The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-22
Ihe Wessenger.


The Messenger TOOK occasion to say
of the refusal to allow the Mormon po-
lygamist, Roberts, to take a seat in the
federal house, that IL was perhaps a
mistake, as he was duly accredited by
the signature of the governor of the
state of Utah as being legally elected
1t set a precedent hat may prove dan
gerous in the future. Some member
from North Carolina or Massachusetts
or California may some day be refused
entrance upon some other plea involv-
ing the very being of statehood. The
usual wa, the uniform way heretofore
as we Mentioned was for the member
with the governors certificate to be
seated, and then have a committee to
investigate any contest and let it be
ascertained If the member has a right
to continue his seat in the body to
which he is accredited.
1T would be a great shame and re-
proach for an open, avowed polygamist
to be seated in defiance of law in the
American congress-. There is no doubt
of the guilt Of Roberts, and he is not
eligible, for he violates law and keeps
up his old immoral practices in def
ance of decency, Of all protests, of all
~prejudices, of all moral grounds of
complaint. 1t matters but little what
Roberts denies, as his record is one of
open, shameful debauchery. He seeks
to extend the inquiry so as to raise the
question of whether his state is a part
of the American union. as it was once
called properly, but now it is Nation
with a huge N. The Contra P~resbyte-
rian discussing the matter says of the
movement Of Roberts:
THE inquiry will be b~roadened into
the trial of a state which may involve
the denying the state any representa-
ttou IN either branch of congress until
1T has purged itself of the charges. By
his course Roberts may bring upon the
s. q new adjustment of it's relations
to federal government. Certainly
the American people are determined
that they will not be trifed with, and
will not consent to the false position
of the Mormons."
Clark, Of Montana, is charged with
having been elected by bribery,
he was also objected to. That both
senate and house can say who is eli
gible upon examination is true, and
has been the constant practice. 1t is no
new thing. The pinch is as to not al
lowing the certificate of the governor
to be recognized. The Memphis Appeal
makes a statement that covers the
ground and is clear. 1t says:
1T is undeniable that 18th house Of
congress has the power to say who
shall lrd who shall not constitute it's
membership. This is a power inherent
in ell deliberative bodies. In the case
of congress, however, the constitution
must be observed, and the constitution
gives no individual member before the
house is organized the power to GUST
a member holding a certificate.
with Roberts or Clark personally
the country has nothing to do. The
question is one of much graver import
ance and concerns the right of q SOW
,ereign state to certify to a representa-
tive's election, and accredit him to
congress-. 1t takes the election of con-
gressmen and senators out of the
hands of the people and places it, arbi-
trarily, in congress-"
AL men, all faithful newspapers that
study the signs Of the times and watch
carefully the dangerous, revolutionary
trend to a huge ~centralizing power
cannot disregard the dangers that are
in all arbitrary action and in all usur-
pations whether by the president, the
congress or the judiciary. The Appeal
says we'll:
But let not a miserable Phariseean
n the winnings of the Holy WiIlies
hn yNnrroitfn1 70 nff n nd violate tho
constitution and automatically ignore
and trample upon the rights of the
sovereign states. We have been going
at a rapid rate toward Capitalization
for several years, n a halt should be
called. Congress is all-powerful, but
the states still count for something.
The democratic leader. Mr.. Richard
son, did his duty and nothing more
in raising the constitutional phase of
the question in the house yesterday.
Southern members would be very fool
ish in inviting such a precedent. Once
established, there is not a congress-
man from any of the black belt dis
tricts who could not be denied his
seat in congress on trumped-up
charges of fraud
The greater part of the American
people are decent, are theoretically
Christian, believe in moral law. and in
she teachings of the New Testament
as to divorces and bigamy and polyg-
my. They do not wish to see any Nor
mon seated in their congress. 1t shocks
decency, the moral sense, the best con-
victions of right of the people. But
there is a right way to pursue to re-
lieve the congress of the disgrace of
a Mormon polygamous member with
out setting examples that may even
tually cause great trouble to the states
and to individual members. Do not put
a two-edged sword into the hands of
the Mckinley gang who are ready and
watching for any leap into the dark.