The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-12
Especial Correspondence,


Washington. d. c., Dec S.-Mr. Ar
thur McEwen, of the Philadelphia
North American, John Wanamaker' S
paper. has been writing some deeply
interesting letters on the Roberts case.
In one of his best letters. just publish
ed, he says:
1T is perfectly clear that the
house OF representatives does not APP
prove of the kind of polygamy which
Mr. Roberts of Utah practices. The
other kind was much discussed in the
press gallery while the chaste Mr.. Tay-
Ter of Ohio, Mr.. Grcsvenor of the same
state, and others were defending the
American home against the alarming
assault of the Mormous. The senti-
ments uttered on the floor could be read
without a blush by the young person
and with approval BIZ everybody who is
not an avowed po'ye amist, while the re-
marks in the p e gallery were qliter n
fit pub icati n, nee these bore la ge-
ly upon the fitness of Mr.. Roberts
judges to sit on his case. There is a
great deal of sympathy for Roberts; he
is so very lonely. and the opposition to
him is so overmastering. He is the I'M
der dog in a fight which offers him no
chance at all. He would have plenty
dared to talk outside of it. Honorable
gentlemen in considerable numbers say
privately with manly franknsss that
whatever Roberts sins may be, 1t
hurts their sense of congruity to see
a lot of unrepent2nt FOUNDERS stamping
on man who is net a bit worse than
they are. The gentlemen say they are
afraid to vote as they think. lest they
be classed with the foes of morality
so they add their kicks to the rest and
are rr. pared 10 feni the home aga INST
the Mormons to the last gasp. Thus
it is seen that even cowardice and ny
pocrisy. hateful things in themselves,
are happily brought into the service of
domestic purity
The trouble with Roberts, said one
member. is that he has not made out
casts of the women he calls his wives.
and refused his name to their children.
Having thus failed in his duty toward
Christian civilization am prepared,
when the time comes. to heaye the
stone OF my vote at him.
There is a deplorable confusion of
thought in the press gallery. as we'll
as out of it. The correspondents sit
around and tell what they know about
the lives of public men. some of whom
are prominent as anti-Roberts warriors.
When the tales of drunkenness and
lechery have been told. the implied ar
gument is that the Roberts sort OF
polygamy is decenter than the Gentle
kind practiced by his prosecutors. The
principle that two wrongs do not make
a right is forgotten. and it is also over
looked that after the Roberts style of
polygamy has been properly branded
as intolerable there will be nothing to
prevent the rejected member from
Utah from turning the tables and call
ing on the country. TO pass judgment
on the polygamy which does not dis
qualify a citizen from serving in con-
gress OF course the newspapers would
hardly give a hearing to so immoral
a character as Roberts The delicacy
of the press would doubtless restrain
it from violating the sacredness of pri-
vate life but there is nothing 10 pre-
vent Roberts from writing book. He
is bold enough to do ii, and he can
shield himself behind the specious plea
that those who set up as censors OF
morals challenge examination of their
own equipment for the office
He surely would be encouraged to
essay such a book by the multitude of
assurances he is daily receiving that
Mormon with three. or thirty. wives
is not half so offensive TO the healthy
male mind as the sight of drunkards
and libertines figuring as home guards
and streNing flowers of exalting rhet-
Oric at the feet OF pleased WOnlannood-
Roberts is bold enough for anything.
There is admiration, mingled with the
sympathy so freely expressed for him
in this city, which, having near view
of great men. Is prone to take the vail
cts view of heroes. He is a fighter.
and courage compels respect. He has
brains, too. He talks very well. in
deed-clearly, forcibly and eloquently.
He knows exactly what he wants to
say. and. though he mounts in impas-
stoned flights. he does not Stop over.
No one, except a man with rope
around his neck. addressing the mob
that is going to hang him. ever made
speech under more depressing condi-
lions than Roberts did. He faced hos
tile country as well as "a hostile house.
but he did not quail Twice his time
expired. and twice he was given an
additional ten minutes. Thus harass-
ed. and Interrupted frequently. and
that no matter what he