The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-01

The following reasons why u. II.
Roberts Of Utah should be expelled
from the house of representatives of
the Fifty-sixth congress are presented
in a pamphlet issued by the League
for Social Service. of which DR.. Josiah
Strong is president:
/. The said B. II Roberts is an
avowed polygamist, having at least
three wives
2. The said B. H. Roberts has married
oil his polygamous wives since the Ed
munds Anti-polygamy law of 1852, or
since the Congressional Anti -polygamy
law of 1862 and hence his marriages
have all been consummated in open and
willful defiance of law, as well as in
willful defiance of the sense of NOR
ality of the American people.
g. The said B. II. Roberts was con-
victed of living with plural wives prior
TO the amnesty proclamation of Presi-
dent Benjamin Harrison, January 4th.
1898, and of President Grover Cleve-
land. September 25th, 1894 for which
offense he served a term of imprison-
ment, to which he was sentenced on
May 1st, 1889
4. Part of the penalty for living with
plural wives. as prescribed by the Ed
munds law of 1882 (see Sth section Of
said law and reaffirmed by the Ed
munds-Tucker law Of 1887, is disquali
fication to vote or to hold office as an
American citizen.
>. The said B. H. Roberts has con-
fessedly lived with plural wives and
has begotten polygamous children since
November 1st. 1890, and has therefore
not complied with the conditions Of
either Of the said amnesty proclama-
tions, which shows him to be as defiant
az ever.
6. In order to secure amnesty for the
Mormon polygamists and to secure the
passage of an Enabling Act, authorlz-
ing Utah to form a State government
the leaders Of the Mormon church, in
Guiding the president Of the said
church, who is to the Mormon people
1.-THE mouthpiece Of God" did in De-
cember, 1891. make a most solemn
promise pledgng their faith and hon
Or that old polygamous relations
should cease, and that no new polyga-
nous marriages should be consum-
mated.
{. The rank and file Of the Mormon
people in two different annual confer
ences, representing all wards of the
church, unanimously endorsed the
above named action of their leaders
before it had been incorporated in the
petition TO President Harrison. pledging
themselves to make the said action the
rule of their future conduct. (See pro
ceedings of said Conference, October
1890, and October. 1917
s. In order to get back the property
which had been escheated by the
United States Government in the Act
of Congress, March, 1887, the Mormon
church pledged itself that "the right.
fulness of the practice of polygam,
shall not be inculcated' CSee Joint
Resolution No. II Of the 1st Session OF
the Fifty-third COngressD This, OF
course, was a pledge on the part of tht
Mormon church to cease even tn,
teaching of polygamy.
9. The Honorable J. l.. RaWlins in
the capacity of delegate from the Ter.
ritory of Utah to the House of Repre-.
sentatives Of the Fifty-third Congress
did, on the floor of the House of rep
resentatives of the said Fifty-thirC
congress. on the 18th day of December
1888 in behalf of the Mormon people
make the most solemn pledge that !,
case Utah was admitted as State
polygamy should be forever abolished
by the people Of said State.
TO- In view of all the foregoing solemn
pledges, Congress passed the Enablinl
Act, including in the same. as a condi
tion precedent to admission, that UtaI
forever abolish polygamy by Constitu
tional enactment.
IL. The Constitutional Convention q
Utah, in accordance with the condition
of said Enabling Act, did incorpOrat
into the Constitution a clause foreve
prohibiting the practice of polygam,
within the bounds of that State, MI
Roberts being a prominent member o
this convention.
-. AS an evidence that this was un
derstood to include the severance O
the polygamous relations alread
formed, the same Constitutional con
vention provided that all laws of tn
Territory in force at the time of il
adoption should remain in force unit
they expired by their own limitati ton
or Were altered or repealed by the leg
islature. Among those laws we fin
the following law against "unlawfu
coha bitation": IF any male persO
hereafter cohabits with more than on
woman, he shall be guilty Of a mis-
demeanor and on conviction thereo
shall be punished by a fine of not NOR
than $500, or by Imprisonment in tn
county Jail for not more than 81
months, or by both said punishment
in the discretion of the court; and tn
Utah legislature, while the matter wa
still fresh in the minds of all III
people, did incorporate in the code
the State the said Territorial la
against unlawful Cohabitation" 9TH
technical term for living in polyg;
nous relations already formed whic
provided severe penalties for the viz
lation of said law.
13. AS soon after the above action 9
the people had settled down to the bt