Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-04

within lis strict powers and the state
Of Utah would have no legal cause for
protest.
hard nght. and he viii have defenders
In the House. Nevefthclcss there IL no
question az TO the sentiment OF n fun
two-thirie OF the Representatives. They
would much rather that Roberts had
not come to Washington with his
poiygnmous record, ana unlcHs thurc
are stronger reasons against II than
now nppcnr, they Will vote for his *.
puleion on the ground that he pfuc-
ideally. n not technically. sets the anti.
poiygnmy law mt defiance and most
certainly deflea the moral sentiment ot
tho whole nation outside % the Nor.
mon" Church.
WHAT CAN CONGRESS Dor
The Roberts case has now reached
the stage where the public " curious to
know what j. likely to be done, says
the Boston Transcript. And conHtoas-
men, II we may Judge from the remarks
OF those who are now assembling In
Washington, are about az much at sea
hs their constituents. Two courses
have already been suggested Roberts
ninht be expelled by % twO.thirda vote,
In accordance with provision OF the
Constitution. or he might by majority
vote be refused the opportunity 10 tnke
the oath uf Office next Monday morning,
Either Of these planr ~ open 10 SERIOUS
objection. ana the third one, that ~
"unacatinR him." ne tho phrnsc goes IN
q contested election case. does not seem
feasible. AZ no other candidate anpcnrr
TO he con,eating tho legality or IN. reg
ularity Of his election. THIS makes the
ease a difficult one. and has given rise
IN Washington to the cynical query.
answer is that Congress can do moth
INK.
We are not disposed to view the canc
In quito this light. There u 600 much
smoke IN this nnti-loberts agitation To-
make II appear that thetc u no hrc.
Nearly every representative IL reported
as saying In private conversation. II
have got 90 do something Look at the
pile OF pctitlonsi Never since I have
been In congrea have my constituent,
been 80 Interested In any question
Congressman Barhnm ~ California
spoke u hla mail as containing eat
loads Of protests" and HE experience
| IL the ordinary one. II will then b. thc
proper thing, az least, Tor rcprcsonia-
| tlNoa to appear TO H. doing something
| with Roberts. whether they arr or not
| They Will certainly have to saw the air
In denomination Of him. aud probably
40 further.
Tho frat practical proposal IL 10 have
| somebody rise and object 10 Roberts
taking the oath Of office when hia name
IL called In alphabetical order. The
| chair would doubtless fail To sustain
this point Of order. at which nm appeal
would be taken from the decision OF
| the chair. and a test vote would follow.
| To throw a man out NJ such timc.
without the slightest investigation,
would be almost revolutionary In It's
| character. Ex-senator Edmundn, long
n specialist In Mormon nfinira says
| Roberts should be expelled, but that he
should not be- refused an opportunity
| TO tax" the oath Of office, THIS would
| bo too dangerous precedent The day
might come when men would he liko-
wise refused admission Tor lesser
causes.
The expulsion plan Ia not wholly with
| out IT, difficulties. A two-thir1a vote
IN a body IN which the Republicans
have very narrow majority " hard to
secure. II depends not only upon the
Republican party policy toward this
| question but to some extent the Demo-
| cratic party Iolicy. II n very evident
that the Republicans are more opposed
| to Roberts than tho Democrats. Utah
Is Democratic state. was admitted by
a Democratic administration. and that
party has generally been mildly apollo
Retic OF Itnhs course. The only men
| who have come out squnrely IN Rob
erts'a favor are Democrats. Of whom
Dchrmond. candidate for minority
| leader, has been most conspicuous.
I
Connecticut ana poarrc Of Maryland.
| have already announced their Intentions
| In tho other direction. n this should
become a party question u two-thirds
vote would be Impossible. ana II II yet
| too early to predict that II Will. for the
rugged Presbytcrlanism Of Southern
constituencies Il something that must be
reckoned with.
n the nghting gets too hot for Rob
| erts, or threatens TO uncover too much
..T "a. -
doubtless resign ana withdraw from
the scene, In spite Of his emphatic as
| sertlons lust now that he Will not do 30.
| Men like Roberts change their minds
| readily, especially at the dlctation OF
an coclcsiastic machine. II IL rather
fortunate, after all, that the Roberta
case has come up. for II VIII give the
| country u chance to decide what II
/ Thinks OF Mormonism In It's newest
phases. "Wlll the Mormons take w
pulygamy again. asks the Innocent
Fastener OF salt Lake GENTLE Judge.
NO" he replies complaoontly. FOR they
never have dropped IT,"
The ogden Standard mon "Mormon'D
II responsible for the following para
graphs
"Roborts. lf he were not an honest.
conscientious. God-fearlng man. would
have divorced his plural wives after
his election and before he attempted to
enter Congress Hut the duty he be-
| llevcs he owes those women. who In
| their youth sacrificed all for him.
causes him 10 remain true Ia the mar
| flagv VOWS taken years aFo. to clcavr
unto his wives until death do them
part. Even those who think Roberts
should be expelled from Congress must
admire his honor. courage and fidelity.
He certainly shows himself very much
a man.
'''he standard believes that all po-
| lygamous marriages prior 20 statehood
should be forgiven and forgotten, but