE
Recent Revival of AgIfafion Against
the Utah nember Is Extended to
the Pacific CoaSf-Neeesslfy for
the House - JudicIsIIy Defer.
mine fhe True Facts Before
Acting.

New York. Nov. 16.-The crusade
against Representative Roberts of
Utah, is making itself felt among
members of the house. probably more
than any popular movement for years.
The reports that reach Washington in
dicate that nearly every man whose
name is on the congressional list as a
overwhelmed with petitions and pro-
tests. Thousands of these were sent
to congress at the last session, and
were filed away, as thousands of petit
tions have been filed away before them,
with simply a brief mention of their
existence in the Congressional Record.
The recent revival of the crusade has
stimulated the circulation of the pc
titions. and it is probable that it
would take a train to carry all the pc
utions that members have received
since congress adjourned.
Il suppose have received $4,000 pc
titions during the past summer, asking
for the expulsion of Mr.. Roberts" said
Judge John A. Barham of Santa Rosa
Cal
They come largely from women
folks and the churches. In addition. 1
have been visited by hundreds of min
listers and others regarding the same
subject Many of these people base
their first objection to Mr.. Roberts on
the ground that he is a Mormon.
Immediately inform them that such an
argument has no weight with me. This
is a country of religious freedom. and
in my capacity as a member of the
house 1 have no right to consider
whether man is Mormon, Cath
/ olic or an atheist.
Ihere Is no doubt of a tremendous
public sentiment concerning Mr.. Rob-
erts, and it is not in any way confined
to the eastern section of the country.
And yet 1 do not know how 1 should
vote upon his case We have no right
to consider errors or indiscretions of
the past in determining Mr.. Roberts
/ eligibility. 1t is still well remembered
in Washington how Representative
Grove Johnson, of California, rose to a
question of privilege toward the close
of the Fifty-fourth congress and prac-
tically admitted that he had been
guilty of forgery many years previous
at SVracIISa nd Uat ha axnraSSad
repentance for that error, and was
given a great ovation at Syracuse
when he visited there. One might cite
other cases, but the principle is clear
that we cannot oust Mr.. Roberts for
past transgressions.
Before We can legally take any ac-
tion I apprehend that we must deter
mine in some manner whether he is at
present an offender. 1 know it is pop
ularly stated that Mr.. Roberts still
has three wives, and when I came
through Ogden I saw in the newspa-
pers that one of these wives had just
given birth to a child. Should Mr..
Roberts openly admit to the house that
he is a polygamist, 1 should have no
hesitation in acting at once.
"Bigamy, which is a somewhat diff
ferent offense than polygamy, is fell
ony in every state of the union, and
polygamy is an offense under the fed
eral statutes. If Mr.. Roberts becomes
a confessed polygamist before the
house, I should regard him in the same
light as a man who had confessed him
boasted of his intention to murder
other people when he wished. But un-
less Mr.. Roberts acknowledges his
polygamy, it seems to me that we must
judicially determine 1t by the appoint
ment of a committee of investigation
or by some other means before we can
vote intelligently upon his case.
THE trade of the Pacific coast" add
ed Judge Barham, touching upon the
results of new island possessions in
the Pacific Ocean, has already in
creased marvelously. Everywhere in
California one sees signs that men. wo-
men and children are wanted for en-
ployment. In many parts of the state
the vacation period of the schools has
been prolonged to enable the children
to work. There are 4OO.OOO,OOO people
out in front of the Pacific coast, and
when their trade is opened to us we
expect that San Francisco will equal
the present New York in commercial
Importance, and New York will have
become the metropolis of the world.
There is no questioning the benefits
already accruing to the Pacific coast
from expansion. We are all for the